Dialectical behavior therapy / DBT-A01-1
Acceptance and Change Together — Concept brief
Understand the idea behind acceptance and change together and consider whether it fits your context.
8 minutes · Handout · Adults; supported use as appropriate
Fictional example: Taylor feels disappointed and still wants to make a clear request.
Use an ordinary or fictional example, with a clinician when appropriate. Acceptance and change can be held together without approving harm.
The idea
Acceptance and change can be held together without approving harm.
An ordinary example
Taylor feels disappointed and still wants to make a clear request.
What this can look like
Write two accurate statements about a manageable difficulty: what is true now and what you want to influence.
Check the fit
What can be accepted as present while you choose a change? You may disagree with the framing, use fiction, or decide that this approach is not useful today.
A useful distinction
Acceptance acknowledges the present; it does not endorse harm or remove the need for change.
Prompts for this resource
- What part of this idea makes sense to me?
- What can be accepted as present while you choose a change?
Conceptual background
Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training: Fundamentals — Behavioral Tech Institute
Background on the approach only. Original exercises and wording are by More Than Therapy with AI assistance; the source does not validate or endorse these materials.