I've spent the last few weeks thinking about these skills and decided to dig deeper and provide more context and information. I also provided some examples in hopes you will see how to more effectively use these skills in your relationships.

Check the below for some worksheets.

DBT Fast Skills

Emotions are signals within your body that tell you what’s happening and what you are experiencing in any given moment. When something pleasurable happens to you, you feel good; when something distressing happens to you, you feel bad. Frequently your emotions are like an instant news service that gives you constant updates about what you’re doing and what you’re experiencing.

This week's podcast discusses emotional intelligence, emotional health, and the distinction between the two. Intelligence requires skill building, and health is a state of being. Both are necessary emotional regulation.

Feelings Buried Alive Never Die

This week's podcast describes the skills to use when you are asking for something, saying no to another's request, resisting pressure, and maintaining your point of view. The skills used are describing, expressing, asserting, reinforcing, (staying) mindful, appearing confident, and negotiating. Use the words DEAR MAN to remember these skills. Check out the show notes below for some worksheets.

Therapist Aid DBT worksheets

DBT Worksheet

The goal of the GIVE skill is to build and keep healthy relationships. These skills are "other" focused and are a gift you are giving someone. This podcast also has some more information on validation - what it is and what it is not, how to use it effectively in GIVE and why it is a necessary skill to have.

DBT Skills - Reproducible Materials

Give Skills

FAST skills focus on self-respect. Using values, goals, and priorities, we are making choices that increase the respect we have for ourselves. This is important because it is a solid base for building and maintaining all our relationships.

Use the acronym FAST to remember the building blocks (Fair, Apologies not needed, Stick to values,

DBT Fast Skills

DBT FAST

Join me this week as I continue the discussion around interpersonal skills through the DBT framework of knowledge and practice. There is so much information and this week I did a good job of using real life examples. DBT is a therapy that focuses on improving self so we can improve our relationships. We need that. Please be thoughtful and intentional with the information in this week's podcast. It lays the groundwork for next week where I will breakdown the guidelines to use to accomplish the things I talk about tihs week.

Interpersonal Objectives Handouts

Join Lindsay and I this week as we work through a DBT session using the mindfulness worksheets. She describes the ways she used the worksheets and we have a nice conversation regarding ways our resistance to practicing mindfulness is overcome using the DBT process.

Interpersonal effectiveness skills help you build new relationships, strengthen current ones, and deal with conflict situations. They allow you to effectively ask for what you want and refuse or say NO to unwanted requests. They are the behaviors and actions needed to communicate assertively, set boundaries, resolve conflicts, and deepen relationships. They are helpful in families, workplaces, with friends, and even strangers. Skills are the magic, and it just happens that M. Linehan put this magic together for us.

So ... let's use them.

Join me this week and enjoy a conversation with me, Kylee and Carson as we talk about our views on unsolicited advice. Carson helps us consider the distinction between opinion and advice. Perhaps we think we are giving advice, but it is really an opinion - so how do we know? Good things to think about. Kylee offers up her thoughts that unsolicited advice giving is not and has never been the problem. The problem is the giving and the receiving with our ego. Listen this week and let me know your thoughts.

We also discuss the difference between opinion and advice. Carson h

As promised, here are some "how(s)" of a mindfulness practice. First, you are going to practice nonjudgment. Then you are going to work on being one-minded. Lastly, you will find ways to be effective and practice effectively. I challenge you to not only listen, but grab yourself an accountability buddy and start practicing these today. Call your mom, check in with your partner and make the practice of mindfulness a priority. You won't regret it. I promise.