General Instructions for Therapists
As you guide clients through these Emotion Description activities, the goal is to help them practice putting their emotions into words. This process increases emotional awareness and allows clients to gain a deeper understanding of their feelings. Encourage clients to describe their emotions in detail, using sensory language and avoiding vague terms. By practicing the skill of describing emotions, clients will better understand what they are feeling and how to communicate those feelings more effectively.
General Instructions for Clients
Today’s activities focus on practicing the skill of describing your emotions. The goal is to put your feelings into words and describe them in detail, which can help you understand and manage your emotions more effectively. By describing your emotions, you’ll gain a clearer understanding of what you are feeling and how those feelings affect you.
These exercises will guide you through different ways to describe your emotions, helping you develop greater emotional awareness. After each exercise, we’ll reflect on how it felt and how you might use this skill in daily life.
Table of Contents
What is Emotion Description in DBT?
Emotion Description is a skill in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) that helps you put your emotions into words. The goal is to describe your feelings in detail, using specific language to express what you are experiencing emotionally. By describing your emotions, you become more aware of them, and this increased awareness can help you manage your emotions more effectively.
This skill teaches you to move beyond vague descriptions like “I’m feeling bad” or “I’m upset” and instead use specific, sensory details to describe how your emotions feel in your body and mind. By practicing emotion description, you gain clarity about your feelings, which can improve emotional regulation and communication.
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15 Emotion Description Activities
Activity 1: Describing Emotions with Sensory Language
Intro to activity:
This activity helps clients practice using sensory language to describe their emotions, focusing on how the emotion feels physically in the body.
How to practice this activity:
Prompt:
“We’re going to focus on describing your emotions using sensory language. The goal is to describe how your emotion feels physically, like where you feel it in your body and what it feels like.”
Preparation:
The therapist asks clients to think about a recent emotional experience, such as feeling happy, anxious, or frustrated. Clients are encouraged to focus on how the emotion felt physically.
Guidance:
Therapist says: “Think about a recent emotional experience and focus on where you felt the emotion in your body. Now, practice describing the emotion using sensory language. For example, did it feel like a tight knot in your chest, a heavy weight in your stomach, or a tingling sensation in your arms? Focus on using descriptive language to explain how the emotion felt in your body.”
Experience:
Clients spend 5-10 minutes describing their emotions using sensory language. The therapist encourages them to be as specific as possible, using details to describe the physical sensations associated with the emotion.
Observation:
Clients reflect on how they felt after describing their emotions with sensory language. Did focusing on the physical sensations help them better understand their feelings?
Discussion:
After the activity, the therapist asks: “What did it feel like to describe your emotions using sensory language? Did this practice help you understand your emotions more clearly?”
Reflection:
Reflect on how using sensory language to describe your emotions can help you manage emotional distress. In a group, the therapist might ask: “How could practicing this skill help you better understand and communicate your emotions in the future?”
Activity 2: Describing the Intensity of Emotions
Intro to activity:
This activity helps clients practice describing the intensity of their emotions, using language that conveys how strong or mild the emotion feels.
How to practice this activity:
Prompt:
“We’re going to focus on describing the intensity of your emotions. The goal is to put into words how strong or mild your emotion feels.”
Preparation:
The therapist asks clients to reflect on a recent emotional experience and think about how intense the emotion felt at its peak and how it changed over time. Clients are encouraged to use descriptive language to express the intensity.
Guidance:
Therapist says: “Think about a recent emotional experience. Now, practice describing the intensity of that emotion. Was it overwhelming, or was it a low, subtle feeling? Did the intensity change over time? Use descriptive words like ‘mild,’ ‘moderate,’ ‘strong,’ or ‘intense’ to explain how the emotion felt at its peak and how it shifted.”
Experience:
Clients spend 5-10 minutes describing the intensity of their emotions. The therapist encourages them to reflect on how the strength of the emotion changed as it developed and subsided.
Observation:
Clients reflect on how they felt after describing the intensity of their emotions. Did focusing on intensity help them understand their emotional experience more deeply?
