Marsha Linehan is featured in a story about a Chico clinic changing lives with the use of DBT.
Finding the life worth living
Zen-like therapy helps patients contain harmful impulsesBy Vic Cantu
This article was published on .
Sara Mayne was just six months out of Chico State with her master’s degree in social work when she encountered a patient who’d make one of the more powerful transformations she’s witnessed as a counselor.
In early 2015, Mayne, an associate social worker, was working as a therapist for a new mental health practice in Chico where she still works called Genuine DBT (the “DBT” stands for dialectical behavior therapy), which incorporates Zen concepts such as mindfulness and acceptance.
“I have always been interested in helping people with strong needs, and allowing them to see their inner beauty,” Mayne said.
This particular patient was a deeply troubled teenage girl who said she had attempted suicide more times than she could count. Dialectical behavior therapy helped make an astonishing improvement in the girl’s life.
“The patient has not tried to end her life in the two years since she started DBT training,” Mayne said. “Before the treatment, she had recurring terror, misery and darkness, but now she has a lot of joy and healthy relationships.”
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