Dialectical behavior therapy / DBT-A09-2
Pros and Cons at the Choice Point — Practice worksheet
Create a four-part comparison of acting on an urge or using an alternative, without shaming the urge.
15 minutes · Worksheet · Adults; supported use as appropriate
Fictional example: Taylor wants to abandon a difficult task and considers a brief support break.
Use an ordinary or fictional example, with a clinician when appropriate. Comparing options can include immediate and delayed consequences.
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
Create a four-part comparison of acting on an urge or using an alternative, without shaming the urge.
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
Which consequence matters most at this choice point? 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:
- Which consequence matters most at this choice point?
- 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.