This reassuring parent guide explains what motivates cutting and how various treatments—chief among them dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)—can provide effective routes to wellness. The book gives parents crucial information on how self-injury differs from suicidal behavior, ways to talk to teens about cutting without making it worse, and practical steps they can take to help teens cope with extreme emotions. Mental health professionals and students also will appreciate the book as an accessible overview of state-of-the-science treatment principles.

214 pages.

"Very readable and highly informative. I read this book after my daughter had undergone extensive treatment, and I strongly recommend it to all parents, especially those who are beginning the journey through treatment with their child and trying to understand self-harming behavior. What I appreciated most about the book were the explanations of the root causes of self-injury and the guidance on how to interact with your child in ways that support recovery."

-Parent, Boston, Massachusetts

"Dr. Hollander's book is a lifeline to parents, offering reassurance and wisdom supported by experience. He seems to really understand how frightening it is to be the parent of a teen who cuts. This book provides relief, hope, and guidelines to follow. I am truly grateful for this book."

-Parent, New York City

"Dr. Hollander manages to take a very complex problem and describe it in a language accessible to teens, parents, and those working with them. Most importantly, he does this without sacrificing what we know scientifically about teen cutting. He is one of the top trainers in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) worldwide, and it shows in this book. His skills as a therapist and his experience applying DBT with teens shine through. DBT is an effective treatment, and this book makes many of the fundamentals of the treatment accessible to the public. It is long overdue."

-Marsha M. Linehan, PhD, ABPP, Professor and Director, Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics, Department of Psychology, University of Washington

"A truly remarkable book. Dr. Hollander offers a wealth of information about cutting, reveals the communication mistakes that even well-intentioned parents make, and illustrates specific ways of talking with kids to help them stop hurting themselves. Empathic, easy to read, and jargon free, this book is a major resource for parents and professionals alike. I recommend it highly."

-Robert Brooks, PhD, coauthor of Raising Resilient Children

"This is an extremely thoughtful, wise, and empathic guide for the parents of teens caught up in the painful and complex web of self-injury. Both down to earth and practical, the book draws on substantial clinical experience and the latest scientific data. Dr. Hollander takes the mystery out of this confusing but all-too-prevalent behavior, debunks the many myths surrounding it, and deftly delineates state-of-the-art treatment principles. Dr. Hollander has done us all a great service with this book."

-William S. Pollack, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School; author of Real Boys