Discussion:
After the activity, the therapist asks: “What did it feel like to describe the intensity of your emotions? Did this practice help you gain a clearer sense of how strong or mild your feelings were?”
Reflection:
Reflect on how describing the intensity of your emotions can help you manage emotional distress. In a group, the therapist might ask: “How could practicing this skill help you better gauge your emotional responses in the future?”
Activity 3: Describing How Emotions Shift Over Time
Intro to activity:
This activity helps clients practice describing how their emotions shift and change over time, noticing how one emotion leads to another or how emotions fade in intensity.
How to practice this activity:
Prompt:
“We’re going to focus on describing how your emotions shift over time. The goal is to observe and put into words how your feelings changed during an emotional experience.”
Preparation:
The therapist asks clients to think about a recent emotional experience that involved several different emotions or one emotion that changed in intensity over time. Clients are encouraged to describe how their emotions shifted as the experience progressed.
Guidance:
Therapist says: “Think about a time when your emotions changed during a situation. Did you start off feeling one way and end up feeling another? For example, maybe you started with frustration and ended with relief, or an intense sadness slowly faded into a sense of calm. Practice describing how your emotions shifted, focusing on the words that best express these changes.”
Experience:
Clients spend 5-10 minutes describing how their emotions shifted during a particular experience. The therapist encourages them to pay attention to the emotional journey, using specific language to describe the changes.
Observation:
Clients reflect on how they felt after describing their emotional shifts. Did focusing on how emotions changed over time help them gain more clarity about their feelings?
Discussion:
After the activity, the therapist asks: “What did it feel like to describe how your emotions shifted over time? Did this practice help you understand the flow of your emotional experience better?”
Reflection:
Reflect on how describing emotional shifts can help you manage emotional distress. In a group, the therapist might ask: “How could practicing this skill help you stay more mindful of how your emotions evolve during challenging situations?”
Activity 4: Describing Emotions Using Metaphors
Intro to activity:
This activity helps clients use metaphors to describe their emotions, encouraging creative ways to express what they are feeling.
How to practice this activity:
Prompt:
“We’re going to focus on describing your emotions using metaphors. The goal is to find creative ways to explain what your emotions feel like, using comparisons to things or situations you’re familiar with.”
Preparation:
The therapist asks clients to think about a recent emotional experience and find a metaphor or comparison to describe how the emotion felt. Clients are encouraged to use imagery or objects they relate to, such as weather patterns, nature, or everyday objects.
Guidance:
Therapist says: “Think about a recent emotion you experienced. Now, find a metaphor to describe how that emotion felt. For example, did the feeling rise like a storm, or was it as heavy as a stone? Maybe it felt like you were carrying a backpack full of rocks, or the emotion flowed through you like a river. Use a metaphor that captures what the emotion felt like for you.”
Experience:
Clients spend 5-10 minutes creating metaphors to describe their emotions. The therapist encourages them to get creative and find comparisons that resonate with their personal experience.
Observation:
Clients reflect on how they felt after describing their emotions using metaphors. Did using creative comparisons help them express their feelings in a new way?
Discussion:
After the activity, the therapist asks: “What did it feel like to describe your emotions using metaphors? Did this practice help you express your feelings more clearly?”
Reflection:
Reflect on how using metaphors to describe your emotions can help you manage emotional distress. In a group, the therapist might ask: “How could practicing this skill help you communicate your emotions more effectively in the future?”
Activity 5: Describing Emotions Using Colors
Intro to activity:
This activity helps clients describe their emotions by assigning a color to represent how they feel, using the color’s qualities to express the emotion’s intensity or tone.
How to practice this activity:
Prompt:
“We’re going to focus on describing your emotions using colors. The goal is to pick a color that represents your current emotion and explain why that color feels right for your feeling.”
Preparation:
The therapist asks clients to reflect on a recent emotional experience and choose a color that represents the emotion they felt. Clients are encouraged to explain why they chose that color and how it connects to the emotion.
