When experiencing anger, a typical response might be to lash out or attack the person who triggered the emotion. An important skill in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is “opposite action,” which involves choosing to behave in a way that’s opposite to these negative urges. An example of an opposite action for anger is practicing kindness.
The DBT Opposite Action Worksheet features two pages for clients to answer questions about taking an opposite action. For example, they will be asked to describe a triggering situation, the distressing emotions they experienced, and the thoughts and feelings they had after interrupting their emotional reactivity with a positive action. The second page invites clients to reflect on their experience using the opposite action skill.
Using these worksheets can help kids and teens practice different reactions to emotional situations, which improves their resilience. This can be a good experience for those individuals who have gotten stuck in patterns of negative behavior when their emotions rise.
Our DBT Opposite Action handout can serve as a visually engaging add-on to these worksheets.
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References:
- Correa, J. K. (2020). Effects of emotion regulation skills training on worry and emotional distress tolerance: A multiple baseline single-case experimental design (Doctoral dissertation).
- Rogg, M., Braakmann, D., Schaich, A., Ambrosch, J., Meine, C., Assmann, N., ... & Fassbinder, E. (2021). How patients with borderline personality disorder experience the skill opposite action in the context of dialectical behavior therapy–A qualitative study. Psychotherapy, 58(4), 544.
