DBT House / DBH-A10-1
The Relationship Room — Concept brief
Understand the idea behind the relationship room and consider whether it fits your context.
8 minutes · Handout · Adults; supported use as appropriate
Fictional example: Riley asks a housemate for clearer notice about visitors.
Use an ordinary or fictional example, with a clinician when appropriate. Connection skills include clear requests, listening, and consent.
The idea
Connection skills include clear requests, listening, and consent.
An ordinary example
Riley asks a housemate for clearer notice about visitors.
What this can look like
Draft a small request and a listening response for an ordinary interaction, then identify a negotiation limit.
Check the fit
How can clarity and respect for both people's choices coexist? 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?
- How can clarity and respect for both people's choices coexist?
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.