Misc
These are false beliefs—like “If I say no, they won’t like me” or “I have to make everyone happy”—that can block healthy communication and are challenged in DBT skills training.
What are interpersonal myths
This central DBT principle involves accepting yourself and your situation as they are while also working actively to make positive changes.
What is balancing acceptance and change
This DBT acronym stands for Describe, Express, Assert, Reinforce, (stay) Mindful, Appear confident, and Negotiate—and is used to create scripts for asking for what you want or saying no.
What is DEAR MAN
This DBT decision-making tool uses a point system—like adding dimes—to help determine how strongly you should ask for something or say no, based on factors like the importance of your goal and your relationship.
What is the Dime Game
This DBT concept emphasizes balancing opposites—like acceptance and change—and helps reduce black-and-white thinking by teaching that two seemingly opposing things can both be true.
What is dialectics
This DBT acronym helps you keep your self-respect while setting boundaries or saying no, and stands for Fair, (no) Apologies, Stick to values, and Truthful.
What is FAST
This occurs when a person denies or judges their own feelings or experiences as wrong or unacceptable, which can increase emotional distress and make it harder to cope.
What is self-invalidation
This DBT skill involves acknowledging another person’s thoughts, feelings, or actions as understandable, without necessarily agreeing, and is essential for effective interpersonal communication.
What is validation
This DBT acronym—used to build and maintain healthy relationships—stands for Gentle, Interested, Validate, and Easy manner.
What is GIVE
This DBT concept involves focusing attention on another person with openness, curiosity, and nonjudgment—often used to strengthen relationships and increase empathy.
What is mindfulness of others
This DBT coping process involves recognizing emotional pain after feeling dismissed or misunderstood, and using skills like self-validation, mindfulness, and checking the facts to regain emotional balance.
What is recovering from invalidation
In DBT, this first step in effective communication involves clearly identifying what you want, what you don’t want, and what your priorities are before interacting with others.
What is clarifying goals
These include factors such as emotional vulnerability, invalidation, trauma history, and lack of skills that can interfere with successfully using interpersonal effectiveness strategies in DBT.
What are factors in the way of interpersonal effectiveness
These DBT strategies include techniques like behavior chaining, reinforcement, skills coaching, and opposite action—used to help replace ineffective behaviors with more skillful ones.
What are behavior change strategies
When your DBT interpersonal skills like DEAR MAN or GIVE aren’t working, this structured process helps you assess factors like skill use, timing, intensity, and priorities to adjust your approach.
What is interpersonal effectiveness troubleshooting