Modules
Start here if you want to get to know DBT through its four modules. They are grouped into acceptance and change skills.
4 Modules
Acceptance skills:
mindfulness and distress tolerance
This is where DBT starts with noticing, accepting, and tolerating difficult reality without having to change it in an escalating way right away.
Distress Tolerance
Handle crises without making everything worse.
Typical entry points
Change skills:
emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness
This is where the focus shifts to regulating emotions more effectively and shaping relationships so that goals, connection, and self-respect become more stable.
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Clarify relationships and reach goals.
Typical entry points
Acceptance skills: mindfulness and distress tolerance
This is where DBT starts with noticing, accepting, and tolerating difficult reality without having to change it in an escalating way right away.
Mindfulness
Acceptance space
12 items in this module. Start here if you want to see the DBT base structure first.
Wise Mind
When mind and feeling must be brought together before you move on.
Also in: Distress Tolerance · Emotion Regulation · Interpersonal Effectiveness
Mindfulness How-Skills
When you have to mindfully align not just what you do, but how you do it.
Also in: Distress Tolerance · Emotion Regulation · Interpersonal Effectiveness
Doing Mind and Being Mind
When a better balance is needed between purposeful action and open existence.
Also in: Distress Tolerance · Emotion Regulation
Mindfulness What-Skills
If you first want to take the three basic steps of mindfulness as a coherent practice.
Also in: Distress Tolerance · Emotion Regulation · Interpersonal Effectiveness
Loving Kindness
If you want to practice active, warm affection instead of just distance from yourself or others.
Also in: Interpersonal Effectiveness
Middle Path
When black and white reactions become too narrow and a dialectical space is needed.
Also in: Distress Tolerance · Interpersonal Effectiveness
Distress Tolerance
Acceptance space
18 items in this module. Start here if you want to see the DBT base structure first.
TIP Skills
When extreme tension needs to be quickly regulated through the body.
Also in: Emotion Regulation
Crisis Survival Strategies
When a crisis has to be survived without making it worse.
Self-Soothing
When your system needs reassurance and friendly self-regulation first.
Also in: Mindfulness · Emotion Regulation
STOP Skill
When an impulse or moment of escalation needs to be interrupted immediately before it drags you further.
Also in: Emotion Regulation · Interpersonal Effectiveness
Improving the Moment
When the moment cannot be resolved immediately, but needs to be carried differently internally.
Also in: Mindfulness · Emotion Regulation
Radical Acceptance
When resistance increases suffering and reality must first be acknowledged.
Also in: Emotion Regulation · Mindfulness
Reality Acceptance
When resistance against unchangeable reality increases the pain.
Willingness
When not only insight but open willingness to take the next step is missing.
Also in: Emotion Regulation · Mindfulness
Turning the Mind
When you know acceptance, but inside you keep tipping back into rejection.
Also in: Emotion Regulation · Mindfulness
Change skills: emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness
This is where the focus shifts to regulating emotions more effectively and shaping relationships so that goals, connection, and self-respect become more stable.
Emotion Regulation
Change space
25 items in this module. Start here if you want to see the DBT base structure first.
Opposite Action
When the emotional impulse takes you deeper into the problem instead of out.
Also in: Distress Tolerance
Problem Solving
When the problem is real and not just the feeling but the situation needs to be changed.
Also in: Distress Tolerance · Interpersonal Effectiveness
The DBT emotion model
If you want to understand emotions as a system of triggers, body, evaluation, impulse and action.
Also in: Mindfulness · Distress Tolerance
Check the Facts
When it is unclear whether feelings and assumptions really match the facts.
Also in: Mindfulness
Functions of emotions
When it needs to be made clear what meaningful signaling or protective function an emotion actually has.
Also in: Mindfulness · Distress Tolerance
ABC PLEASE Skills
When positive emotions, self-efficacy and physical stabilization have to be built together.
Also in: Distress Tolerance
Build Mastery and Cope Ahead
When stress preparation and self-efficacy building have to be thought of together.
Also in: Distress Tolerance
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Change space
14 items in this module. Start here if you want to see the DBT base structure first.
GIVE
When relationship, resonance and defusing in contact must first be protected.
Also in: Mindfulness
Validation
When a condition must first be understood before discussion or change can take place.
Also in: Mindfulness · Emotion Regulation
DEAR MAN
When you need to clearly address, request, refuse, or negotiate something.
Also in: Mindfulness · Emotion Regulation
FAST
If you want to remain fair in your contact without betraying yourself.
Also in: Mindfulness · Emotion Regulation