DBT House / DBH-A05-1
Doorways of Choice — Concept brief
Understand the idea behind doorways of choice and consider whether it fits your context.
8 minutes · Handout · Adults; supported use as appropriate
Fictional example: Riley pauses before sending a reactive message.
Use an ordinary or fictional example, with a clinician when appropriate. A doorway can represent a pause before acting.
The idea
A doorway can represent a pause before acting.
An ordinary example
Riley pauses before sending a reactive message.
What this can look like
Map one ordinary choice point, a pause strategy, and a next action consistent with a current goal.
Check the fit
What helps you notice the doorway in time? 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 helps you notice the doorway in time?
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.