DBT House / DBH-A04-1
Walls of Boundaries — Concept brief
Understand the idea behind walls of boundaries and consider whether it fits your context.
8 minutes · Handout · Adults; supported use as appropriate
Fictional example: Riley wants privacy around messages while remaining connected to friends.
Use an ordinary or fictional example, with a clinician when appropriate. Walls can represent chosen limits rather than total isolation.
The idea
Walls can represent chosen limits rather than total isolation.
An ordinary example
Riley wants privacy around messages while remaining connected to friends.
What this can look like
Identify one useful boundary, one flexible opening, and a situation where safety needs outside support.
Check the fit
What should this boundary protect, and how can it remain realistic? 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?
- What should this boundary protect, and how can it remain realistic?
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.