DBT Distress Tolerance Skills List

Learn how a DBT Distress Tolerance Skills List can help your clients manage emotional crises. Download our helpful PDF template and example to get started.

By Ericka Pingol on Dec 3, 2025.

Fact Checked by Ericka Pingol.

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What is a DBT Distress Tolerance Skills List?

Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy that focuses on the psychosocial aspects of treatment, helping patients identify and change patterns of behavior that are not helpful. One of the key facets of DBT is developing distress tolerance skills.

Distress tolerance is a person's ability to manage actual or perceived emotional distress. Rather than avoiding or escaping distressing situations, DBT helps individuals accept and tolerate distress as a natural part of life. Distress tolerance techniques include distraction, self-soothing, radical acceptance, and considering pros and cons.

Patients with borderline personality disorder benefit from distress tolerance skills by reducing distress, preventing problem behaviors, and improving function. Although initial training can be challenging and acceptance may be difficult at first, patients find it helpful in managing crises and enhancing stability (Schaich et al., 2021).

Therapists may assign patients to practice different distress tolerance skills in sessions and at home using a checklist. DBT distress tolerance skills can help individuals develop crisis survival skills to cope with and tolerate difficult emotions and experiences. In turn, this can help them become better equipped to deal with distressing situations in the future.

DBT Distress Tolerance Skills List Template

DBT Distress Tolerance Skills List PDF Template

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How does it work?

The free printable DBT Distress Tolerance Skills List is fully digital and easy to use. Follow these steps to use the template:

Step 1: Access the template

Get a copy of the DBT Distress Tolerance Skills List through the link provided on this page. You can also download it via the Carepatron app or our resource library.

Step 2: Discuss the list with your client

Explain to your client how distress tolerance skills DBT work. Tell them the skills listed are designed to help them manage during an emotional crisis.

Step 3: Instruct the client to use the skills list

Provide your client plenty of time to work through the list and practice distress tolerance skills they need. You can also use additional DBT resources to help them complete their distress tolerance tasks.

Step 4: Track progress and assess results

Monitor your client's progress regularly with specific measurements for improvement. This will help you adjust the skills as needed and ensure that your client gets the most out of their DBT Distress Tolerance Skills List. You may provide them with DBT skills training handouts to reinforce their improvement if possible.

When should you use the DBT Distress Tolerance Skills List?

Carepatron's free DBT Distress Tolerance Skills List can help your clients cope with overwhelming and negative emotions. It is beneficial when a person needs to learn healthy, effective ways to manage stressful situations and emotional pain. Moreover, you can use this template to:

Manage high emotional intensity

This DBT Distress Tolerance Skills List helps your clients learn how to manage their emotions healthily and prevent themselves from getting overwhelmed. Intense exercise can help manage high emotional intensity by increasing heart rate and adrenaline and providing a sense of euphoria. It encourages them to focus on the present moment and use coping strategies during extreme emotional distress.

Practice problem-solving skills

This template teaches clients to think outside the box regarding challenging, high-intensity scenarios. By practicing their problem-solving skills, they can better understand how to approach stressful situations in the future.

Develop a sense of independence

The DBT Distress Tolerance Skills List encourages clients to rely on themselves rather than others for emotional support. This way, they become more self-reliant and independent while managing intense emotions.

Increase resilience

You can use this template to help increase your client's emotional resilience and encourage them to take a proactive approach to difficult situations. Paired muscle relaxation, which involves systematically tensing and then relaxing muscles, can reduce stress and anxiety in the body.

Benefits of the free DBT Distress Tolerance Skills List

Here are some advantages of Carepatron's free DBT Distress Tolerance Skills List:

It's entirely digital and easy to use

Our free template is fully digital, making it easier for you to access and use with your clients. Plus, its simple layout lets you quickly get the information you need without any hassle.

It's customizable

You can customize this template according to your client's needs and preferences. You can add or remove skills as needed to create a DBT skills list that can help your clients in the best way possible.

It's cost-effective

Our template is free to use, reducing overhead costs for your practice. More importantly, it saves time, allowing you to focus more on providing effective service to your clients rather than laboring over cumbersome paperwork.

It encourages therapist-client communication

This template is a great communication tool between you and your clients. It makes it easier to pinpoint areas of improvement, track progress, and discuss concerns, resulting in a more effective and transparent therapeutic relationship.

Reference

Schaich, A., Braakmann, D., Rogg, M., Meine, C., Ambrosch, J., Assmann, N., Borgwardt, S., Schweiger, U., & Fassbinder, E. (2021). How do patients with borderline personality disorder experience distress tolerance skills in the context of dialectical behavioral therapy?—A qualitative study. PLOS ONE, 16(6), e0252403. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0252403

Commonly asked questions

Mental health professionals specializing in dialectical behavior therapy can utilize DBT Distress Tolerance Skills Lists to guide clients in effectively navigating their challenges.

DBT Distress Tolerance Skills Lists allow clients to express and manage emotions, work towards resolving interpersonal conflicts, enhance awareness of thoughts and feelings, and develop healthier problem-solving strategies.

You can integrate a DBT Distress Tolerance Skills List as a component of your overall therapeutic approach. It proves particularly valuable when aiding clients in cultivating healthier distress tolerance strategies during overwhelming or emotionally dysregulated moments.