Check the Facts Worksheet
A DBT worksheet for separating what actually happened from the story you told about it, then deciding whether your emotion fits the facts.
About this tool
Check the facts is an emotion regulation skill from dialectical behavior therapy, and it usually comes before opposite action. Emotions are not caused only by events. They are caused by our interpretations of events, our assumptions, and our predictions about what will happen next. Often the interpretation, not the event, is what drives the emotion, and the interpretation may not be accurate.
The skill is to slow down and sort what actually happened from the story you added on top of it. You describe the prompting event in plain, observable terms, then notice the interpretations, assumptions, and worst-case predictions you layered onto it. From there you can ask the key question: given the facts, does my emotion fit the situation, and does its intensity match?
When an emotion does fit the facts, that is useful information and you can act on it wisely. When it does not, or when it is far more intense than the situation warrants, that is your cue to change it, often with opposite action. Either way, checking the facts replaces a reflexive emotional reaction with a clear-eyed look at what is real, which is one of the most practical skills DBT teaches.
- Linehan MM. DBT Skills Training Manual. 2nd ed. Guilford Press; 2015.
- Linehan MM. DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets. 2nd ed. Guilford Press; 2015.
Check the Facts Worksheet FAQ
What is check the facts in DBT?
It is an emotion regulation skill where you separate what actually happened from your interpretations of it, then decide whether your emotion fits the facts. It often comes before opposite action.
How is this different from a CBT thought record?
They overlap, since both examine the thoughts behind a feeling. Check the facts is a focused DBT step that asks specifically whether the emotion and its intensity fit the actual situation, which then guides whether to act on the emotion or change it.
What if my emotion does fit the facts?
Then the emotion is giving you useful information and you can act on it wisely. Check the facts is not about dismissing feelings, it is about telling justified emotions from ones driven by inaccurate interpretations.
Is my information saved?
No. Everything stays in your browser. Your entries are never uploaded or stored, and the PDF is generated on your own device.