DBT Diary Card
The daily tracking card used in dialectical behavior therapy to log emotions, urges, and the skills you actually used, so patterns become visible.
About this tool
The diary card is a cornerstone of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). It is a simple daily log that you complete between sessions, rating the emotions and urges you felt and noting which skills you practiced. It sounds basic, but it does something powerful: it turns a fuzzy sense of how the week went into concrete data you and your therapist can actually work with.
Diary cards serve two jobs. First, they keep skills front of mind. Knowing you will log whether you used a skill nudges you to reach for one. Second, they reveal patterns: which days the urges spiked, what tended to precede them, and whether the skills you are practicing are moving the numbers. In standard DBT, the diary card sets the agenda for each session, with the therapist focusing first on the highest-priority targets like self-harm urges.
There is no single correct diary card. Yours can track whatever targets matter to you: specific emotions, urges to self-harm, substance use, or behaviors you are trying to change, plus a record of skills used. Consistency matters more than detail. A quick honest entry every day beats an elaborate one you fill in once and abandon.
If you are working with a DBT therapist, ask which targets they want you to track, and bring the card to every session. If you are using this on your own, keep it light and use it to spot what helps.
- Linehan MM. DBT Skills Training Manual. 2nd ed. Guilford Press; 2015.
- Linehan MM. DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets. 2nd ed. Guilford Press; 2015.
DBT Diary Card FAQ
What is a DBT diary card?
It is a daily tracking card used in dialectical behavior therapy to rate your emotions and urges and record which DBT skills you used. Over time it reveals patterns and keeps skills front of mind between sessions.
What should I track on it?
At minimum, your strongest emotions, any urges you are working on, and the skills you practiced each day. If you have a DBT therapist, ask which specific targets they want you to track.
How is a diary card different from a mood tracker?
A mood tracker focuses on mood and lifestyle factors like sleep and energy. A DBT diary card adds urges and a record of which DBT skills you used, and it is designed to guide DBT sessions.
Is my data saved anywhere?
No. The card runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded. The PDF is created on your device.