Guidance:
Therapist says: “Think about the emotion you’re feeling or one you felt recently. Now, choose a color that best represents that feeling. Is your emotion bright like yellow, dark like blue, or fiery like red? Explain why that color feels right for the emotion—maybe because it captures the intensity, or it reminds you of a certain mood. Focus on using color as a way to express your emotions.”
Experience:
Clients spend 5-10 minutes describing their emotions using colors. The therapist encourages them to explain the connection between the color and the emotion, using it as a tool for emotional expression.
Observation:
Clients reflect on how they felt after describing their emotions using colors. Did choosing a color help them express the emotion in a new way?
Discussion:
After the activity, the therapist asks: “What did it feel like to describe your emotions using colors? Did this practice help you capture the feeling more clearly?”
Reflection:
Reflect on how using colors to describe your emotions can help you manage emotional distress. In a group, the therapist might ask: “How could practicing this skill help you express emotions that are hard to put into words?”
Activity 6: Describing Emotions Using Physical Sensations
Intro to activity:
This activity helps clients describe their emotions by focusing on the physical sensations that accompany the feeling, allowing them to connect their emotions to how their body reacts.
How to practice this activity:
Prompt:
“We’re going to focus on describing your emotions by identifying the physical sensations that come with the feeling. The goal is to notice how your body reacts to the emotion and describe it.”
Preparation:
The therapist asks clients to think about a recent emotional experience and pay attention to how the emotion felt in their body. Clients are encouraged to describe the physical sensations associated with the emotion.
Guidance:
Therapist says: “Think about a time when you experienced a strong emotion. Now, describe how that emotion felt in your body. For example, did it cause tightness in your chest, a racing heart, or a lump in your throat? Practice using physical sensations to describe the emotion, focusing on the connection between your feelings and your body’s reactions.”
Experience:
Clients spend 5-10 minutes describing the physical sensations of their emotions. The therapist encourages them to be as specific as possible, detailing how their body responds to the emotional experience.
Observation:
Clients reflect on how they felt after describing their emotions through physical sensations. Did focusing on the body’s reactions help them better understand the emotion?
Discussion:
After the activity, the therapist asks: “What did it feel like to describe your emotions using physical sensations? Did this practice help you connect your feelings to how your body responds?”
Reflection:
Reflect on how describing emotions using physical sensations can help you manage emotional distress. In a group, the therapist might ask: “How could practicing this skill help you stay more aware of how your body reacts to emotions in the future?”
Activity 7: Describing Emotions Through Writing
Intro to activity:
This activity helps clients practice describing their emotions by writing them down, allowing them to articulate their feelings in a structured way and explore how putting emotions into words can provide clarity.
How to practice this activity:
Prompt:
“We’re going to focus on describing your emotions through writing. The goal is to write about what you’re feeling and explain your emotions as clearly as possible.”
Preparation:
The therapist asks clients to think about their current emotional state or a recent emotional experience. Clients are given time to write down their emotions, using as much detail as possible to describe how they felt.
Guidance:
Therapist says: “Think about your current emotion or a recent emotional experience. Now, write down what you felt. Be as specific as you can—describe how the emotion felt in your body, how intense it was, how it changed over time, and how it affected your thoughts. Focus on using writing as a way to express and organize your emotions.”
Experience:
Clients spend 5-10 minutes writing about their emotions. The therapist encourages them to use specific language and details, focusing on how writing can help them articulate their feelings more clearly.
Observation:
Clients reflect on how they felt after writing about their emotions. Did the writing process help them gain a clearer understanding of what they were feeling?
Discussion:
After the activity, the therapist asks: “What did it feel like to write about your emotions? Did this practice help you describe your feelings more clearly?”
Reflection:
Reflect on how describing emotions through writing can help you manage emotional distress. In a group, the therapist might ask: “How could practicing this skill help you organize and express your emotions in everyday life?”
