What is the theory behind this Therapy Skills Worksheet?

This worksheet is based on the concept of distress tolerance skills that are taught as part of Dialectical Behavior Therapy, the main purpose of which is to empower individuals to cope effectively after experiencing painful and upsetting circumstances. The premise of teaching these skills is to ensure individuals do not resort to unhealthy ways of coping which they may think are helping them deal with their pain abut are actually making things worse for them. 

How will the worksheet help?

This worksheet provides information about the ‘REST’ technique that is taught as a useful coping skill to deal with stressful situations in place of self-destructive coping strategies. It can help individuals take a pause and think about how to deal with their emotions as opposed to reacting to them without any concern for the consequences. 

How to use the worksheet?

This infosheet can be  provided to clients seeking DBT in the initial sessions when the therapist is working on building their distress tolerance skills. It can be practised in the clinical setting and assigned as homework to reinforce that learning in real life scenarios.

Therapy Skills Worksheet

Remember to practice the REST technique to cope with a painful or upsetting situation. . 

Reference

McKay, M., Wood, J. C. & Brantley J. (2019). The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook (2nd ed.). New Harbinger Publications. 

You can download this worksheet here.