DBT for Chronic Pain: Self-Validation and Interpersonal Skills

United States Department of Homeland Security

Interpersonal effectiveness refers to improving your relationship with yourself and others. It includes the related concepts of values, validation, advocacy, assertiveness, boundary setting, and self-compassion.
The main DBT interventions for this skill set include DEAR MAN, GIVE, and FAST. These skills help clients assess and prioritize the following permutations: self, others, environment; short term, mid term, long term; needs, wants, desires; and rights vs responsibilities.
For clients to learn self-validation, therapists need to provide validation, which includes radical genuineness.
One technique for radical genuineness is explaining, “You don’t have to convince me you are in pain; I already believe you.” This intervention allows clients to lower their guard and become less defensive.
Another technique is to encourage clients to borrow your hope. When they don’t have hope in themselves, explain, “You can borrow my hope.”
Finally, Mark and Dennis recommend the following 3:1 ratio: validate, validate, validate, shift.