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Activity 8: Describing Emotional Triggers
Intro to activity:
This activity helps clients describe the triggers that led to their emotions, allowing them to understand the cause of their feelings and how different situations prompt emotional responses.
How to practice this activity:
Prompt:
“We’re going to focus on describing the triggers that led to your emotions. The goal is to explain what caused the emotion and how that situation or event influenced how you felt.”
Preparation:
The therapist asks clients to think about a recent emotional experience and identify what triggered the emotion. Clients are encouraged to describe the situation that caused their feelings.
Guidance:
Therapist says: “Think about a time when you felt a strong emotion. Now, describe what triggered that feeling. Was it something someone said, an event that happened, or a situation you found yourself in? Practice explaining what led to the emotion, and focus on how the trigger affected your emotional response.”
Experience:
Clients spend 5-10 minutes describing the triggers that led to their emotions. The therapist encourages them to be as specific as possible, identifying what caused the emotion and how it influenced their feelings.
Observation:
Clients reflect on how they felt after describing the emotional triggers. Did identifying the trigger help them understand why they felt a certain way?
Discussion:
After the activity, the therapist asks: “What did it feel like to describe the trigger for your emotion? Did this practice help you understand the connection between the trigger and your emotional response?”
Reflection:
Reflect on how describing emotional triggers can help you manage emotional distress. In a group, the therapist might ask: “How could practicing this skill help you become more aware of what prompts your emotional responses in the future?”
Activity 9: Describing Emotional Reactions to Others
Intro to activity:
This activity helps clients describe how their emotions are influenced by others, focusing on how interactions or relationships with other people affect their feelings.
How to practice this activity:
Prompt:
“We’re going to focus on describing how your emotions are influenced by others. The goal is to explain how your interactions or relationships with other people affect what you’re feeling.”
Preparation:
The therapist asks clients to think about a recent emotional experience that involved someone else, such as a conversation, disagreement, or relationship dynamic. Clients are encouraged to describe how the other person’s words or actions influenced their feelings.
Guidance:
Therapist says: “Think about a time when your emotions were influenced by someone else. Maybe it was something they said, did, or how they treated you. Now, practice describing how this person’s words or actions affected your emotional response. Focus on how interactions with others can shape what you feel.”
Experience:
Clients spend 5-10 minutes describing how their emotions were influenced by others. The therapist encourages them to explore the connection between their feelings and their relationships or interactions.
Observation:
Clients reflect on how they felt after describing how others influenced their emotions. Did focusing on this connection help them understand their emotional reactions to others?
Discussion:
After the activity, the therapist asks: “What did it feel like to describe how others influenced your emotions? Did this practice help you gain a clearer understanding of your emotional reactions to other people?”
Reflection:
Reflect on how describing emotional reactions to others can help you manage emotional distress. In a group, the therapist might ask: “How could practicing this skill help you stay more mindful of how your relationships affect your feelings?”
Activity 10: Describing Emotional Reactions to Internal Thoughts
Intro to activity:
This activity helps clients describe how their emotions are influenced by their own thoughts, focusing on how thinking patterns or beliefs shape their emotional experiences.
How to practice this activity:
Prompt:
“We’re going to focus on describing how your emotions are influenced by your thoughts. The goal is to explain how your thinking patterns or beliefs affect your emotional responses.”
Preparation:
The therapist asks clients to think about a recent emotional experience and pay attention to the thoughts they had during that time. Clients are encouraged to describe how their thoughts affected their emotions.
Guidance:
Therapist says: “Think about a time when your emotions were influenced by your thoughts. Maybe you had a specific belief or worry that made you feel anxious or upset. Now, practice describing how your thoughts shaped your emotional response. Focus on how your thinking patterns or beliefs affected what you felt.”
Experience:
Clients spend 5-10 minutes describing how their emotions were influenced by their thoughts. The therapist encourages them to explore the connection between their thinking patterns and their emotional reactions.
Observation:
Clients reflect on how they felt after describing how their thoughts influenced their emotions. Did focusing on this connection help them understand the role their thoughts played in shaping their feelings?
