What is a DBT diary card?
A diary card is a one-page sheet, on paper or on a phone, that people in Dialectical Behavior Therapy fill in each day. It records urges, emotions and the skills they used, so that they and their therapist can look at the week together.
Where it comes from
Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, was developed by the psychologist Marsha Linehan. It is a structured therapy, led by trained clinicians, that often combines individual sessions with a skills group. The diary card is a long-standing part of how it is done. Programmes and therapists often have their own version, so the card you see may look different from someone else's.
What is usually on one
Cards vary, and there is no single correct version. Most have one line or column for each day, and space for some of these:
- Urges that you and your therapist have agreed to watch, each with a rating, and whether you acted on them.
- Emotions, such as joy, sadness, anger, fear, shame and guilt, each with a rating.
- Skills you used that day, and how using them went.
- Medication, if that is part of your care, and whether you took it as prescribed.
- A short note about the day.
Why fill it in every day
A week is hard to remember accurately. By the time a session comes round, the most recent day or the hardest one can stand in for all the others. A few numbers written down each day keep the whole week in view, including the ordinary days and the ones that went better than you expected.
It also gives a session a starting point. A therapist can see the week at a glance, and the two of you can spend your time on what matters most, rather than on trying to reconstruct what happened.
What the numbers mean
A rating is your own sense of how strong something was that day. On a scale of 0 to 5, 0 means none and 5 means the strongest for you. Your 3 doesn't need to match anyone else's.
A card isn't a test, and nobody passes or fails it. High numbers don't mean you are doing badly, and low numbers aren't what you are supposed to write. The card is most useful when it is honest, and a blank space is fine when you don't remember.
Paper or phone
Both work, so choose the one you will keep up, and ask what your therapist prefers.
- Paper is simple, and many people like writing by hand. If you would like one to try, we made a blank card you can print. If your programme has its own card, use theirs.
- A phone is usually with you, and can remind you and be locked. DiaryLog is one option. The daily card, week view, reminder and lock are free. A PDF of your card, trends over time and your own items are part of one optional purchase. Get it on Google Play.
What it is not
- It isn't treatment. A diary card is a record that supports therapy. Filling one in alone isn't DBT, and it doesn't replace care from a professional.
- It doesn't reach anyone. Nobody sees what you write until you show them, and a card can't alert anyone. If you need help now, please contact someone directly.
- It doesn't assess you. It can't tell you what is going on or what to do about it. That is a conversation for you and your therapist.
If you aren't in DBT and wonder whether it might suit you, a doctor or a mental health professional can talk it through with you.