DBT Core Mindfulness Skills Worksheet: Observe, Describe, Participate and the How Skills
DBT · DBT · Manualised
A client worksheet for the six DBT core mindfulness skills. Each skill has a one-line definition and a short practice with a concrete target, such as noticing one sound, one body sensation and one thought in 30 seconds, or rewriting one judgement as a plain fact. It closes with a Reasonable Mind plus Emotion Mind equals Wise Mind summary and a practice log for daily use.
Underlying mechanism: DBT Core Mindfulness: What and How Skills Practice
What it helps with
- Learning mindfulness as six practical skills rather than an instruction to clear the mind.
- Practising Observe and Describe with concrete targets that suit clients who find open instructions hard.
- Catching and rewriting judgements, the core of the Non-judgementally skill.
- Building a short daily practice habit tracked in a log.
How clinicians use it
- Work through at least one What skill and one How skill together in session.
- Set a realistic practice target, a short practice most days rather than long sessions.
- Review the practice log and adjust which skills the client practises.
- Add the Wise Mind practices sheet once the six skills are familiar.
Clinical Implementation Guide
- Practise together in session before assigning.
- Keep practice short and frequent.
- Review the practice log each session.
What the worksheet looks like
| Skill | Short Practice |
|---|---|
| Observe | For 30 seconds, notice one sound, one body feeling and one thought |
| Describe | Put each one into one plain sentence |
| Participate | Do one everyday task with full attention |
| Non-judgementally | Rewrite one judgement as a plain fact |
| One-mindfully | Do only one task, with nothing else going on |
| Effectively | Ask what doing what works would have looked like |
Clinical cautions
Mindfulness practice can occasionally bring up distressing thoughts, memories or sensations, particularly for clients with trauma histories. Start with short, eyes-open practices and titrate. This tool does not diagnose any condition and is not a substitute for individual face-to-face therapy or for emergency crisis support. Anyone in immediate distress should contact their local emergency service or crisis line.
References
- Linehan, M. M. (2014). DBT skills training manual (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
- Linehan, M. M. (2015). DBT skills training handouts and worksheets (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
Part of
DBT Core Mindfulness
Related worksheets
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