Shorter chain format tuned for weekly repeated behaviors
A shorter behavior-chain format for repeated behaviors — self-harm, binge, purge, use, outburst. Same logic as chain analysis, tuned for weekly repetition.
A shorter behavior-chain format tuned for weekly-repeating behaviors — self-harm, binge, purge, use, outbursts — where the full DBT chain analysis is too long for between-session use. The worksheet is a six-row time-based grid: time, trigger, body/feeling, thought, action taken. Below the grid: what the behavior delivered short-term, what it cost long-term, and the earliest link the client could catch next time. The clinical purpose is the same as the full chain analysis — architecture, not punishment — but shorter form makes it usable as weekly homework where the full chain does not.
The grid is not a weekly summary. Each row is one time-slice inside one episode.
Naming both surfaces which is the more available intervention target for that client — some are body-first, some thought-first.
The behavior gave the client something real. Naming what protects the practice from denial.
The link the client could realistically catch — not the earliest theoretical link. Realism matters.
Full chain analysis after any high-cost episode or first occurrence of a behavior; this shorter form for ongoing weekly repetition.
No — it complements. The full chain remains the standard after high-stakes episodes.
Yes. Free printable PDF. Sign in to send as a secure client link.
Worksheet — Behavior Chain Worksheet — provided by TherapistAssist for clinical use. Not a substitute for assessment or treatment.