DBT Skills Cheat Sheet
All four modules of dialectical behavior therapy on one page: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Every core skill gets a plain-language, one-line explanation of what it is actually for.
Free download · PDF & PNG
Prints on one page - A4 and US Letter versions included
These cheat sheets are free for personal use, and therapists, counselors, and teachers are welcome to print and hand them out. Please keep the footer with the source on. If you share online, a link back to this page helps other people find the free version.
What's on this cheat sheet
Mindfulness
The foundation module: Wise Mind, Observe and Describe, Participate, One-Mindfully, and Non-Judgmentally. Noticing what is happening without adding a verdict.
Distress Tolerance
Crisis skills for surviving the spike without making it worse: TIPP, STOP, ACCEPTS, Self-Soothe, and Radical Acceptance.
Emotion Regulation
Skills for turning emotional volume down before it peaks: naming the emotion precisely, Check the Facts, Opposite Action, PLEASE, and building positive experiences.
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Scripts for asking and refusing while keeping relationships and self-respect: DEAR MAN, GIVE, FAST, and validating first.
How to use it
- 1
Print the sheet and skim all four modules once while you are calm.
- 2
Mark the two or three skills that fit the situations you actually run into.
- 3
In a hard moment, go to the module that matches: crisis means distress tolerance, big feelings mean emotion regulation, conflict means interpersonal effectiveness.
- 4
Practice skills in low-stakes moments first. Skills rehearsed while calm are the ones available under stress.
Frequently asked questions
What are the four modules of DBT?
Mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Mindfulness is considered the foundation the other three build on, which is why it is listed first on the sheet.
What does TIPP stand for in DBT?
Temperature, Intense exercise, Paced breathing, and Paired muscle relaxation. They are four fast ways to change your body chemistry when emotion is at crisis level, for example cold water on the face or a short burst of hard exercise.
Can I learn DBT skills on my own?
You can absolutely learn and benefit from individual skills on your own, and this sheet is designed to make them approachable. Full DBT, though, is a structured therapy program with a trained therapist, and for problems like self-harm or severe emotion dysregulation the full program is the evidence-based option.
Is this cheat sheet a replacement for DBT therapy?
No. It is a plain-language map of the standard skills for education and practice. Think of it as the index, not the book: useful on your fridge, and even more useful alongside real treatment.
