DBT · Emotion Regulation

Check the Facts Worksheet

Does the emotion fit the facts, or not?

therapistassist.app

DBT's check-the-facts: emotions fit the facts, or they don't. When they do, problem-solve; when they don't, opposite action or acceptance. This worksheet runs the check.

The event that prompted the emotion

Emotion I felt and its intensity (0–100)

My interpretation of the event

Am I assuming a threat? What is the actual likelihood?

If the worst happened, what could I still do?

Does the intensity of the emotion match the facts?

Next step: problem-solve, opposite action, or accept?

Option One

Get the Check the Facts Worksheet

Print-ready PDF. Instant download — no account needed. We email you a copy too.

Option Two

Or send it to your client

Every worksheet, plus 80 interactive tools your client opens on their phone. No app. No login.

Their response lands in your dashboard
Unlimited worksheet downloads

Start 7-day trial

$20/mo after · cancel in one click

Same clinical territory — free to view, print, or send to a client.

About this worksheet

DBT's check-the-facts skill is the branching decision behind every emotion-regulation move. If the emotion fits the facts, problem-solve. If it doesn't, use opposite action or radical acceptance. The worksheet runs one live emotion through the check: event that prompted the emotion, emotion and 0–100 intensity, the client's interpretation of the event, threat-assumption test, actual likelihood, worst-case coping check (if the worst happened, what could I still do?), fit verdict, and next-step choice. The tool is not for suppressing emotions — it is for choosing which skill the emotion actually calls for. Most clients discover they have been treating unjustified-intensity emotions with problem-solving (which makes them worse), and justified-intensity emotions with acceptance (which delays needed action).

When to use it

Anxiety — most benefits from the threat-likelihood column.
Anger — the fit check often reveals justified pain being expressed as unjustified rage.
Jealousy — usually mismatches facts.
Shame — the fit check is diagnostic here.
Any emotion the client suspects is bigger than the situation warrants.

How to use it

1
Interpretation is not fact
Separating 'what happened' from 'what I made it mean' is half the work.
2
Actual likelihood, not felt likelihood
Anxiety felt-likelihood runs at 80% for events with 5% actual likelihood. The gap is where the intervention lives.
3
Worst-case coping check
'If the worst happened, what could I still do?' is where catastrophic thinking loses its grip.
4
The next-step choice is binary-ish
Fit → problem-solve. Doesn't fit → opposite action or accept. Naming which skill next is the point.

Frequently asked questions

What if the fit is partial — some facts justify the intensity, some don't?+

Common. Do problem-solving on the justified part; opposite action or acceptance on the unjustified part. The two run in parallel.

Isn't this invalidating the emotion?+

No — the fit check does not judge the emotion, it identifies which skill it responds to. Invalidation would be dismissing the emotion; check-the-facts takes it seriously enough to route it correctly.

Is this worksheet free?+

Yes. Free printable PDF. Sign in to send as a secure client link.