Dialectical behavior therapy / DBT-A07-1
Short-Term Distress Menu — Concept brief
Understand the idea behind short-term distress menu and consider whether it fits your context.
8 minutes · Handout · Adults; supported use as appropriate
Fictional example: Taylor chooses quiet music while waiting for an uncertain result.
Use an ordinary or fictional example, with a clinician when appropriate. Short-term coping aims to get through a moment without adding avoidable harm.
The idea
Short-term coping aims to get through a moment without adding avoidable harm.
An ordinary example
Taylor chooses quiet music while waiting for an uncertain result.
What this can look like
Build a menu of accessible distraction, soothing, and support options with a clear time to reassess.
Check the fit
Which option fits this moment, and when will you reassess? 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?
- Which option fits this moment, and when will you reassess?
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.