The complete DBT skills list

The DBT skills list is organized into four modules — mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness — each containing a set of specific, practical skills. Here's the full picture, with links to go deeper on each.

Mindfulness skills

The foundation of DBT. The "what" skills: observe, describe, participate. The "how" skills: non-judgmentally, one-mindfully, effectively. Plus wise mind — the balance of emotion and reason.

Distress tolerance skills

Crisis survival: STOP, TIPP, ACCEPTS (distraction), self-soothing, IMPROVE the moment, pros and cons. Reality acceptance: radical acceptance, turning the mind, willingness.

Emotion regulation skills

Check the facts, opposite action, problem solving, the PLEASE skills, accumulating positive emotions, building mastery, and coping ahead.

Interpersonal effectiveness skills

DEAR MAN (get your objective), GIVE (keep the relationship), and FAST (keep your self-respect).

Applying the skills

Skills are most useful applied to real challenges — see DBT skills for anxiety and our roundup of DBT coping skills. Want a printable quick reference? Use the DBT skills cheat sheet. New to all of this? Start with what DBT skills are.

Learn the full skill set in a live class

Our Introduction to DBT Skills course teaches every module live over Zoom, in a structured order with practice and group support.

Common questions

What is the full list of DBT skills?

DBT skills are organized into four modules. Mindfulness: observe, describe, participate, non-judgmentally, one-mindfully, effectively, wise mind. Distress tolerance: STOP, TIPP, ACCEPTS, self-soothe, IMPROVE, pros and cons, radical acceptance. Emotion regulation: check the facts, opposite action, PLEASE, accumulate positives, build mastery, cope ahead. Interpersonal effectiveness: DEAR MAN, GIVE, FAST.

How many DBT skills are there?

DBT groups dozens of individual skills under four modules and several acronyms (like TIPP, ACCEPTS, PLEASE, DEAR MAN, GIVE, and FAST). Rather than memorizing a count, most people learn them module by module and build a personal toolkit.

What order should I learn DBT skills in?

DBT skills training usually starts with mindfulness (the foundation), then moves through distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. A live class walks you through them in a structured order with practice.