When It Is Used
Use it before, during, or in session around a specific crisis urge or impulsive behavior.
DBT Pros and Cons for crisis urges
DBT Pros and Cons is a distress-tolerance worksheet for DBT practitioners and clients working with a specific crisis urge or impulsive behavior. It helps the client list pros and cons of acting on the urge versus resisting it and distinguish short-term relief from longer-term costs or benefits.
Try the four-quadrant grid with sample content.
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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 the target urge, pros and cons of acting, pros and cons of resisting, and short-term or long-term consequence markers.
Limits
The tool does not choose for the client, score risk, or generate advice about what the client must do.
Does the tool make a recommendation?
No. It organizes the client's own consequences and reasons but does not generate an automated recommendation.
Can the grid be reused for recurring urges?
Yes. Prior grids can remain available with the original date and target urge for historical clarity.
What if only one quadrant is filled?
The result shows the imbalance as incomplete instead of interpreting the client's motivation.