Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was designed for people who feel things intensely and don’t have great models for coping with those feelings. If that’s you, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. There are excellent DBT resources out there, and many of them are free. The challenge is just knowing where to look.
The skills in DBT are learnable. They take practice. They take repetition. But they’re doable. And they work.
Let’s get into it.
20 Free DBT Resources
Disclaimer: The resources listed in this post are created and owned by their respective authors and organizations. I did not create these materials, and this post is not affiliated with or sponsored by any of the sites or creators referenced. Please use these materials responsibly and respect all copyright and licensing terms. When in doubt, refer back to the original source for use guidelines and attribution requirements.
DBT Self Help | Self-serve resources for the DBT community Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based psychotherapy that combines Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Zen Buddhism. Created by Marsha Linehan, it was originally used to treat Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Now it is used to treat many different emotional dysregulation and impulse control disorders and symptoms.
Free Resources | Online DBT Skills Free videos and downloads to help you learn or strengthen your Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills knowledge and support your mental health.
6-Module DBT Course | An educational course designed for professionals to learn the basic principles for the diagnosis and treatment of borderline personality disorder. There are six 20-minute modules.
DBT skills take practice, patience, and repetition—but they’re learnable. The resources here are a starting point, not a finish line. Take what’s useful, leave what isn’t, and keep going. Building emotional regulation is a process, and you’re doing the work just by showing up.
Resilience isn’t about avoiding hardship—it’s about growing through it. Whether you’re navigating personal loss, chronic stress, or just trying to stay afloat in a chaotic world, developing emotional resilience can make all the difference. To support your journey, I’ve compiled a list of free resilience workbooks for teens and adults—resources designed to help you build mental strength, emotional flexibility, and healthier coping skills. These guides are ideal for individuals, therapists, educators, or anyone looking to cultivate a stronger sense of inner calm and grit.
“Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient.”
–Steve Maraboli
Please note: These are external resources and are not affiliated with my site. Be sure to review each for suitability, and as always, follow all copyright guidelines when using or sharing materials.
Hard knocks, misfortune and adversity are things all humans have in common. We all are asked to cope with difficult times at some point in our life. Resilience is defined as the ability to adapt well in the face of adversity, trauma, loss or significant stress, bounce back from it and learn from it.
This resource is an initiative of Glasgow CHP South Sector Youth Health Improvement team developed in partnership with The South Strategic Youth Health and Wellbeing Group. This Emotional Resilience Toolkit provides practical guidance in promoting the resilience of young people as part of an integrated health and wellbeing programme. The resource is designed to be used by workers and volunteers working with young people aged 10 and over.
This workbook provides a practical and entirely educational approach to improve personal resilience. The material is organized as a series of resilience exercises that support World Health Organization recommendations for suicide prevention. The exercises and the learning methods develop problem solving abilities and bring awareness to the importance of social support by applying positive coping skills to create less stressful outcomes to real life challenges. The materials can be used with all audiences to include organizations, educational settings, and families.
The Resiliency Toolkit is a comprehensive, evidence-informed workbook featuring 73 tools and worksheets designed to help people develop the emotional, mental, and behavioural skills needed to overcome life’s challenges. Created by Angela M. Doel, MS, this resource blends therapeutic techniques from CBT, ACT, solution-focused therapy, and positive psychology to support individuals in becoming more resilient, hopeful, and emotionally well.
The simplest way to define resilience is the ability to “bounce back” from life’s difficulties – to adapt well in the face of adversity or significant sources of stress, such as family and relationship issues, major health problems or financial hardships.
“Resilience is not what happens to you. It’s how you react to, respond to, and recover from what happens to you.”
– Jeffrey Gitomer
Supplementary Materials
Disclaimer: The following supplementary materials are intended to be used exclusivelyin conjunction with corresponding workbooks which must be purchased separately. They are designed to support the content and exercises within the workbooks and are not intended to be a standalone resource. Unauthorized distribution, reproduction, or use of these materials without the accompanying workbook is prohibited. Please respect copyright and intellectual property laws.
