Dialectical behavior therapy / DBT-A12-3
Checking the Facts Gently — Clinician dialogue
Guide a collaborative conversation about checking the facts gently while checking fit and participant choice.
15 minutes · Clinician script · Mental health professionals
Fictional example: Taylor interprets a brief reply as rejection but has limited information.
Use within your training and assessment of readiness. Appraisals can be examined without invalidating lived experience.
Invite and obtain permission
Offer: "Would it be useful to explore checking the facts gently using an ordinary or fictional example? We can adapt it, observe, or stop." Ask what the person wants from the conversation.
Elicit before teaching
Ask: "How does this show up, if at all, in your own words?" Offer this idea tentatively: Appraisals can be examined without invalidating lived experience. Ask what fits and what does not.
Guide the task
Separate known facts, assumptions, missing information, and contextual risks before deciding on a response. Ask for permission before giving an example. Use this fictional illustration if useful: Taylor interprets a brief reply as rejection but has limited information.
Reflect and check accuracy
Reflect only what was offered: "I heard you describe ___. What did I miss?" Ask: What can be checked, and what uncertainty must remain? Avoid assigning motives or interpreting silence as agreement.
Respond to a mismatch
If the person rejects the frame, say: "Thank you for correcting it. What would be more useful?" Return to their language or choose a different approach.
Close with agency
Ask which observation, question, or support request the person wants to keep. Confirm a manageable ending and appropriate follow-up; do not turn a tentative possibility into a homework obligation.
Prompts for this resource
- Readiness, permission, cultural context, and access needs to check:
- What can be checked, and what uncertainty must remain?
- What would tell me to adapt, stop, or seek supervision?
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.