I have done the DBT diary logs. The helpful one for me was when we were in emotions, and filled out a sheet that talked about which emotion I was feeling, and to what extent. One emotion was often linked to other emotions ~ leading to the dark center of my thoughts.

Seeing that strong pattern allowed me to see my personal "core"....self-hate and blame. Talking about those emotions in therapy has been helpful. It is nice that my T accepted my emotions, allowing me to feel the way that I do. But, he's also challenging me to see "good parts" of my personality...so, maybe I'm not as evil as I think I am.

Hope that sharing my experience has helped you in some way. Best wishes to you!