DBT Diary Card: Daily Tracking of Emotions, Urges, and Skills
A weekly log of emotion intensity, urges, actions, and which DBT skills were used
DBT Diary Card: Daily Tracking of Emotions, Urges, and Skills
A weekly log of emotion intensity, urges, actions, and which DBT skills were used
DBT Diary Card: Daily Tracking of Emotions, Urges, and Skills
A weekly log of emotion intensity, urges, actions, and which DBT skills were used
The diary card is the backbone of dialectical behavior therapy. Clients fill it in every day, bring it to every individual session, and the session agenda comes from what is on it (Linehan, 2015). It records, in one line per day, the peak intensity of the main emotions, the strength of the urges being targeted in treatment, whether the person acted on them, and which skills were used. Over weeks the card shows patterns no memory can hold: the urges cluster on the days after poor sleep, the anger follows a specific contact, the skills that get used are the ones practiced in group that week.
In Linehan's trials, skills use itself predicted improvement. Neacsiu et al. (2010) found that the increase in DBT skills use over treatment mediated reductions in suicide attempts, depression, and anger control problems. The diary card is how that increase is seen and reinforced: a skill written on the card gets noticed and praised in session, and a week with an empty skills column becomes the topic.
This version is a simplified weekly card for general clinical use. Rate each emotion and urge at its highest point in the day from 0 to 5, mark whether you acted on an urge, and write the name of any skill you used, from any module: Wise Mind, Opposite Action, Check the Facts, TIPP, ACCEPTS, Self-Soothe, DEAR MAN, GIVE and FAST, Cope Ahead, or Radical Acceptance. If the day included a behavior you are working to change, bring it to session and complete a Mapping the Behavioral Sequence on it.
Clinicians: adapt the urge columns to the client's actual targets. A card that tracks urges the client does not have teaches them the card is not about them. Keep the card visible on the desk in session; reading it together in the first five minutes is the routine that makes clients keep filling it in. If a target urge involves self-harm, the card is a monitoring tool inside a Personal Crisis Safety Plan, not a replacement for one. If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) or go to the nearest emergency department.
One row per day. Rate emotions and urges at their highest point that day from 0 (none) to 5 (extreme). In the Acted column write Y or N for each urge you rated above 0. In the Skills column write the name of every skill you used, even briefly. Bring the completed card to your next session.
| Day | Sadness / Anger / Fear / Shame (0-5 each) | Urges: self-harm / use / other (0-5) | Acted on urge? (Y/N) | Skills used | Notes / what happened |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
References
- Linehan, M. M. (2015). DBT skills training manual (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
- Neacsiu, A. D., Rizvi, S. L., & Linehan, M. M. (2010). Dialectical behavior therapy skills use as a mediator and outcome of treatment for borderline personality disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 48(9), 832-839. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2010.05.017
Related DBT Worksheets
View all DBT →DBT TIPP Skills for Intense Distress
The four TIPP skills, temperature, intense exercise, paced breathing, and paired muscle relaxation, with when to use each and a step-by-step handout for the crisis hour
DBTDEAR MAN Skill for Asking and Saying No
The DBT DEAR MAN worksheet: describe, express, assert, reinforce, stay mindful, appear confident, negotiate, with a fill-in script for your next request
DBTDistress Tolerance Skills Inventory
Assess Your Use of Evidence-Based Crisis Survival Strategies
See also
Clinical guides that use this worksheet
Common Questions
What is the DBT Diary Card: Daily Tracking of Emotions, Urges, and Skills worksheet?
The diary card is the backbone of dialectical behavior therapy. Clients fill it in every day, bring it to every individual session, and the session agenda comes from what is on it (Linehan, 2015).
How do I use the DBT Diary Card: Daily Tracking of Emotions, Urges, and Skills worksheet?
Fill out this worksheet digitally or print it for use in session. You can save your progress with a Pro account. Take your time with each column — there are no right or wrong answers.
Is the DBT Diary Card: Daily Tracking of Emotions, Urges, and Skills worksheet free?
Yes. Like every worksheet on Therapy Resource, it is free to read, print, and download as a PDF, no account required. A Pro subscription adds online filling with saved progress, practice-branded PDF exports, and secure client sharing.
Can I fill out the DBT Diary Card: Daily Tracking of Emotions, Urges, and Skills worksheet online?
Yes. Switch the worksheet to "Type on Screen" mode to fill in the fields directly in your browser before printing. Pro members can also save their entries across sessions and export the completed worksheet as a branded PDF.
Use this worksheet professionally
Pro members can fill worksheets online, save progress, customize content, share with clients, and export branded PDFs.
Try Pro free for 7 days →