DBT chain analysis is utilized consistently throughout treatment to map out and assess instances of the client’s problematic behavior over a chronological continuum (Swenson, 2020).

DBT Behavior Chain Analysis image
DBT therapists think in terms of chains in order to scan a client’s behavior, assess a difficult emotional episode, organize data, and determine a plan of action (Swenson, 2020). Essentially, this is where the DBT therapist begins to understand the client’s reality. Understanding the problem is the first step in halting behaviors that the client does not want to continue happening. Over time chains reveal patterns of how an individual reacts to certain, events, thoughts, and feelings (Swenson).

For instance, a client’s dog is sick, the client worries that her dog might die, the client becomes fearful, the client then engages in a self-harming behavior. Or the client’s partner argues with her, the client worries her partner may leave, the client becomes consumed by fear, the client engages in a self- harming behavior.

With this information regarding patterns of behavior and identification of dysfunction, the client can begin to break the chain of destructive habits by replacing the dysfunctional links in the chain with DBT skills from the four main components of mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness in order to make wiser choices, and have greater peace (Swenson, 2020).
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