When It Is Used
It is used when resistance, control, avoidance, or giving up is blocking effective action.
DBT Willingness practice for willfulness and effective action
DBT Distress Tolerance Handout 13: Willingness is a DBT skill practice for practitioners and clients working with resistance, forcing, avoidance, or giving up. It helps the client identify willful thoughts, actions, or body cues, name what willingness would look like, and choose a response that fits present reality.
Try the willingness contrast exercise.
Interested in using DBT Distress Tolerance Handout 13: Willingness with clients? Request access now.
Request access
Request access to DBT Willingness practice for willfulness and effective action. Enter your email below.
Tool guide
Learn more about this tool
Use this background section to understand when the tool fits, how practitioners use it, and what to consider before sharing it with clients.
What It Captures
It captures a current situation, willful thoughts, actions, or body cues, a willing stance, and chosen response.
Limits
The tool does not create a willfulness score or interpret the chosen response clinically.
Does the tool score willfulness?
No. It keeps willful cues and willing responses descriptive and reviewable.
Can body cues be skipped?
Yes. Thoughts or actions can be used if body cues are not present.
What if the client cannot identify willingness?
That section remains incomplete for practitioner review instead of being automatically corrected.