DBT GIVE

What is the DBT GIVE Skill?

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers a structured approach to help individuals regulate intense emotions, improve interpersonal relationships, and navigate life’s challenges effectively. For therapists and mental health professionals, the GIVE skills within the DBT framework are essential tools for teaching clients how to enhance their communication skills and maintain healthy relationships.

What Does GIVE Stand for?

The GIVE technique is a component of the interpersonal effectiveness module in DBT, focusing on respectful and mindful communication. It stands for: Gental Approach, Interested Attitude, Validate, Easy Manner.

‍G - Gentle Approach:

Encourages respectful and considerate interactions, using polite language and a non-confrontational stance. This creates a positive environment conducive to open communication and mutual understanding.

Strategies for Implementation:

• Teach clients to be aware of and moderate their tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language.
• Encourage the expression of thoughts and feelings in a supportive, empathetic, yet assertive manner.
• Highlight that a gentle approach involves expressing needs and opinions without aggression.

I - Interested Attitude:

Involves active listening and showing genuine curiosity about others’ thoughts and feelings, fostering deeper interpersonal connections and trust.

Strategies for Implementation:

• Practice and teach active listening skills such as eye contact, nodding, and paraphrasing to enhance understanding.
• Train clients to ask open-ended questions to deepen conversations.
• Emphasize the importance of showing empathy and engagement.

V - Validate

Focuses on acknowledging and accepting others’ feelings and perspectives as legitimate, which enhances emotional support and fosters a sense of acceptance.

Strategies for Implementation:

• Encourage clients to listen attentively and empathize with others’ experiences.
• Teach clients to avoid minimizing or invalidating feelings, instead offering reassurance and understanding.
• Clarify that validation does not necessarily mean agreement but is a recognition of the other’s emotional experience as valid.

E - Easy Manner

Promotes a relaxed and approachable demeanor that can defuse tension and make interactions more enjoyable and productive.

• Help clients develop techniques to stay calm and relaxed, such as mindfulness and deep breathing exercises.
• Cultivate a sense of humor and a light-hearted approach in clients, which can ease interactions.
• Discuss the balance between being easygoing and assertive to ensure that clients feel comfortable asserting their needs.

Applying GIVE Skills in Therapy

For mental health professionals, integrating the GIVE skills into therapy sessions involves continuous practice, reflection, and adaptation. Encourage clients to use these skills in various social situations, from family interactions to workplace settings, to strengthen their interpersonal effectiveness.