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DBT skills you can start using today

Dialectical Behavior Therapy was built for moments of overwhelm. Four skills from our clinical program, explained simply enough to try this week.

Mikaela Chen

Mikaela Chen

Clinical Director, LMFT

April 3, 2026
9 min read
DBT skills you can start using today
DBT skills are physical and procedural — they work on the nervous system directly, not through insight.TIPP uses temperature and breath to downshift a panic response in minutes.The 5-4-3-2-1 grounding sequence interrupts dissociation and rumination by forcing sensory attention.Opposite action treats the urge as information — and then deliberately does the reverse.Skills work best when practiced calm, before they’re needed in crisis.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy was built for moments of overwhelm. Four skills from our clinical program, explained simply enough to try this week.

About the Author

Mikaela Chen

Mikaela Chen

Clinical Director, LMFT

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