New Book
Beyond Surviving -- The DBT Guide to Living Life to the Fullest
A comprehensive, practical guide to mastering Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills and transforming survival mode into a life worth living.
By Edward Flynn, LPC, NBCCH, DBTC
About the Book
From surviving to thriving
Beyond Surviving is more than a self-help book -- it's a clinical roadmap for anyone who has ever felt trapped by their own emotions. Written by Edward Flynn, a licensed therapist with over 13 years of experience treating anxiety, trauma, and emotional dysregulation, this book translates the full scope of Dialectical Behavior Therapy into accessible, actionable practice.
Across 15 chapters and 4 core DBT modules, you'll learn the same skills taught in clinical DBT programs -- distress tolerance, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness -- along with Edward's unique integration of clinical hypnotherapy techniques that deepen the work and accelerate results.
Each chapter includes guided exercises, real client scenarios (anonymized), reflection prompts, and practical worksheets. Whether you're a therapy client looking for supplemental material, a clinician seeking a client-friendly resource, or someone navigating emotional challenges on your own, this book meets you where you are and walks with you toward a life that feels genuinely worth living.
By the Numbers
What's inside
15
Chapters
4
Core DBT Modules
50+
Guided Exercises
13+
Years of Clinical Experience
Table of Contents
15 chapters to transform your life
The Dialectical Life
Understanding the philosophy of DBT and why 'both/and' thinking is the foundation of change.
Beyond Survival Mode
Recognizing the patterns that keep you stuck and setting the stage for genuine transformation.
Mindfulness: The Core Skill
Building the foundation of awareness that makes every other DBT skill possible.
Wise Mind
Finding the balance between emotion mind and reasonable mind in daily decisions.
Distress Tolerance: Crisis Survival
TIPP, STOP, and other skills for managing acute emotional crises without making things worse.
Distress Tolerance: Reality Acceptance
Radical acceptance, turning the mind, and willingness as paths through pain.
Emotion Regulation: Understanding Emotions
The function of emotions, the myth of 'bad' feelings, and how to observe without reacting.
Emotion Regulation: Changing Emotions
Opposite action, checking the facts, and building a life worth living through valued action.
Reducing Vulnerability: The ABC PLEASE Skills
Building emotional resilience through sleep, nutrition, exercise, and mastery experiences.
Interpersonal Effectiveness: DEAR MAN
Getting what you need from relationships while maintaining self-respect.
Interpersonal Effectiveness: GIVE & FAST
Balancing relationship maintenance with self-respect in every interaction.
Walking the Middle Path
Dialectical thinking, validation, and moving beyond black-and-white patterns.
Hypnotherapy as a DBT Accelerator
How clinical hypnotherapy deepens skill acquisition and rewires emotional responses.
Building Your Daily Practice
Creating sustainable routines that integrate DBT skills into every area of your life.
Life to the Fullest
Moving from surviving to thriving -- your ongoing journey of growth, meaning, and emotional freedom.
"The goal of DBT isn't to eliminate pain -- it's to build a life so meaningful that the pain becomes bearable. This book is the roadmap I wish I could hand every client on day one."
-- Edward Flynn, LPC, NBCCH, DBTC
Ready to go beyond surviving?
Pre-order the book and get early access to the companion course. 15 chapters, 50+ exercises, and a complete framework for building a life worth living.
About the Author
Edward Flynn
LPC, NBCCH, DBTC -- Licensed Professional Counselor
Edward Flynn is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Nationally Board Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, and certified DBT clinician based in Pennsylvania. With over 13 years of clinical experience, he specializes in treating anxiety disorders, trauma, depression, and emotional dysregulation using a unique integration of evidence-based DBT and clinical hypnotherapy.
Edward's approach combines the structured skill-building of DBT with the deep, experiential change work of hypnotherapy -- helping clients not just manage symptoms, but fundamentally transform their relationship with their emotions. He has trained hundreds of therapists and helped thousands of clients build lives they genuinely want to live.
- Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
- Nationally Board Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist (NBCCH)
- Certified DBT Clinician (DBTC)
- 13+ years of clinical practice
- Specializing in anxiety, trauma, and emotional regulation