Dr. Shireen Rizvi is a leading expert in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and the treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder. She received her PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Washington, where she trained directly under Marsha Linehan, the originator of DBT, and has spent more than 25 years immersed in the research, clinical practice, and training of the model. She currently serves as Director of Psychology Training and Director of DBT Services and Research at Montefiore Einstein in New York City, and is co-author of Real Skills, Real Life, a practical guide to DBT skills for everyday use. In this episode, Dr. Rizvi offers a comprehensive introduction to DBT as a treatment for BPD — from its philosophical roots in dialectics, through the biosocial model of emotion dysregulation, to the full structure of the treatment: individual therapy, skills training, between-session coaching, and therapist consultation. She walks clinicians through the target hierarchy, diary card, and chain analysis, and unpacks each of the four skill modules — mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness — with concrete clinical examples. She also addresses when DBT is most indicated, how it has shaped the broader BPD treatment landscape, and what clinicians without full DBT training can meaningfully borrow from the model.

Dr. Rizvi has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.