DBT House / DBH-A11-2
The Self-Respect Space — Practice worksheet
Describe one boundary or honest statement you want to preserve during a low-stakes conversation.
15 minutes · Worksheet · Adults; supported use as appropriate
Fictional example: Riley wants to decline an extra task without making an excuse.
Use an ordinary or fictional example, with a clinician when appropriate. Self-respect can be considered alongside an immediate outcome.
1. Choose a workable example
Use the fictional example below or an ordinary situation of your choosing. Keep identifying details out of shared copies.
2. Try the practice
Describe one boundary or honest statement you want to preserve during a low-stakes conversation.
3. Compare possibilities
Generate at least two interpretations or options. Mark what you know, what you are guessing, and what remains outside your control.
4. Decide together
What would help you leave the interaction aligned with your priorities? Choose one small action, a support request, or no action. Review the fit with your clinician when relevant.
Prompts for this resource
- My chosen or fictional situation, and what I know about it:
- My response to the practice task above:
- What would help you leave the interaction aligned with your priorities?
- An optional next step, support, adaptation, or reason to stop:
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.