Discussion:
After the activity, the therapist asks: “What did it feel like to describe how your thoughts influenced your emotions? Did this practice help you become more aware of the connection between your thoughts and your feelings?”
Reflection:
Reflect on how describing emotional reactions to internal thoughts can help you manage emotional distress. In a group, the therapist might ask: “How could practicing this skill help you stay more mindful of how your thinking patterns influence your emotional responses?”
Activity 11: Describing Emotions Using Temperature
Intro to activity:
This activity helps clients describe their emotions by comparing them to temperature, allowing them to express the intensity and feeling of the emotion through temperature-related metaphors.
How to practice this activity:
Prompt:
“We’re going to focus on describing your emotions using temperature. The goal is to express your emotions by comparing them to hot, cold, or neutral temperatures.”
Preparation:
The therapist asks clients to think about their current emotion or a recent emotional experience, and to choose a temperature that represents the intensity and feeling of the emotion. Clients are encouraged to explain why that temperature feels right for the emotion.
Guidance:
Therapist says: “Think about an emotion you’re currently feeling, or one you felt recently. Now, imagine the temperature of that emotion. Does it feel hot, cold, or somewhere in between? Maybe anger feels like a burning heat, while sadness feels cold or numb. Focus on using temperature to describe how the emotion feels for you.”
Experience:
Clients spend 5-10 minutes describing their emotions using temperature metaphors. The therapist encourages them to focus on how the temperature captures the intensity and tone of the emotion.
Observation:
Clients reflect on how they felt after describing their emotions using temperature. Did this practice help them express the intensity of their feelings in a new way?
Discussion:
After the activity, the therapist asks: “What did it feel like to describe your emotions using temperature? Did this practice help you express your feelings more clearly?”
Reflection:
Reflect on how using temperature metaphors to describe your emotions can help you manage emotional distress. In a group, the therapist might ask: “How could practicing this skill help you express your emotions in a way that feels more tangible?”
Activity 12: Describing the Impact of Emotions on Decision-Making
Intro to activity:
This activity helps clients describe how their emotions affect their decision-making, encouraging them to observe the ways emotions can shape their choices and behaviors.
How to practice this activity:
Prompt:
“We’re going to focus on describing how your emotions influence your decision-making. The goal is to explain how your emotions affected the choices you made during a recent situation.”
Preparation:
The therapist asks clients to reflect on a time when their emotions played a role in a decision they made. Clients are encouraged to describe how their emotional state affected their thinking and decision-making process.
Guidance:
Therapist says: “Think about a recent situation where you had to make a decision. Now, describe how your emotions affected that decision. Did your emotions make you more impulsive, or did they cause you to hesitate? Focus on how your feelings shaped the way you thought about the situation and the choice you made.”
Experience:
Clients spend 5-10 minutes describing how their emotions influenced their decision-making. The therapist encourages them to reflect on the impact emotions can have on their choices.
Observation:
Clients reflect on how they felt after describing the role emotions played in their decision-making. Did this practice help them gain insight into how emotions can shape their behaviors?
Discussion:
After the activity, the therapist asks: “What did it feel like to describe how your emotions influenced your decision-making? Did this practice help you become more aware of how your feelings affect your choices?”
Reflection:
Reflect on how describing the impact of emotions on decision-making can help you manage emotional distress. In a group, the therapist might ask: “How could practicing this skill help you stay more mindful of how your emotions influence your decisions?”
Activity 13: Describing Emotions with a Timeline
Intro to activity:
This activity helps clients describe the progression of their emotions over time, using a timeline to explain how their feelings evolved during an emotional experience.
How to practice this activity:
Prompt:
“We’re going to focus on describing your emotions with a timeline. The goal is to explain how your feelings changed over time during a recent emotional experience.”
Preparation:
The therapist asks clients to think about a recent emotional experience and create a mental timeline that shows how their emotions shifted from the start of the experience to the end. Clients are encouraged to describe how their emotions evolved at different points on the timeline.
