Dialectical behavior therapy / DBT-A13-2
Opposite Action Readiness — Practice worksheet
With a clinician, assess whether an urge fits the facts and whether acting on it is effective before designing a small alternative.
15 minutes · Worksheet · Adults; supported use as appropriate
Fictional example: Taylor wants to avoid a harmless routine question after assuming annoyance.
Use an ordinary or fictional example, with a clinician when appropriate. Changing an emotional action urge depends on fit, facts, and safety.
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
With a clinician, assess whether an urge fits the facts and whether acting on it is effective before designing a small alternative.
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
What makes an alternative action appropriate in this specific situation? 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:
- What makes an alternative action appropriate in this specific situation?
- 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.