Dialectical behavior therapy / DBT-A17-1
Request and Boundary Rehearsal — Concept brief
Understand the idea behind request and boundary rehearsal and consider whether it fits your context.
8 minutes · Handout · Adults; supported use as appropriate
Fictional example: Taylor asks a coworker to clarify a task deadline.
Use an ordinary or fictional example, with a clinician when appropriate. An effective request can balance clarity, relationship, and self-respect.
The idea
An effective request can balance clarity, relationship, and self-respect.
An ordinary example
Taylor asks a coworker to clarify a task deadline.
What this can look like
Draft a factual description, your perspective, a specific request, and a realistic negotiation limit for a low-stakes interaction.
Check the fit
What makes the request clear without promising agreement? 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 makes the request clear without promising agreement?
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.