The radical and fundamental idea that our thoughts make up our realities may seem trivial at first, especially when we think of how important circumstances can be in our lives. Even the word "reality " itself is continually used in such a way to imply external circumstances; for example, the phrases "back to reality " or "harsh reality, " usually refer to external circumstances, not our own thoughts. If you ask most people what their "reality " is, they will almost always go on to describe the role they take on, their jobs and where they live. On one side, this is how we usually define our "reality, " but on the other, it's easy to see how two people in these same circumstances could have quite diverse experiences. One person might be more positive and jovial, they enjoy life immensely; however someone else might be more cynical and apprehensive, and appreciate life less. .

             What is it that makes one person anxious and other person optimistic? We each have our predispositions toward different thought patterns. We call these tendencies by various names: personality traits, temperaments, genetic predispositions, the list goes on. However we distinguish these tendencies, their everyday impact on us occurs through our thoughts.

             Marsha Linehan, PhD, was born May 5, 1943. Her degrees include: B.S in psychology 1968, M.A in 1970 and Ph.D. in 1971, both of which were in clinical psychology. All were completed at Loyola University in Chicago Illinois. (Please see final page for a complete listing of awards and achievements) She is considered the founder of Dialectal Behavior Therapy (DBT). DBT was originally developed to treat borderline personality disorder (BPD) of which Marsha Linehan is no stranger to. During a speech at the Institute of Living in Hartford, Connecticut on June 17, 2011, she disclosed that she suffers from BPD. As a teenager she had a history of attacking herself, burning her wrists with cigarettes, slashing her arms, legs and midsection, using any sharp object she could get her hands on.