MORE THAN THERAPYTHE RESOURCE LIBRARY

MODULE 03 / 24 · Mindfulness · 15–25 MINUTES

Describe: Put Words On

Separate what happened from interpretations, feelings, and predictions.

Try the worksheet

Understand the skill

Describing adds words to observations. Naming a thought as a thought or an emotion as an emotion can make an experience easier to discuss without turning a guess into a fact.

Practice step by step

  1. Start with what a camera or microphone could record.
  2. Name the emotion and body sensation separately.
  3. Use 'I am having the thought that…' for an interpretation.
  4. Write one clear sentence that leaves room for missing information.

TRY IT · SOLO OR WITH A GROUP

A practice activity

Camera report: translate 'They completely disrespected me' into an observable event, a feeling, and a possible interpretation. Compare what you know with what you would need to ask.

Group option: Work from a fictional example for five minutes, rehearse or compare choices for five minutes, then discuss one useful adaptation. Pass, write, observe, or work alone.

Your practice worksheet

Writing is optional. Responses stay in this open tab and are not submitted or automatically saved. Closing or refreshing clears them. Avoid names or identifying details. Printing or downloading includes your words.

Use paper or discuss the prompts if you prefer.

Recovery connection

Replace 'I failed at recovery' with a concrete account of what happened and the support needed next, without minimizing consequences.

Facilitator notes

Accept plain words, drawings, home languages, or assisted communication. Precision should improve understanding, not police expression.

Adaptation and care: Describing harm objectively does not require dismissing its impact or questioning a person's credibility.

Between-session practice: Choose one manageable situation to try this skill. Notice the context, what you did, and what helped or needs adjusting. An attempt counts as practice even when feelings do not change.

Background and sources

DBT skills concepts originate in Marsha M. Linehan's work. These are original More Than Therapy activities, not reproductions of official worksheets or endorsed materials.

References inform the skill framework; they do not validate these particular exercises. Life-structure modules are DBT-informed applications, not additional standard DBT core modules.