For highly-rated resilience guides and workbooks that can be purchased on Amazon, see below:
4.7 stars on Amazon, 1,961 reviews
Publisher’s description on Amazon: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A masterpiece of warrior wisdom: how to be resilient, how to overcome obstacles not by “positive thinking” or self-esteem, but by positive action. The best-selling author, Navy SEAL, and humanitarian Eric Greitens offers a self-help book unlike any other. “Eric Greitens provides a brilliant and brave course of action to help navigate life’s roughest waters.”—Admiral Mike Mullen, seventeenth chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff In 2012, Eric Greitens unexpectedly heard from a former SEAL comrade, a brother-in-arms he hadn’t seen in a decade. Zach Walker had been one of the toughest of the tough. But ever since he returned home from war to his young family in a small logging town, he’d been struggling. Without a sense of purpose, plagued by PTSD, and masking his pain with heavy drinking, he needed help. Zach and Eric started writing and talking nearly every day, as Eric set down his thoughts on what it takes to build resilience in our lives. Eric’s letters — drawing on both his own experience and wisdom from ancient and modern thinkers — are now gathered and edited into this timeless guidebook. Greitens shows how we can build purpose, confront pain, practice compassion, develop a vocation, find a mentor, create happiness, and much more. Resilience is an inspiring meditation for the warrior in each of us. “This book is a gift not only to Greitens’s comrades-in-arms, but to readers everywhere.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
4.6 stars on Amazon, 1,415 reviews
Publisher’s description on Amazon: These days it’s hard to count on the world outside. So it’s vital to grow strengths inside like grit, gratitude, and compassion—the key to resilience, and to lasting well-being in a changing world. True resilience is much more than enduring terrible conditions. We need resilience every day to raise a family, work at a job, cope with stress, deal with health problems, navigate issues with others, heal from old pain, and simply keep on going. With his trademark blend of neuroscience, mindfulness, and positive psychology, New York Times bestselling author Dr. Rick Hanson shows you how to develop twelve vital inner strengths hardwired into your own nervous system. Then no matter what life throws at you, you’ll be able to feel less stressed, pursue opportunities with confidence, and stay calm and centered in the face of adversity. This practical guide is full of concrete suggestions, experiential practices, personal examples, and insights into the brain. It includes effective ways to interact with others and to repair and deepen important relationships. Warm, encouraging, and down-to-earth, Dr. Hanson’s step-by-step approach is grounded in the science of positive neuroplasticity. He explains how to overcome the brain’s negativity bias, release painful thoughts and feelings, and replace them with self-compassion, self-worth, joy, and inner peace.
4.5 stars, 2,074 reviews
Publisher’s description on Amazon: In Do Hard Things, Steve Magness beautifully and persuasively reimagines our understanding of toughness. This is a must-read for parents and coaches and anyone else looking to prepare for life’s biggest challenges.”—Malcolm Gladwell, author of Outliers and Talking to Strangers and host of the Revisionist History podcast. From beloved performance expert, executive coach, and coauthor of Peak Performance Steve Magness comes a radical rethinking of how we perceive toughness and what it means to achieve our high ambitions in the face of hard things. Toughness has long been held as the key to overcoming a challenge and achieving greatness, whether it is on the sports field, at a boardroom, or at the dining room table. Yet, the prevailing model has promoted a mentality based on fear, false bravado, and hiding any sign of weakness. In other words, the old model of toughness has failed us. Steve Magness, a performance scientist who coaches Olympic athletes, rebuilds our broken model of resilience with one grounded in the latest science and psychology. InDo Hard Things, Magness teaches us how we can work with our body – how experiencing discomfort, leaning in, paying attention, and creating space to take thoughtful action can be the true indications of cultivating inner strength. He offers four core pillars to cultivate such resilience:
Pillar 1: Ditch the Façade, Embrace Reality
Pillar 2: Listen to Your Body
Pillar 3: Respond, Instead of React
Pillar 4: Transcend Discomfort
Smart and wise all at once, Magness flips the script on what it means to be resilient. Drawing from mindfulness, military case studies, sports psychology, neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy, he provides a roadmap for navigating life’s challenges and achieving high performance that makes us happier, more successful, and, ultimately, better people.
