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“A valuable tool for those seeking a structured approach to skills training with clients who experience learning challenges.”

—School Social Work Journal (on the first edition)


“I have been using The Skills System in sessions with people who are dually diagnosed with an intellectual disability and mental illness for a few years now. I am very excited to see the second edition. Brown has not changed the basics, but she has added more tools to help instructors and clients better understand the Skills System, including the new client workbook, with updated worksheets, and the chapter on targeted instruction. I recommend the Skills System for working with any client who needs extra help understanding their emotions, regulating them, and creating plans to reach their goals.”

—Jennie Thole, LMSW, Trinity Services, Inc., Mascoutah, Illinois


“Skills System is, without a doubt, the magic wand of DBT. The skills of DBT are laid out in a format that is easier to follow, and therefore easier to instruct. The instructor’s manual guides professionals through teaching the skills, and the client workbook is easy to use and applicable to a wide range of ages. I absolutely love the worksheets!”

—Dani Stephenson, MA, Dayhabilitation and Community Integration Manager, Lakes LifeSkills, Dickinson County, Iowa


“The second edition of the Skills System manual is an essential update to an already transformative resource. As a long-time practitioner using the Skills System, I value its accessibility, its emphasis on whole-system learning, and its unwavering focus on client empowerment and growth. I have even found it helpful for my own skill development—applying the Skills System in my own life has deepened my ability to use it effectively with clients. The second edition’s expanded content—particularly the chapter on targeted interventions—and the companion workbook offer invaluable guidance for supporting clients to build meaningful skills and achieve their goals. What sets the Skills System apart is its commitment to centering the experiences of individuals with cognitive challenges, promoting positive identity development, and supporting participants in pursuing the lives they want. It is a cornerstone of our clinical and support work.”

—Tony J. Raymer, LISW, RPT-S, Director of Brain Health, Easterseals Iowa

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About the Author

Julie F. Brown, MSW, PhD, is the president of Skills System, LLC. She is an independent social worker who has practiced in the intellectual disabilities field since the 1990s. Dr. Brown has been a dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) trainer with Behavioral Tech Institute since 2005.

• Author's website
• All titles by Julie F. Brown

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Audience

Clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, clinical social workers, counselors, and psychiatric nurses.

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Previous editions published by Guilford:

First Edition, © 2016
ISBN: 9781462519286

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New to this edition:

• Reflects the use of the Skills System in a growing range of settings; includes pre-instruction strategies, targeting strategies, and more ways to tailor instruction to clients’ needs, abilities, context, and learning preferences.
• Chapter on integrating the Skills System into individual therapy sessions.
• Updated emotion regulation theory and research.
• Companion workbook written expressly for clients, with numerous new reproducible tools.