DBT House / DBH-A15-1
A Staircase of Small Steps — Concept brief
Understand the idea behind a staircase of small steps and consider whether it fits your context.
8 minutes · Handout · Adults; supported use as appropriate
Fictional example: Riley wants to attend a group and starts by requesting information.
Use an ordinary or fictional example, with a clinician when appropriate. A staircase can show progress with pauses and alternative routes.
The idea
A staircase can show progress with pauses and alternative routes.
An ordinary example
Riley wants to attend a group and starts by requesting information.
What this can look like
Build three manageable steps toward a chosen aim, adding supports and an accessible route if steps do not fit.
Check the fit
What is the next feasible step, including a needed accommodation? 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 is the next feasible step, including a needed accommodation?
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.