Reduce emotional vulnerability by building positive experiences, competence, preparation and basic physical care.
ABC PLEASE is a DBT emotion-regulation skill combining short- and long-term positive experiences, mastery, coping ahead and attention to health-related vulnerability factors.
Plan each component
- Accumulate positive experiences: Add small enjoyable or meaningful activities now and pursue valued goals over time.
- Build mastery: Practise tasks that create an achievable sense of competence.
- Cope ahead: Rehearse an effective response to a predictable challenge.
- PLEASE: Attend to physical illness, balanced eating, substances, sleep and appropriate exercise with professional guidance where needed.
Weekly planning prompts
- One pleasant or meaningful activity
- One mastery task at the right difficulty
- One situation to rehearse
- One sleep, food, movement or health-support action
- One barrier and one adjustment
Safety and access
Health behaviours are affected by illness, disability, medication, finances, work and caregiving. Do not use PLEASE as a moral standard or replace medical advice. Choose actions suited to your health, culture and resources.
Related resources
Evidence and source
This worksheet practises a skill described in Marsha M. Linehan’s DBT Skills Training Manual, Revised Edition (2025). The CounselorAid worksheet has not been independently validated as a treatment or outcome measure.
Evidence and editorial note
Resource type: Educational overview of a DBT skill or skills module. It supports learning and practice but is not comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy.
Evidence basis: Marsha M. Linehan’s DBT Skills Training Manual, Revised Edition (2025), official Behavioral Tech training information, current NICE guidance and peer-reviewed evidence reviews where treatment claims are discussed.
Review status: Written and evidence-checked by the CounselorAid editorial team. Last evidence review: 3 August 2026. No named independent clinical reviewer is being claimed. Please report factual or safety concerns through the contact page.
Important: This information cannot diagnose a condition, assess personal risk or replace care from an appropriately qualified professional. In an immediate crisis or medical emergency, use local emergency or crisis services.