DBT

Question 1

stone flake on the lake

Answer 1

a wise mind practice
clear blue lake on sunny day, small stone flake tossed into lake and floating in circles to the bottom
what do you see on way down, notice serenity of lake and become aware of calmness within, center attention in center of self

Question 2

breathing “wise” in and “mind” out

Answer 2

a wise mind practice
focus attention on word “wise” and then on word “mind”
continue until have settled into wise mind

Question 3

“what” skills

Answer 3

Observe
Describe
Participate

Question 4

“how” skills

Answer 4

Nonjudmentally
One-mindfully
Effectively

Question 5

reasonable mind

Answer 5

cool, rational, task-focused
ruled by facts, reason, logic, and pragmatics
values and feelings and not important

Question 6

wise mind

Answer 6

the wisdom within each person
seeing the value of both reason and emotion
bringing left brain and right brain together
the middle path

Question 7

emotion mind

Answer 7

hot, mood-dependent, emotion-focused
ruled by moods, feelings, and urges to do or say things
facts, reason and logic are not important

Question 8

observing

Answer 8

bringing your mind back to the sensations of your body and mind
sensing or experiencing without describing or labeling the experience
mind becomes quiet

Question 9

describing

Answer 9

put words on the experience

using words to represent what you observe

Question 10

participating

Answer 10

enter into experiences whole-heartedly
get involved in the moment, letting go of ruminating and self-consciousness
no separation of self from on-going events and interactions

Question 11

observe skills (list)

Answer 11

• -Notice your body sensations (coming through your eyes, ears nose, skin and tongue)
• -Pay attention on purpose, to the present moment
• -Control your attention, but not what you see. Push away nothing. Cling to nothing.
• -Practice wordless watching: Watch thoughts come into your mind and let them slip right by like clouds in the sky. Notice each feeling, rising and falling, like waves in the ocean
• -Observe both inside and outside yourself

Question 12

describe skills (list)

Answer 12

• -Put words on the experience. When a feeling or thought arises, or you do something, acknowledge it. For example, say in your mind, “Sadness has just enveloped me,” or “Stomach muscles tightening,” or “A thought ‘I can’t do this” has come into my mind.”
• -Label what you observe. Put a name on your feelings. Label a though as just a thought, a feeling as just a feeling, an action as just an action.
• -Unglue your interpretations and opinions from the facts. Describe the “Who, what, when, and where” that you observe. Just the facts.
• -Remember, If you can’t observe it through your senses, you can’t describe it.

Question 13

participate skills (list)

Answer 13

• -Throw yourself completely into activities of the current moment. Do not separate yourself from what is login on in the moment (dancing, cleaning, talking to a friend, feeling happy or feeling sad).
• -Become one with whatever you are doing, completely forgetting yourself. Throw your attention to the moment.
• -Act intuitively from Wise Mind. Do just what is needed in each situation – a skillful dancer on the dance floor, on with the music and your partner, neither willfully nor sitting on your hands.
• -Go with the flow. Respond with spontaneity.

Question 14

observe with eyes (lie on ground…)

Answer 14

…and watch the clouds in the sky

Question 15

observe with eyes (stopping somewhere…)

Answer 15

…with a view. notice flowers, trees, and nature itself

Question 16

observe with eyes (sit and watch…)

Answer 16

…who and what go by in front of you, without following them with your head or your eyes

Question 17

observe with eyes (notice the facial expression…)

Answer 17

…and movements of another person; refrain from labeling the person’s emotions, thoughts, or interests

Question 18

observe with eyes (notice just the eyes…)

Answer 18

…lips, or hands of another person (or just one feature of an animal)

Question 19

observe with eyes (pick up a leaf…)

Answer 19

…a flower, or a pebble; look at it closely, trying to see each detail

Question 20

observe with eyes (find something beautiful…)

Answer 20

…to look at, and spend a few minutes contemplating it

Question 21

observe sounds (stop for a moment…)

Answer 21

…and just listen; listen to the texture and shape of the sounds around you; listen to the silences between sounds

Question 22

observe sounds (if someone is talking…)

Answer 22

…listen to the pitch of the voice, to the smoothness or roughness of the sounds, to the clarity or the mumbling of the speech, to the pauses between the words

Question 23

observe sounds (listen to music…)

Answer 23

…observing each note as it comes and the spaces between the notes; try breathing the sounds into your body and letting them flow out again on your out breath

Question 24

observe smells (breathing in, notice…)

Answer 24

…any smells around you; bring something close to your nose, and notice the smells; take it way, and then notice the smells again; do they linger?

Question 25

observe smells (when eating, notice…)

Answer 25

…the aroma of the food; when cooking, notice the aroma of the spices or other ingredients; when bathing, smell the soap or shampoo; when walking outside, notice the aroma of the air; when near flowers, bend down and “smell the roses”

Question 26

observe taste (putting something in your mouth…)

Answer 26

…pay attention to the taste; keep it in your mouth, and notice all the taste sensations

Question 27

observe taste (lick a lollipop…)

Answer 27

…or something else; notice just the sensation of taste

Question 28

observe taste (eat a meal…)

Answer 28

…or even part of a meal, paying attention to the taste of each mouthful