Additional Therapist-Recommended Resources for Resilience
Navigating love, intimacy, and relationships isn’t always easy—but it’s essential for our wellbeing. Whether you’re exploring your identity, healing from past experiences, improving communication with a partner, or just trying to understand yourself better, this collection of resources for love is here to support you. Below, you’ll find workbooks, guides, and tools that cover everything from setting boundaries and enhancing emotional intimacy to understanding consent and sexual health.
These resources are designed to empower people of all identities and relationship styles to create healthier, more fulfilling connections—with others and with themselves.
Disclaimer: All external content is the property of its respective creators. I am not responsible for the accuracy, content, or availability of linked materials. Please adhere to all copyright laws when using or sharing these resources.
Beducated Beducated offers free trial lessons on topics like tantric sex, sensual massage, oral sex techniques, and more. Courses are high-quality and video-based.
Emily Nagoski, Ph.D. If you’ve read Come As You Are, you know Emily Nagoski is one of the most influential voices in sex education. Her website features videos, worksheets, podcasts, and guides on sexual desire, body image, and pleasure science.
OMGYES While mostly paid, this evidence-based, pleasure-positive site offers free videos and science-backed insights into women’s pleasure. Great for couples looking to learn, not just guess.
Pleasure Mechanics Tons of free podcast episodes, guides, and email series on everything from sensual touch to kink curiosity. Smart, shame-free, and queer-inclusive.
Sexplanations with Dr. Doe A playful, science-based series of short YouTube videos covering everything from orgasms to aftercare to erotic novelty. Smart and entertaining—watch together and discuss after.
The Vulva Gallery An artistic, body-positive project that showcases real stories and illustrations of vulvas in all their diversity. A beautiful, affirming way for couples to explore body image, anatomy, and curiosity without shame.
Learn Your Love Language | Choose your version: Couples, Children’s Quiz, Teens, or Singles. An online assessment to determine your primary love language. (You are required to enter your information to get quiz results.)
Marital Satisfaction Scale | PDF assessment to evaluate marital satisfaction; click on link listed in “Interactive Section for Couples”
Disclaimer: The supplementary materials provided are intended to be used only in conjunction with purchased workbooks. These free resources are designed to enhance the learning and application of workbook contents and do not replace the full workbook itself. Distribution or use of these materials without the accompanying purchased workbook is not authorized.
Please do not duplicate, modify, or distribute these materials for commercial purposes. All content remains the intellectual property of the author and is protected under applicable copyright laws.
Guiding with Purpose: A Self-Discovery Workbook for Counselors is on its way, and it’s full of helpful tools to make therapists feel stronger, more skilled, and more connected to
their work.
Great news for therapists and counselors! A new book is coming soon that will help mental health professionals learn, grow, and feel more confident in their work. Guiding with Purpose: A Self-Discovery Workbook for Counselors by Cassie Jewell, M.Ed., LPC, LSATP, is on its way, and it’s full of helpful tools to make therapists feel stronger, more skilled, and more connected to their work.
This workbook is for anyone working in mental health—whether you’re a student just starting out, a new therapist finding your way, or an experienced supervisor looking for fresh ideas for your students or residents and ways to reflect on your journey.
What Is This Book About?
Guiding with Purpose is not a regular textbook. It’s a hands-on workbook with simple exercises, questions, and activities that help therapists think, learn, and grow.
