What are DBT Skills,
and how can they help you?

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a core foundational skill in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), emphasizing the practice of paying full attention to the present moment without judgment or attachment. It teaches individuals to observe their thoughts, emotions, sensations, and surroundings as they arise, treating them like passing clouds rather than absolute truths. Key techniques include:

• "What" skills: Observing (noticing experiences without reacting), describing (labeling what you observe with words), and participating (fully engaging in the current activity).
• "How" skills: Acting non-judgmentally (avoiding labels like "good" or "bad"), one-mindfully (focusing on one thing at a time), and effectively (doing what works in the situation).

By cultivating mindfulness, people learn to detach from rumination on the past or anxiety about the future, reducing emotional overwhelm and improving decision-making. Regular practice, such as through short daily meditations or mindful breathing exercises, builds a mental "pause button" that enhances overall emotional resilience.

Distress Tolerance

Distress Tolerance skills equip individuals with tools to endure and survive crises or intense emotional pain without resorting to impulsive or harmful actions, such as self-harm, substance use, or aggression. The goal is not to eliminate distress but to accept it temporarily while building tolerance. These skills are particularly useful in moments when emotions feel unchangeable or overwhelming. Core strategies include:

• Crisis survival techniques: Distraction (e.g., engaging in activities like counting backward or holding ice cubes), self-soothing (using the five senses, such as listening to calming music or smelling a pleasant scent), and IMPROVE the moment (Imagery, Meaning, Prayer, Relaxation, One thing at a time, Vacation, Encouragement).
• Reality acceptance skills: Radical acceptance (fully acknowledging reality without resistance), turning the mind (choosing to redirect focus), and willingness (acting with full commitment rather than willful resistance).

These methods promote short-term relief and long-term growth, helping individuals navigate life's inevitable stressors with greater composure and preventing small problems from escalating.

Emotion Regulation

Emotion Regulation focuses on understanding, labeling, and modulating intense or dysregulated emotions to lead a more balanced life. It empowers people to reduce vulnerability to negative emotions and increase positive ones without suppressing feelings entirely. This module breaks down emotions into manageable components for proactive management. Essential techniques include:

• Building awareness: Checking the facts (verifying if an emotion fits the situation), identifying and naming emotions accurately, and tracking emotional patterns via diaries or apps.
• Reducing vulnerability: PLEASE skills (treat PhysicaL illness, balanced Eating, Avoid mood-altering substances, balanced Sleep, Exercise) to maintain emotional stability.
• Changing responses: Opposite action (acting contrary to the emotion when it's unhelpful, e.g., approaching a feared situation despite anxiety), problem-solving, and accumulating positive emotions through mindful activities or building mastery (small achievements that boost competence).

Over time, these skills decrease the frequency and intensity of emotional highs and lows, fostering greater self-control and healthier responses to triggers.

Interpersonal Effectiveness

Interpersonal Effectiveness skills train individuals to navigate relationships assertively and compassionately, asking for needs while respecting others, saying no without guilt, and preserving self-respect. This module addresses common challenges like conflict avoidance, people-pleasing, or aggression in communication. Key frameworks and techniques include:

• DEAR MAN for objectives: Describe the situation, Express feelings, Assert needs, Reinforce benefits, stay Mindful, Appear confident, Negotiate.
• GIVE for relationship maintenance: Be Gentle, act Interested, Validate others, use an Easy manner.
• FAST for self-respect: Be Fair, no unnecessary Apologies, Stick to values, be Truthful.
• Additional tools: Active listening (paraphrasing and reflecting back), setting boundaries (clearly stating limits), and evaluating relationship priorities (deciding when to invest or let go).

By applying these, individuals build stronger, more equitable connections, reduce interpersonal drama, and achieve goals without compromising their well-being or others'.