Dialectical behavior therapy / DBT-A06-2
Pause before Acting — Practice worksheet
Rehearse stopping, stepping back in an accessible way, observing, and choosing the next effective action in a low-stakes example.
15 minutes · Worksheet · Adults; supported use as appropriate
Fictional example: Taylor receives an irritating email and waits before replying.
Use an ordinary or fictional example, with a clinician when appropriate. A pause can create space for choosing a safer response.
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
Rehearse stopping, stepping back in an accessible way, observing, and choosing the next effective action in a low-stakes example.
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 would help you pause without making the situation less safe? 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 would help you pause without making the situation less safe?
- 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.