It will help therapists:
Build stronger relationships with clients
Improve counseling skills and techniques
Feel more confident in their work
Stop doubting themselves and overcome imposter syndrome
Avoid burnout and stress
Make better decisions in tough situations
Take care of their own mental health
Therapists spend their time helping others, but this book is here to help them. It gives professionals a chance to reflect, learn, and take care of themselves so they can continue doing their important work.
Who Is This Book For?
This soon-to-be-released workbook is perfect for:
Counseling students and new therapists
Experienced counselors looking for inspiration
Social workers, psychologists, and anyone in mental health
Clinical supervisors and teams in training
Anyone in the helping professions who wants to feel stronger and more confident
If you work in mental health or are studying to become a therapist, Guiding with Purpose will be a must-have book for your journey.
Why This Workbook Matters
Being a therapist is rewarding; it is also challenging. Many therapists feel tired, unsure, or stressed at some point in their careers. This workbook helps professionals pause, reflect, and grow, making sure they stay motivated and connected to their work.
Many counselors doubt themselves or feel like they don’t know enough. This book helps them see their strengths, build confidence, and find joy in their work again.
It’s not just about learning—it’s about feeling stronger, more balanced, and more prepared for the work therapists do every day.
About the Author
Cassie Jewell, M.Ed., LPC, LSATP, is a licensed therapist, substance abuse treatment practitioner, and clinical supervisor. She is also the creator of Mind Remake Project, a website that shares free mental health resources.
With years of experience in counseling, Cassie knows what it’s like to work in this field—the challenges, the doubts, and the joys. She has also written workbooks on grief and helping people heal after loss. Now, with Guiding with Purpose, she wants to help therapists reflect, learn, and keep growing.
When Will the Book Be Available?
The release date will be announced soon! Guiding with Purpose will be available in print and digital formats, making it easy for therapists to use. For updates and details, visit: https://www.mindremakeproject.org or email CassieJewellLPC@gmail.com.
The digital supplementary materials (discussion questions, quizzes, card decks and more can be downloaded/printed for free below, and utilized for educational, self-help, and therapeutic purposes. (Click the hyperlink after the preview to start download.)
Guiding with Purpose: A Self-Discovery Workbook for Counselors
Therapists do amazing work, but they also need time to pause, reflect, and care for themselves. Guiding with Purpose is coming soon to help professionals stay motivated, confident, and balanced in their careers.
If you are a therapist, counselor, social worker, or student, this workbook is for you! Get ready to learn more about yourself, improve your skills, and feel stronger in your work.
Loss Within the Walls: Coping with Grief While Incarcerated is a free grief booklet created especially for inmates who are struggling with grief and loss.
“Grief is like the ocean; it comes on waves ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is learn to swim.”
— Vicki Harrison
Grief can be especially difficult in a correctional setting where access to support is limited, and emotions can feel heightened.
This free grief booklet aims to guide individuals who are incarcerated through understanding their grief, expressing their feelings, and finding healthy ways to cope in a correctional setting.
Please note that this free grief booklet is meant to be a two-fold booklet. To print two-fold, use the ‘booklet’ setting in Foxit PDF Editor when printing. Otherwise, print to scale (one page per sheet).
This free grief booklet may be reproduced and distributed for personal, therapeutic, and/or educational purposes. Please link to Mind Remake Project when sharing electronic copies.
For a full workbook on grief, created for anyone who is experiencing loss (also free to download), see Free Grief Workbook PDF – mind remake project. For quotes on grief, scroll to the bottom for a printable PDF.
This guide has 50+ free resources for overcoming perfectionism including assessments, worksheets/handouts, workbooks, guides, videos, articles, and more.
Do you hold yourself or others to unrealistic standards and find yourself defeated or frustrated when those standards aren’t met? Are you sensitive to criticism and have a fear of making mistakes? Do you have a tendency to procrastinate? Are you driven by fear or have an intense fear of failure? If so, you may be a perfectionist. And it may be hindering you instead of helping.
