For therapists
Digital DBT Diary Cards for Therapists: What to Consider
A digital diary card can remove paper friction, but it should fit the clinicianâs existing DBT protocol, documentation practice, and privacy expectations.
Diary cards can help organize a conversation about the week between appointments. Moving from paper to a phone does not change the clinical work; it changes how a client captures and brings information to the session. Before recommending an app, decide what role it will play in your workflow.
Clarify who owns the data
There are two very different models. In a client-owned model, the client records information on their device and decides whether to export or bring it to session. In a clinician-managed model, the data is submitted to a practice platform or health record. They create different responsibilities around access, retention, consent, and communication.
DBT Diary Daily uses the client-owned model: entries remain on the device, and the user can export a PDF to share. It is not a clinician portal, electronic health record, or monitoring service.
Ask whether the card matches your treatment plan
Diary cards vary by program and client. Review whether an appâs fields, scales, and skill labels match the version you teach. If the format does not match, a paper card or a different workflow may be the better choice. The app should reduce logistical friction, not change the targets you and the client have already agreed on.
Agree on a sharing workflow
Set expectations before a client sends anything. For example: Should they bring a PDF to the appointment? Send it through an existing secure channel? Keep it on their phone and review it together? Clarify response boundaries, documentation expectations, and what to do if an entry raises an urgent safety concern. A diary-card app should never imply that a clinician is watching it between sessions.
Consider device access, notifications, export destinations, office policy, and the clientâs preferred sharing methodânot only where the app stores data.
Questions to ask before recommending a digital card
- Does this card reflect the targets and scales I use with this client?
- Can the client reliably complete it without extra burden?
- Who can access entries on the device, and how will the client protect them?
- How, when, and through which approved channel will information be shared?
- Does the client understand that the app does not provide crisis response or clinical monitoring?
Keep the session central
A clean weekly record can save time at the start of a session, but it is not the treatment itself. Use the record as a prompt for the same clinical priorities, behavior analysis, skills work, and collaborative decisions that guide your practice.
Sources
- SAMHSA/NCBI Bookshelf: Using technology-based therapeutic tools in behavioral health services
- University of Washington Behavioral Research & Therapy Clinics: diary-card resources
Important: This article is general information for clinicians and does not provide legal, privacy, security, or clinical advice. Evaluate tools against your jurisdiction, professional obligations, practice policies, and each clientâs needs.