*The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook for C-PTSD* by Sheri Van Dijk is truly a gem for anyone looking to heal from the lasting effects of trauma. As a social worker, I’ve found this workbook to be an invaluable resource for both my clients and myself. It’s not just a collection of exercises; it’s a comprehensive, evidence-based guide that offers real, tangible ways to manage the intense emotions that come with complex PTSD.

What I love most about this workbook is how accessible and compassionate it is. Sheri Van Dijk does a fantastic job of explaining DBT skills in a way that feels gentle and supportive, while also providing deep, meaningful tools that can be personalized. It’s clear that this workbook is designed with trauma survivors in mind, using not only DBT but also polyvagal theory and other proven methods to create a well-rounded approach to healing.

The skills and exercises in the workbook really help individuals address the tough stuff—like hypervigilance, dissociation, and avoidance—and they do so in a way that feels manageable, not overwhelming. The focus on physical health and the mind-body connection is incredibly important for trauma survivors, and I love that this workbook highlights that aspect. It’s a reminder that healing isn’t just about emotional stability; it’s about feeling whole again, in mind and body.

Overall, I highly recommend this workbook to anyone struggling with C-PTSD, whether you’re working through it in therapy or on your own. It’s a thoughtful, kind, and incredibly helpful resource that I’m grateful to have in my professional toolkit and will continue to recommend to clients who need it.

This workbook is a great resource for anyone hoping to learn more about types of trauma and accessible methods of moving past them. The author is easy to understand, avoiding relying on scientific jargon, and provides situational examples for each section. Van Dijk’s goal is to validate the user’s experience with trauma, assuring them that what happened to them was not their fault, and neither is how they reacted to it. Survivors of trauma are justified in their coping mechanisms, but if these are unhealthy or ultimately not beneficial, this workbook can help them recognize and work through experiences like dissociation, avoidance, and hypervigilance.

The author recognizes that everyone is experiencing trauma in different ways, and meets them at every level within this book. I found this workbook to be so valuable, especially what I learned about trauma’s effect on the body, understanding different trauma responses, and how developmental trauma manifests in adults. (One response to trauma is to overwork yourself to avoid your emotions–that one really got me) This author even found a way to present mindfulness as a way to ease anxiety/becoming triggered in a way that didn’t make me roll my eyes. I feel more prepared and motivated to work through my own personal trauma after reading through this workbook, and am grateful to the author for truly understanding what our traumatized brains and bodies need to move forward.

“You are not to blame for the way your body and mind have chosen to help you survive and through learning about these processes, you’ll be more able to change the way your body and mind respond in the future.”

I really enjoyed this book and found it practical for daily use. I have another copy of this title for anxiety. I will purchase a physical copy for myself.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and Net Galley for a copy of this title.

As an aspiring trauma therapist, CPTSD is something I’m super passionate about. Not a lot of people know about the complex version of PTSD and this leaves so many people struggling to identify their experiences, sometimes even receiving other mental health diagnoses that neglect the root issue of trauma. This book addresses that gap and I think it’s a crucial addition to the psychology book genre. This workbook has so many strengths- it meets readers where they are at in their trauma healing process, empowers readers with knowledge, and provides a variety of different activities and tools to improve wellbeing. Overall, the information provided in this book is an incredible resource for those dealing with CPTSD, and I highly recommend it.

cPTSD is something so many people struggle from, but it has not yet been established as an official condition, and so very often those afflicted struggle to find resources on this topic alone. I was so happy to see this workbook being published and could not wait to jump into it.

First, I love the attention and care given to those suffering from cPTSD in this book. The way the author presented everything in such a compassionate, factual way made it easy to understand. Second, the checklists and scenarios were very easy to follow and relatable - as I worked through many of the questions, I felt very validated and hopeful that there would be helpful information for me as I went. I think this is a workbook that cPTSD sufferers should all read and work through. I will definitely be looking for this to add to my own shelves.

This book would also be helpful for professionals and those who support someone with cPTSD to gain a better understanding. I found the questions and activities to be very helpful, and overall a great resource on a topic that is very rarely covered as it is not an officially recognized condition in the DSM.

Thank you to NetGalley and New Harbinger Publications for the digital ARC of this title!

Focusing on Complex (multiple, chronic, or ongoing trauma) PTSD, this book helps understand the effects of trauma on our psyches and behaviors and provides some good coping skills and ways to manage one’s life. Utilizing dialectical behavior therapy techniques, this workbook would be useful to both professionals and people wanting to heal from CPTSD and take control of their lives. This is a book that probably should be read and re read a few times to maximize its benefits.

I believe that DBT should be given a greater role in therapy and therapy approaches when treating PTSD and C-PTSD, as well as it should be recognized more (along with C-PTSD being recognized more). Meanwhile, it feels like a huge step forward that there is a book like this one. I’m sure it will be helpful to many, both patients and therapists.

So, I have my pretty big share of mental health disorders (among other fun things). I have spent time in both inpatient care as well as outpatient. I have been seeing a therapist weekly for several years. I am no stranger to DBT.

I was pleased to get the chance to get an early look at this workbook. I am a fan of how Sheri Van Dijk creates these tools that are oriented towards specific disorders allowing us to tackle our needs individually. I appreciate her for making a very user friendly workbook for those of us who want to better understand how our complex traumas and reactions affect us and how to better manage C-PTSD.

***Thank you to New Harbinger, the publisher, and NetGalley for this advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

C-PTSD is such an underrepresented population and I love to see more time and attention given to its specific nuances. DBT can be such an effective treatment modality for patients and I am very excited to incorporate this material into my sessions with my clients.

Thank you to New Harbinger (publisher) and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.
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First off, Van Dijk has written a bunch of these DBT workbooks for various modalities, and I appreciate her for it. They are all succinct and they do mention each disorder with grace, empathy and knowledge. In particular, the C-PTSD intrigued me because, as she writes, C-PTSD is not recognized in the DSM-5, which is the clinical diagnostic manual for psychotherapists. The workbook provides an accessible way for those who cannot access other mental health services to take action for their own care and well-being. As I perused this workbook, it became clear that van Dijk urges readers to have a steady and solid support system in place: what are ways that the reader can practice self-care as they work through the stages of recovering from trauma? I do think it's responsible to also mention the roots of DBT that are semi-appropriative and give them due credit (Buddhism and meditation,) but for the most part, this is an excellent guide to learning DBT skills in order to apply them to C-PTSD. Thank you!

This book gives useful guidance on how to work through your c-ptsd using a type of therapy that was originally created for borderline personality disorder. This form of therapy has proved fairly effective for other mental illnesses.

I highly recommend this book especially if you have comorbities such as borderline personality disorder. I also recommend reading it several times a year. Keep how it teaches you fresh in your memory. Utilize its tools that it offers you!