This free, original grief workbook PDF may be reproduced and distributed for personal, therapeutic, and/or educational purposes with appropriate citation. Please link to Mind Remake Project when sharing electronic copies.
A list of resources for finding happiness (including sites with free articles, assessments, videos, etc., free PDF workbooks, and free online courses!)
Authentic Happiness | A University of Pennsylvania website developed by the Positive Psychology Center with resources including readings, videos, research, questionnaires, and more
Center for Healthy Minds | A University of Wisconsin-Madison website with a mission to “cultivate well-being and relieve suffering through a scientific understanding of the mind”
Feeling Good | A David D. Burns website with free articles, assessments, podcasts, and more
This is a list of 9 evidence-based strategies for developing self-confidence, including a resource section with helpful links, articles, and free PDFs.
How do we develop self-confidence? Early childhood experiences with parents (or caretakers) shape how we view ourselves and our capabilities. A child whose parents are supportive and encouraging develops a sense of self-efficacy; they feel nurtured and secure. In contrast, children who are neglected or abused may be fearful or uncertain.
Peer relationships also impact the development of confidence; positive social interactions foster self-assurance and high self-esteem. Conversely, a child who is rejected or teased may experience a sense of unworthiness or feel unsure about their abilities.
Once a child develops low self-worth, it can be difficult to bounce back. Children who are ostracized or bullied by their playmates become hesitant to initiate or engage in play. The absence of peer socialization leads to further isolation. As a result, critical social skills are not learned, making the child an even less desirable playfellow, which only reinforces the belief that they’re undeserving.
Lack of Self-Confidence
The patterns formed in early childhood tend to repeat themselves. A child who never develops a sense of competence will not grow up to be a confident, self-reliant adult.
“For in every adult there dwells the child that was, and in every child there lies the adult that will be.”
John Connolly
Traits of low self-confidence include discounting yourself and doubting your capacity for effectiveness. A person who lacks self-assurance may believe they’re inferior to others. They may experience anxiety or depression and struggle with learned helplessness (the belief that one has no control over what happens to them in life).
A lack of confidence can also lead to fear of rejection or criticism. Constructive feedback can feel like a personal attack. This person may have trouble accepting compliments or expressing their opinion.
When someone is highly insecure, they avoid social events. They’re more likely to be bullied at work or involved with an abusive partner. As a result, their relationships and overall quality of life suffer.
Self-Confident Traits
In contrast, someone who is self-confident views themselves as competent; they feel good about themselves. They have a positive outlook on life and are generally optimistic. A self-confident person is often resilient and able to quickly recover after experiencing setbacks.
“The most beautiful thing you can wear is confidence.”
Blake Lively
10 Traits of Self-Confident People
1. Genuine
2. Optimistic and positive
3. Ask questions and are eager to learn
4. Open to feedback and constructive criticism
5. Take healthy risks
6. Able to laugh at self
7. Don’t internalize failure
8. Take ownership (of both successes and mistakes)
9 Effective Strategies for Developing Self-Confidence
1. Correct cognitive distortions
A cognitive distortion is an error in thinking or a self-defeating belief that is not an accurate reflection of reality. Cognitive distortions impact how we view ourselves and our abilities. For example, black-and-white (or all-or-nothing) thinking is a distortion of “absolutes” (i.e. “If I fail at something, I’ll fail at everything”).
By replacing irrational views with ones that are reality-based, you’ll feel more confident. (See 50 Common Cognitive Distortions for a list of thinking errors from Psychology Today.)
2. Adjust your attitude
Your overall perspective greatly impacts confidence. If you’re generally negative and believe that failure is inevitable, it will become your reality. Instead, practice optimism and gratitude. A positive attitude enhances self-confidence.
