Problem Solving

When the situation needs a real solution and you've been spinning. It’s one of the DBT emotion regulation skills, and the skills picker can route a client here in the moment.

Not sure this is the right skill?

The free DBT skills picker asks what’s happening right now and routes to a skill to try.

Open the skills picker

When to reach for Problem Solving

When the situation needs a real solution and you've been spinning.

How to practice Problem Solving

Define the problem in one sentence. Be specific about what's actually wrong.
Generate at least 5 possible solutions. No filtering yet — even bad ones.
Evaluate each: cost, time, likelihood of working.
Pick one. Don't wait for perfect.
Execute. Adjust if it doesn't work.

If it doesn’t help: the DBT skills picker routes next to Pros and Cons. Different skills land for different people and moments — trying the next-best fit is part of the method, not a failure.

Tracking Problem Solving on a diary card

Whether a client used Problem Solving — and whether it helped — is exactly what a DBT diary card captures. Recording skill use day by day is how you see, in session, whether emotion regulation skills are generalizing.

Track skill use for free

Build a custom diary card that tracks the skills you’re working on, or track it digitally in Theracharts.

Build a diary card All DBT skills

FAQ

What is Problem Solving in DBT?

Problem Solving is a DBT emotion regulation skill. When the situation needs a real solution and you've been spinning.

When should I use Problem Solving?

Reach for problem solving when the situation needs a real solution and you've been spinning.

In crisis? Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, US) — free, confidential, 24/7. This page is educational and is not therapy, diagnosis, or a substitute for professional care.