Dialectical behavior therapy / DBT-A12-1
Checking the Facts Gently — Concept brief
Understand the idea behind checking the facts gently and consider whether it fits your context.
8 minutes · Handout · Adults; supported use as appropriate
Fictional example: Taylor interprets a brief reply as rejection but has limited information.
Use an ordinary or fictional example, with a clinician when appropriate. Appraisals can be examined without invalidating lived experience.
The idea
Appraisals can be examined without invalidating lived experience.
An ordinary example
Taylor interprets a brief reply as rejection but has limited information.
What this can look like
Separate known facts, assumptions, missing information, and contextual risks before deciding on a response.
Check the fit
What can be checked, and what uncertainty must remain? 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?
- What can be checked, and what uncertainty must remain?
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.