DBT House / DBH-A02-1
Foundation of Supports — Concept brief
Understand the idea behind foundation of supports and consider whether it fits your context.
8 minutes · Handout · Adults; supported use as appropriate
Fictional example: Riley has a trusted friend but limited access to quiet space.
Use an ordinary or fictional example, with a clinician when appropriate. A foundation can represent people, resources, and routines that offer support.
The idea
A foundation can represent people, resources, and routines that offer support.
An ordinary example
Riley has a trusted friend but limited access to quiet space.
What this can look like
List reliable supports and access gaps under an imagined structure, distinguishing available help from hoped-for help.
Check the fit
Which support is solid, and which needs strengthening? You may disagree with the framing, use fiction, or decide that this approach is not useful today.
A useful distinction
A house metaphor is an organizing option, not a diagnostic test, safety determination, or required way to represent experience.
Prompts for this resource
- What part of this idea makes sense to me?
- Which support is solid, and which needs strengthening?
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.