Couples DBT

Writing · Tag

DBT skills

6 pieces tagged DBT skills.

  1. A clock on a kitchen wall, muted light, two half-full coffee cups on the counter — the stilled moment after a pause is called.

    How to actually take a break in a fight (and why most break attempts fail)

    A clinician's guide to mid-argument time-outs: why most attempts fail, what to agree on before you need one, and how to return to it well.
  2. Two figures seated on a bench, the light between them soft, neither looking at the other but clearly together.

    Radical acceptance in marriage: the skill that sounds like giving up, and isn't

    A clinician's look at radical acceptance — what DBT means by it, why couples get it wrong, and how to accept what's true without resigning to it.
  3. Two figures leaning toward each other, one mid-sentence, the other listening with their full body.

    The six levels of validation, with a couples example for each one

    A clinician's walkthrough of Marsha Linehan's six levels of validation — from simply paying attention to radical genuineness — with a couples example each.
  4. A couple on the couch, one turned slightly away, the other reaching across the space between them.

    Opposite action for couples: how to move toward your partner when every instinct is telling you to pull away

    A clinician's guide to opposite action — the DBT skill that interrupts withdraw-attack cycles when the emotion doesn't fit the situation.
  5. A couple mid-argument, one partner stepping back, one hand on the counter — a pause inside the escalation.

    TIPP skills for fights that spiral: how to actually cool down when your body is already in it

    A walk-through of DBT's TIPP — temperature, intense exercise, paced breathing, paired muscle relaxation — for arguments that escalate faster than thought.
  6. A couple seated across from each other, one speaking, the other listening with quiet attention.

    DEAR MAN in relationships: how to ask for what you need without starting a fight

    A practical walk-through of DBT's DEAR MAN — Describe, Express, Assert, Reinforce, Mindful, Appear confident, Negotiate — adapted for couples.