“Self-belief does not necessarily ensure success, but self-disbelief assuredly spawns failure.“
Albert Bandura
3. Track your achievements
Is optimism challenging due to circumstances, barriers, or obstacles? Try creating a list of all the things you’re proud of – your biggest accomplishments in life. Did you graduate college? Quit smoking? Pay off a loan? Raise a child? Earn an award? To enhance self-confidence, take pride in your successes. Review the list often and update it with successive achievements.
4. Identify talents, skills, and knowledge
In addition to acknowledging accomplishments, recognize your unique talents, skills, and knowledge. What are you good at? What are your areas of expertise? Instead of lamenting a lack of athleticism, relish in your ability to make others laugh or your mastery of the Dothraki language.
5. mistakes happen
You’re only human after all, and as a human, you are going to make mistakes. You will never achieve perfection, so let go of unrealistic standards or expectations you have for yourself. Also, don’t beat yourself up for your mistakes; be kind to yourself… and be wise. When you mess up, own it, and then learn from the error. Every mistake is a growth opportunity; you only fail when you give up.
6. Don’t compare out
(Or if you do, compare yourself to others who lack what you have!) There will always be people who are better off and there will always be people who have it worse than you. To build confidence, use yourself as the measure for success, not someone else.
7. Fake it till you make it (“act as if”)
To feel confident, act confident! Be intentional in your speech, actions, and how you carry yourself. Act like you know what you’re doing, and people will believe it, which in turn will influence how you feel about yourself. Just like thoughts have the power to alter behaviors, behaviors can impact thoughts and beliefs.
“I taught myself confidence. When I’d walk into a room and feel scared to death, I’d tell myself, ‘I’m not afraid of anybody.’ And people believed me. You’ve got to teach yourself to take over the world.”
Priyanka Chopra
8. Seek support
Ask for help when you need it. Rely on trusted family and friends for support and encouragement. (It should also be noted that if you have a mental illness, you may require professional help. Feelings of worthlessness, panic, and extreme self-consciousness are examples of symptoms that interfere with someone’s ability to feel confident; they can be treated with psychotherapy and/or medication.)
When you’re tired or rundown, it’s difficult to feel good about yourself. It’s also true that you won’t function as well when your basic needs aren’t met. If a vehicle is not well-maintained, its performance suffers; the same is true for people. Eat healthy foods, get adequate rest, drink plenty of water, exercise daily, and seek treatment when ill.
Everyone is good at something. Recognize your unique abilities, and take pride in them. Allow yourself to feel confident; life is too short for inaction related to self-doubt.
At the same time, assess and remain aware of areas for growth. Strive for self-improvement; be assured that you can learn new skills and make positive changes in your life.
References
Andersen, L.P., Labriola, M., Andersen, J.H. et al. Bullied at school, bullied at work: a prospective study. BMC Psychol 3, 35 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-015-0092-1
Bellis, M.A., Hardcastle, K., Ford, K. et al. Does continuous trusted adult support in childhood impart life-course resilience against adverse childhood experiences – a retrospective study on adult health-harming behaviours and mental well-being. BMC Psychiatry 17, 110 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-017-1260-z
Suzuki, H., Tomoda, A. Roles of attachment and self-esteem: impact of early life stress on depressive symptoms among Japanese institutionalized children. BMC Psychiatry 15, 8 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-015-0385-1
University at Buffalo. (2017, August 7). How pronouns can be used to build confidence in stressful situations: Self-distancing language can help us ‘see’ ourselves through someone else’s eyes. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 19, 2020 from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170807111459.htm
(Updated 9/22/22) This resource list for anger management includes 75+ articles/guides; free anger assessments (both interactive and PDF formats); free printable workbooks, manuals, handouts, and worksheets; treatment planning resources; research articles/dissertations; and recommended mobile apps.
Please share this resource with anyone you think would benefit!
Anger Management: Client Handbook Series (Source: Carleton University, Criminal Justice Decision Making Laboratory, & Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, 13 pages)
