Dialectical behavior therapy / DBT-A09-5
Pros and Cons at the Choice Point — Review journal
Review an attempt at pros and cons at the choice point and choose what to keep, change, or leave aside.
10 minutes · Journal prompts · 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.
Before looking back
Choose one ordinary attempt or decide to review the fictional example instead. This journal has no scores, required disclosure, or expectation of progress.
Revisit the practice
Create a four-part comparison of acting on an urge or using an alternative, without shaming the urge.
Notice context and impact
Record what actually happened, including an unhelpful or neutral outcome. Note resources, power differences, accessibility, and changed conditions rather than attributing everything to personal effort.
Choose a revision
Which consequence matters most at this choice point? Keep the approach, change one part, ask for support, or set it aside. A mismatch is useful information.
Prompts for this resource
- What I tried, or what happened in the fictional example:
- What I noticed before, during, and after; what remains uncertain:
- What helped, did not help, or was outside my control:
- Which consequence matters most at this choice point? My optional adjustment or support request:
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.