How to do a DBT Diary Card (+ Free Template)
What is a diary card?
A DBT therapy Diary Card is a foundational tool in DBT. It is a way of tracking emotions and behaviors you want to change. It is more like a spread sheet than a journal. Why are tracking these things important? First, it’’s extremely difficult to remember the different emotions you felt over a period of time because there are so many other things you need to remember. Second, collecting data about your emotions and behaviors helps you recognize patterns. You can then make informed decisions about where to intervene. For example, if you notice that you are anxious each morning, we can explore what is going on in the morning and find a specific tool that works.
How to complete the diary card.
This tutorial uses the standard DBT template which can be modified to your individual needs. It’s always important to work closely with a therapist to complete and analyze a diary card.
To read more about our approach to DBT therapy click here. We are frequently using the diary card to help clients work towards their goals. We provide DBT therapy in NYC and we accept insurance. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
Although the Diary Card may look intimidating, it is quite simple once it is broken down. There are a few main sections we will highlight:
Emotions
Behaviors
Skills
Emotions
Our emotions are our feelings such as anxiety, sadness, fear, etc. In each of these boxes you would place a number between 1 and 5 to indicate how strongly you felt that day. 1 is the least intense and a 5 is the most intense. You would do this for each emotion. It does not have to be perfect, but a good estimate. It’s important to complete the diary card daily so you can better remember how you felt and have the most accurate data possible.
Behaviors
The behaviors section can be modified to track whatever behaviors you would like. You are tracking two things: whether or not you engaged in the behavior and the urge to engage in the behavior.
You will track whether or not you engaged in the behavior by placing a y (yes) or n (no) in the corresponding box. You will also rate the urge by using the 1-5 scale (1 is less intense and 5 is the most)
Skills
Finally, we are going to track whether or not we are using skills and tools to manage our emotions and behaviors. This is tracked using a 1-7 scale which can be found below. The 0 = skill ignorance (you don’t even know what skills are) and 7 = skill master (you don’t even need to think about skills and they work).
Conclusion
Once you begin completing the Diary Card daily, you will have valuable data about your emotions, behaviors, and interventions. This data can be used in many ways as we discussed above.
At PRGRS therapy we use the DBT Diary Card in conjunction with evidence based treatment to help clients achieve their goals. You can book a free 15 minute consultation with our practice today. We are a group practice that specializes in DBT therapy in NYC. We also accept most major insurances as well as provide help with out of network benefits. Read more about our DBT therapy services here.
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