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DBT What Skills: Observe, Describe and Participate

The DBT What skills describe what a person does while practising mindfulness: observe, describe and participate.

Observe

Notice thoughts, emotions, body sensations, urges and events as they arise. Observing does not require changing, prolonging or eliminating the experience. Attention will wander; the practice is to notice and return.

Describe

Use words to distinguish observations from interpretations. “My heart is beating quickly” is an observation. “I am going to fail” is a prediction. Emotions can also be described accurately; the goal is not to replace them with logic.

Participate

Enter the chosen activity fully, responding to the moment rather than standing outside it in constant self-evaluation. Participation does not mean remaining in an unsafe situation or forcing engagement during overwhelm.

One-minute practice

  1. Choose a safe, ordinary activity.
  2. Observe three sensory details.
  3. Describe them without evaluation.
  4. Participate in the activity for one minute.
  5. Notice what changed and what did not.

Return to DBT Mindfulness Skills or use the printable mindfulness worksheets in the DBT library.

Reference

Linehan, M. M. DBT Skills Training Manual, Revised Edition. Guilford Press, 2025.

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.