Skills

A single, directly practicable DBT skill for concrete situations, such as radical acceptance, Opposite Action, observing, and describing. The atomic unit of practice.

19 Skills

SkillInterpersonal Effectiveness

Assertive Listening

When good interaction depends on understanding, questioning and self-advocacy being held together instead of just reacting or just arguing.

Also in: Mindfulness

Relationship negotiationActive listeningActive information gathering

SkillInterpersonal Effectiveness

Assertiveness Scripts

When, before a conversation, not just the attitude but a concrete linguistic form is needed for a request, limit or feedback.

Also in: Mindfulness

Relationship negotiationConversation scriptStructured assertion

SkillEmotion Regulation

Check the Facts

If before opposing action or problem solving, it must first be checked whether the emotion and its intensity are appropriate to the facts.

Also in: Mindfulness

Changing emotional responsesFact checkingFact checking decision

SkillDistress Tolerance

Community Reinforcement

When sustainable change depends on the environment supporting behavior instead of constantly undermining it.

Also in: Interpersonal Effectiveness · Emotion Regulation

Relapse preventionSupportive environmentSupportive environment design

SkillInterpersonal Effectiveness

Ending Relationships

When what is needed is not relationship repair or better negotiation, but clear distancing, separation or a final discussion.

Also in: Emotion Regulation · Distress Tolerance

Relationship effectivenessEnding relationshipsBoundary and exit decision

SkillDistress Tolerance

Improving the Moment

If the secondary overload of the moment should be reduced so that perseverance, thinking and later skill use become possible again.

Also in: Mindfulness · Emotion Regulation

Crisis survivalMoment-based reliefMoment reframing and tolerability

SkillMindfulness

Loving Kindness

When mindfulness should not only be neutrally observing, but also expressly friendly and benevolent.

Also in: Interpersonal Effectiveness

Compassion practiceMetta practiceWarm wishes practice

SkillEmotion Regulation

Mindfulness of Current Emotions

When emotion avoidance magnifies the problem and mindful contact with the present feeling is needed first.

Also in: Distress Tolerance · Mindfulness

Changing emotional responsesMindful observation of current emotionsEmotion wave observation

SkillInterpersonal Effectiveness

Mindfulness of Others

When contact requires a more conscious awareness of the other person before you react, judge or negotiate.

Also in: Mindfulness · Emotion Regulation

Relationship effectivenessMindfulness in contactRelational attunement

SkillInterpersonal Effectiveness

Mutual Validation

When not only one person needs to be validated, but the relationship thrives on both perspectives becoming comprehensible.

Also in: Mindfulness

Relationship negotiationMutual validationTwo-sided relational validation

SkillEmotion Regulation

Opposite Action

If Check the Facts speaks against the emotional reaction direction and the situation itself does not need to be changed primarily.

Also in: Distress Tolerance

Changing emotional responsesOpposite behavior changeAction urge reversal

SkillDistress Tolerance

Physiological Coping Skills

When the body has to be downregulated first before other skills can even be accessed again.

Also in: Emotion Regulation

Crisis survivalBody-based regulationBody-based downregulation

SkillEmotion Regulation

Problem Solving

When Check the Facts shows that it is not the emotion that should be corrected, but the real problem situation that should be dealt with.

Also in: Distress Tolerance · Interpersonal Effectiveness

Changing emotional responsesProblem-focused changeActive situation change

SkillDistress Tolerance

Radical Acceptance

When what is needed is not primary understanding or change, but rather recognition of facticity.

Also in: Emotion Regulation · Mindfulness

Reality acceptanceAcceptance coreFact acknowledgment

SkillInterpersonal Effectiveness

RAVEN Negotiation

When several interests have to be brought together in a negotiation or difficult vote without losing sight of the actual goal.

Also in: Mindfulness

Relationship negotiationNegotiationRelational negotiation

SkillDistress Tolerance

Self-Soothing

When reassurance, body regulation or a non-punitive form of self-care are needed before problem solving, emotion regulation or interpersonal skills.

Also in: Mindfulness · Emotion Regulation

Crisis survivalSensory self-soothingSensory self-regulation

SkillDistress Tolerance

Turning the Mind

When a micro-movement is needed between understanding an acceptance skill and concrete application.

Also in: Emotion Regulation · Mindfulness

Reality acceptanceReturn to acceptance

SkillInterpersonal Effectiveness

Validation

When de-escalation, resonance or understandable classification are needed first.

Also in: Mindfulness · Emotion Regulation

Relationship effectivenessOne-sided validationOne-sided experience validation

SkillMindfulness

Wise Mind

When, before the next step, an inner orientation is needed that takes both feelings and reason seriously.

Also in: Distress Tolerance · Emotion Regulation · Interpersonal Effectiveness

Mindfulness coreIntegrative orientationIntegrative self-guidance