What Is the Cope Ahead Skill in DBT? How to Prepare for Hard Moments
The Cope Ahead skill is a DBT emotion regulation skill where you mentally rehearse a difficult situation in advance, imagining yourself using your skills to handle it well. At DBT Path, the original online DBT skills class taught online since 2013, you learn the Cope Ahead skill so that hard moments feel less overwhelming because you have already practiced getting through them in your mind.
Rehearsing ahead of time builds confidence and makes it far more likely that you will use your skills when the real moment arrives.
How to practice coping ahead
Name the situation
Describe the situation that is likely to trigger strong emotions. Be specific about where you will be, who is there, and what tends to set you off.
Decide which skills you will use
Choose the coping skills you want to use in that moment, such as paced breathing, a grounding skill, or a phrase that steadies you.
Imagine the scene vividly
Picture yourself in the situation as if it were happening now, in the first person. Do not just watch yourself, be inside the scene.
Rehearse coping effectively
Imagine yourself using your skills and coping well, including coping with things going wrong. Rehearse handling the wobble, not a perfect outcome.
Relax afterward
When you finish, let your body relax. You have just given yourself a practice run that your nervous system will remember.
When to use it
Use this skill before a known stressor: a hard conversation, a social event, a medical appointment, or any situation you are dreading. The Cope Ahead skill turns dread into preparation.
How DBT Path teaches it
At DBT Path, you learn this skill in live, online classes led by founder Debbie DeMarco Bennett and Dr. Kathryn Holt, the same two teachers every week. Every week you also receive personalized written feedback on your skills practice from a trained DBT Path team member, so you can plan ahead for your own real situations and refine your approach. It is one part of the full DBT curriculum: Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness. You can explore the online DBT classes or a related skill like PLEASE. The approach is grounded in standard DBT as developed in Marsha Linehan’s research.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Cope Ahead skill in DBT?
The Cope Ahead skill in DBT is a way to mentally rehearse a hard situation in advance, imagining yourself using your skills to cope well. DBT Path teaches it as a way to feel more prepared and less overwhelmed.
How is coping ahead different from worrying?
Worrying loops on what could go wrong, while coping ahead rehearses what you will do about it. DBT Path teaches you to picture yourself coping effectively, which is calming rather than activating.
When should I practice this skill?
Practice before any situation you expect to be difficult. At DBT Path you learn to cope ahead for your own real upcoming events and get weekly feedback on your plan.
Is Cope Ahead a real DBT skill?
Yes. Cope Ahead is a standard emotion regulation skill in DBT, and DBT Path teaches it as part of the full evidence-based curriculum.
Ready to learn DBT skills with support? Explore the online DBT classes at DBT Path and join a welcoming class taught by the same teachers every week.