The document provides an overview of Week One of The Psychological Toolbox, which focuses on basic distress tolerance. It discusses sources on dialectical behavior therapy and provides quotes on examining one's inner life and freeing oneself from unhelpful structures. It then covers mindfulness, crisis survival strategies like distraction, and activities from a balanced heart journal. The homework asks participants to discuss balancing the heart, create a distraction plan, and note any new skills used between classes.

1. The Psychological Toolbox™
WEEK ONE/WEDNESDAY:
Basic Distress Tolerance

2. Lesson Sources
• (1993) Linehan, Marsha. Skills Training
Manual for Treating Borderline Personality
Disorder.
• (2007) McCay, Wood and Brantley. The
Dialectical Behavior Therapy Workbook.
• (2011) McCorkle, Katharine. A Balanced Heart:
10 Weeks to Breakthrough.

3. Inspired to Change Ourselves
. . . The destruction of the Temple [in
Jerusalem] is a metaphor for examining one’s
inner life – to find the structures that no
longer serve us . . . For we cannot change
ourselves until we clearly see the structures
that constrict our spirit and keep us attached
to small-minded, self-centered ways of mind
and heart.

4. Inspired to Change -- continued
. . .These may be stories in which I have made
myself the victim, the hero, the martyr, the
failure. They may be habits such as eating too
much, not exercising enough, taking on too
much work. Or they may be cravings for
material possessions or experiences that in
the end will not make me happier.

5. Inspired to Change -- continued
. . . In the end, we must free ourselves from
these structures and instead manifest the
attributes . . . Of compassion, grace, patience,
loving-kindness, and truthfulness.
– From Rabbi Rachel Cowan, Director, Institute for
Jewish Spiritutality,
in Reform Judaism, Fall 2012, page56

6. Mindfulness
• Mindfulness will help you to develop a skill that’s
very important in using your “Wise Mind.”
• Wise Mind is the ability to make healthy decisions
about your life based on both your rational
thoughts and your emotions.
• Wise Mind is a decision-making process that
balances the reasoning of your thoughts with the
needs of your emotions.
• JUST OBSERVE YOURSELF, OTHERS and THE
SITUATIONS around you.

7. Crisis Survival Strategies
• DISTRACT with “Wise Mind”
– Activities
– Contributing
– Comparisons
– Emotions
– Pushing Away
– Thoughts
– Sensations
• Video: (3:44 minutes)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmipvJdXG1Q
• Video: (5:32 minutes)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtW7Lmb5z7E

8. Activities
• AVOID self-destructive activities
Instead choose nonharming activities
Refer to page 13 of your text
• SEEK pleasurable activities
Refer to pages 15 – 16 of your text
Do tasks and chores – with very best effort

9. Contributing
• Pay attention to someone else
• Contribute to someone; do volunteer work;
give something to someone else; make
something nice for someone else; do a
surprising, thoughtful thing
• Text pages 17-18

10. Wise Mind ACCEPTS
• Activities – hobbies or chores
• Contributing – think of others (rather than yourself)
• Comparisons – compare your self to people coping
with worse; watch soap operas
• Emotions – CREATE A DIFFERENT EMOTION by
watching movies; reading funny greeting cards
• Pushing Away – leave the situation for a
while, mentally or physically
• Thoughts – count to 10, count colors in a
painting, work puzzles
• Sensations – hold ice in hand, stand under cold shower

11. A Balanced Heart Journal
by Dr. Katie McCorkle
• What is a Balanced Heart (page v)
– Treats both self and others with love and respect
equally
– Open and transparent with no secrets
– Self-aware and self-supporting
– Unselfish
– Engaged with the World
– Non-judgemental

12. Balanced Heart Journal
• How to use the journal (page ix)
• Dr. Katie says: When you’re stressed or out of
balance, you aren’t able to commit fully to
the dreams that are already in your heart.
Balancing your heart releases the stress, so
you can commit more deeply to your
dream, and thereby to yourself. (Journal, ix)

13. WEDNESDAY – HOMEWORK (W1)
• Balanced Heart: Per Dr. Katie, for group/private
discussion
• DBT Workbook: Create Your Distraction Plan
Page 22 -23 workbook (to be discussed in private
session)
• Handout: Note any new skills you use and the
situations in which you use them. This will be
discussed in next class (if you feel comfortable
sharing).