Dialectical behavior therapy / DBT-A04-2
Describe without Judgment — Practice worksheet
Translate three judgmental labels into specific observations while retaining valid concerns about injustice.
15 minutes · Worksheet · Adults; supported use as appropriate
Fictional example: Taylor changes a self-insult into a description of missing one deadline.
Use an ordinary or fictional example, with a clinician when appropriate. Description can separate events from global evaluations.
1. Choose a workable example
Use the fictional example below or an ordinary situation of your choosing. Keep identifying details out of shared copies.
2. Try the practice
Translate three judgmental labels into specific observations while retaining valid concerns about injustice.
3. Compare possibilities
Generate at least two interpretations or options. Mark what you know, what you are guessing, and what remains outside your control.
4. Decide together
What information becomes clearer when the label is removed? Choose one small action, a support request, or no action. Review the fit with your clinician when relevant.
Prompts for this resource
- My chosen or fictional situation, and what I know about it:
- My response to the practice task above:
- What information becomes clearer when the label is removed?
- An optional next step, support, adaptation, or reason to stop:
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.