Cope Ahead Plan
A DBT worksheet for getting ready in advance: picture a hard situation coming up, plan your coping skills, and rehearse handling it well.
About this tool
Cope ahead is an emotion regulation skill from dialectical behavior therapy. The idea is that you do not have to wait for a hard situation to arrive before you start coping with it. By planning and mentally rehearsing in advance, you walk into the moment already prepared, which makes it far more likely you will use your skills instead of getting hijacked by emotion.
It works the way athletes and performers use visualization. Rehearsing an action in vivid imagination activates many of the same mental pathways as doing it for real, so when the moment comes it feels familiar rather than threatening. In cope ahead, you do not just imagine the situation going well by magic. You imagine yourself actively using specific skills to handle the difficulty and the emotions that come with it.
The most important part is to rehearse coping with problems, not a perfect outcome. You imagine things getting hard, and then you see yourself using your skills, staying steady, and recovering if you slip. That way you are prepared for reality, including the parts that do not go smoothly. Practicing this when calm builds genuine confidence for situations you would otherwise dread or avoid.
- Linehan MM. DBT Skills Training Manual. 2nd ed. Guilford Press; 2015.
- Linehan MM. DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets. 2nd ed. Guilford Press; 2015.
Cope Ahead Plan FAQ
What is the cope ahead skill in DBT?
It is an emotion regulation skill where you plan and mentally rehearse handling a difficult situation before it happens, so you walk in prepared and are more likely to use your skills instead of being overwhelmed.
How is cope ahead different from just worrying?
Worry loops on the threat without a resolution. Cope ahead is structured: you plan specific skills and then rehearse yourself using them and coping, including with the hard parts, which builds readiness rather than dread.
Should I imagine everything going perfectly?
No. Rehearse coping with problems, not a flawless outcome. Picture things getting hard and see yourself using your skills and recovering, so you are ready for reality.
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.