Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was developed originally to treat severely suicidal patients and was then expanded to treat borderline personality disorder and has now been expanded to treat other complex, difficult-to-treat disorders. As one might imagine, finding therapists with sufficient compassion, patience, and skill to take on the difficult-to-treat and suicidal patient is not easy. Finding therapists willing to not only learn but also implement new treatments is even harder. Even when a lot of data is available showing that a treatment is effective, it is often easier to just continue Providing the treatment one has already learned and is comfortable with.
I am most impressed and am also delighted that Dr. Yong Cho not only found DBT but also took the time and put in the energy to actually learn the treatment. Many people are willing to immediately adopt a new treatment, but few are willing to actually learn it. The application of any evidence-based treatment requires that the therapist follow the manual that was used in the research showing the treatments effectiveness.
When I wrote the two manuals for DBT, I never imagined that they would read beyond the United States or other English-speaking countries. All the way to Korea is more than I ever dreamed of. Without these translations, it would be extraordinarily difficult if not impossible for Korean individuals with borderline personality disorder or other complex disorders to obtain this treatment.
I am deeply grateful to Dr. Cho for the immense amount of work he has put into translating my two manuals. I am sure that the reader will find skillful means in these pages.
Marsha M. Linehan, Ph.D., ABPP
University of Washington