Guidance:
Therapist says: “Think about a time when your emotions changed during an experience. Now, create a mental timeline, starting from the beginning of the experience and moving toward the end. Describe how your emotions shifted over time. Did the intensity rise, fall, or fluctuate? Focus on using the timeline to describe how your feelings changed throughout the experience.”
Experience:
Clients spend 5-10 minutes describing their emotions using a timeline. The therapist encourages them to focus on the flow and progression of their feelings as the experience unfolded.
Observation:
Clients reflect on how they felt after describing their emotions with a timeline. Did using a timeline help them see the progression of their feelings more clearly?
Discussion:
After the activity, the therapist asks: “What did it feel like to describe your emotions using a timeline? Did this practice help you gain insight into how your emotions evolved over time?”
Reflection:
Reflect on how using a timeline to describe your emotions can help you manage emotional distress. In a group, the therapist might ask: “How could practicing this skill help you stay more aware of how your emotions shift during difficult situations?”
Activity 14: Describing How Emotions Affect Your Body Language
Intro to activity:
This activity helps clients describe how their emotions affect their body language, focusing on the connection between their feelings and the way they carry themselves physically.
How to practice this activity:
Prompt:
“We’re going to focus on describing how your emotions affect your body language. The goal is to explain how your body posture, facial expressions, or gestures change depending on how you’re feeling.”
Preparation:
The therapist asks clients to think about a recent emotional experience and pay attention to how their body language reflected their feelings. Clients are encouraged to describe the connection between their emotions and their body’s physical responses.
Guidance:
Therapist says: “Think about a time when you felt a strong emotion. Now, describe how that emotion affected your body language. Did your posture change? Were you frowning, clenching your fists, or crossing your arms? Practice explaining how your emotions influenced the way you carried yourself physically.”
Experience:
Clients spend 5-10 minutes describing how their emotions affected their body language. The therapist encourages them to explore the connection between their emotions and their body’s nonverbal reactions.
Observation:
Clients reflect on how they felt after describing the connection between their emotions and body language. Did focusing on this connection help them gain more awareness of how their emotions manifest physically?
Discussion:
After the activity, the therapist asks: “What did it feel like to describe how your emotions affected your body language? Did this practice help you become more aware of how your feelings influence the way you carry yourself?”
Reflection:
Reflect on how describing the impact of emotions on body language can help you manage emotional distress. In a group, the therapist might ask: “How could practicing this skill help you stay more mindful of how your emotions are reflected in your physical posture?”
Activity 15: Describing Emotions with a Visual Representation
Intro to activity:
This activity helps clients practice describing their emotions by creating a visual representation of how they feel, allowing them to express their emotions creatively and visually.
How to practice this activity:
Prompt:
“We’re going to focus on describing your emotions through a visual representation. The goal is to create an image or drawing that reflects what your emotions look like, using colors, shapes, or symbols.”
Preparation:
The therapist asks clients to think about a current emotion or a recent emotional experience. Clients are encouraged to create a mental image of what their emotion looks like, then describe that image or draw it out.
Guidance:
Therapist says: “Think about the emotion you’re feeling now, or one you felt recently. Imagine what that emotion would look like if it were an image—maybe it’s a swirling storm, a calm lake, or a tangled web. Now, describe that image in words, or draw it if you’d like. Focus on using the visual representation to express what the emotion feels like for you.”
Experience:
Clients spend 5-10 minutes creating a visual representation of their emotions. The therapist encourages them to use imagery, colors, and symbols to capture how the emotion feels.
Observation:
Clients reflect on how they felt after describing or drawing their emotions visually. Did using a visual representation help them express their emotions more clearly?
Discussion:
After the activity, the therapist asks: “What did it feel like to describe your emotions through a visual representation? Did this practice help you express your feelings in a new way?”
Reflection:
Reflect on how using visual representations to describe your emotions can help you manage emotional distress. In a group, the therapist might ask: “How could practicing this skill help you communicate your emotions in a way that feels more creative and expressive?”
