Observe is when a person notices what is happening emotionally and cognitively within their mind as well as life happening around them. The person uses the 5 senses and emotional check-in to make note of their mind and their surroundings. 

Eastern Michigan University

The what skills outline the action component of doing mindfulness in DBT. It teaches the person what to do when trying to be mindful. The skills include:

 -Observe

 -Describe

 -Participate


What Skills in Mindfulness Within Dialectical Behavioral Therapy

Fabrizio, D. (ed.). (2009). Clinical handbook of mindfulness. Springer. 

Clinical Handbook of Mindfulness

Describe means putting a label and outlining what is being observed or noticed. (Just the facts, no interpretations). After a person makes an observation, the person will then state either in their head or out loud to themselves the facts of an event, details of an object that was observed or naming an emotion that was felt. 

Describe Skill

Observe Skill

Participate means to engage completely into an activity. Doing an activity with the use of all your skills while also being flexible. It is essentially being one with what you are engaging in.

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