Dialectical behavior therapy / DBT-A04-3
Describe without Judgment — Clinician dialogue
Guide a collaborative conversation about describe without judgment while checking fit and participant choice.
15 minutes · Clinician script · Mental health professionals
Fictional example: Taylor changes a self-insult into a description of missing one deadline.
Use within your training and assessment of readiness. Description can separate events from global evaluations.
Invite and obtain permission
Offer: "Would it be useful to explore describe without judgment using an ordinary or fictional example? We can adapt it, observe, or stop." Ask what the person wants from the conversation.
Elicit before teaching
Ask: "How does this show up, if at all, in your own words?" Offer this idea tentatively: Description can separate events from global evaluations. Ask what fits and what does not.
Guide the task
Translate three judgmental labels into specific observations while retaining valid concerns about injustice. Ask for permission before giving an example. Use this fictional illustration if useful: Taylor changes a self-insult into a description of missing one deadline.
Reflect and check accuracy
Reflect only what was offered: "I heard you describe ___. What did I miss?" Ask: What information becomes clearer when the label is removed? Avoid assigning motives or interpreting silence as agreement.
Respond to a mismatch
If the person rejects the frame, say: "Thank you for correcting it. What would be more useful?" Return to their language or choose a different approach.
Close with agency
Ask which observation, question, or support request the person wants to keep. Confirm a manageable ending and appropriate follow-up; do not turn a tentative possibility into a homework obligation.
Prompts for this resource
- Readiness, permission, cultural context, and access needs to check:
- What information becomes clearer when the label is removed?
- What would tell me to adapt, stop, or seek supervision?
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.