10 DBT Fast Skill Activities To Try In Therapy

The FAST skill reminds us to maintain our self-respect when asking for something. 

F = Being fair to ourselves and other people.

A = Not apologising or over-apologising.

S = Sticking to our values and beliefs.

T = Telling the truth.

It can be challenging to practice the FAST skill regularly.

Here are 10 DBT FAST skill activities for DBT or other therapies.

1. Setting Personal Boundaries Role-Play

• Objective: Practice saying “no” in a respectful but firm manner.
• Activity: The therapist acts as someone making an unreasonable request, and the client practices asserting their boundaries using the FAST skill. Afterwards, discuss how it felt and areas for improvement.
• Discussion: Reflect on the difficulty of setting boundaries and the importance of not over-explaining or apologising.

2. Values Clarification Exercise

• Objective: Identify and assert core personal values in various situations.
• Activity: The therapist asks the client to list 3-5 personal values (e.g., honesty, family, health). The client then practices scenarios where they assert these values while maintaining self-respect (FAST skill).
• Discussion: Discuss how asserting these values feels and how it influences emotional health.

3. Self-Respect Affirmation Journal

• Objective: Reinforce self-respect by focusing on personal strengths and values.
• Activity: The client writes a daily affirmation of self-respect (e.g., “I am worthy of kindness”). In therapy, they read their affirmations and reflect on how they impact their behaviour.
• Discussion: Discuss the importance of affirming self-respect daily and how it enhances assertiveness.

4. Assertive Communication Practice

• Objective: Practice speaking directly without aggression or passivity.
• Activity: The therapist presents challenging situations (e.g., a friend repeatedly cancels plans). The client practices an assertive response, focusing on fairness and truthfulness (FAST).
• Discussion: Evaluate whether the client remained assertive while maintaining self-respect and fairness.

5. Saying “No” Without Guilt

• Objective: Learn to say “no” without feeling guilty or over-explaining.
• Activity: The therapist gives the client a scenario where they must say “no” (e.g., refusing a last-minute request for help). The client practices saying no while using the FAST skill.
• Discussion: Explore how the client felt after saying no and discuss strategies for overcoming guilt.

6. Role-Playing Difficult Conversations

• Objective: Use FAST skills during a challenging conversation (e.g., confronting a co-worker about an issue).
• Activity: The client selects a problematic real-life situation, and the therapist role-plays the other party. The client uses the FAST technique to navigate the conversation.
• Discussion: Afterward, break down the conversation, emphasising self-respect and fairness, and analyse how the FAST technique helped.

7. Mindful Assertiveness Practice

• Objective: Combine mindfulness with the FAST skill to enhance assertiveness.
• Activity: The client practices mindful breathing before and during a simulated assertive conversation with the therapist. The focus is on staying calm and confident while asserting needs.
• Discussion: Discuss how mindfulness helps regulate emotions and allows the client to maintain self-respect.

8. Self-Respect Check-In

• Objective: Evaluate how well the client is maintaining self-respect in daily interactions.
• Activity: The client reviews their week and lists moments where they upheld or compromised their self-respect. Together with the therapist, they identify areas where FAST skills could have been applied.
• Discussion: Reflect on the importance of prioritising self-respect in everyday situations.

9. Truth-Telling Activity

• Objective: Practice respectfully telling the truth, even when it’s complicated.
• Activity: The client identifies a recent situation where they were tempted to avoid the truth to keep the peace. The therapist helps the client role-play how they could have handled it using the FAST skill.
• Discussion: Analyze how telling the truth respectfully and fairly can lead to better long-term outcomes.

10. Self-Respect Visualization

• Objective: Visualize handling a difficult situation while maintaining self-respect.
• Activity: The therapist guides the client through a visualisation exercise, in which the client imagines themselves in a challenging situation and successfully uses the FAST skill to navigate it.
• Discussion: After the visualisation, discuss how it felt to maintain self-respect and how to apply these feelings in real life.