📖 5-minute read
Cope Ahead is DBT's version of a mental fire drill. You know a hard situation is coming — the meeting, the party, the family visit. Instead of hoping for the best, you rehearse.
The steps: describe the situation. Decide which skills you'll use. Imagine it clearly — including the hard moment. Rehearse yourself using the skills. Then plan how you'll take care of yourself afterwards.
Rehearsal isn't the same as worrying. Worry loops without a plan. Cope Ahead ends with a specific plan and often a lower baseline anxiety about the event.