(BEST OF 2024) DBT Skills for Bipolar: Finding Your Wise Mind Diana Partington

In this powerful and practical conversation, Shaley sits down with therapist and author Diana Partington to unpack what Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) actually is—and why it can be a game-changer for people living with bipolar disorder.

Diana shares her deeply personal story of living with suicidality for decades before discovering DBT, the therapy that finally gave her the “toolbox” she had been searching for. Together, Shaley and Diana explore how DBT differs from traditional CBT, why mindfulness doesn’t mean “emptying your mind,” and how skills like Wise Mind, emotional regulation, and the PLEASE skill can help stabilize mood, increase awareness, and create buffer zones before episodes escalate.

This episode is a relatable, stigma-breaking look at learning skills after years of thinking you already should know them—and how small, practical tools can make a life-saving difference.

Whether you’re newly diagnosed, supporting someone with bipolar disorder, or looking for concrete strategies that actually work in real life, this conversation brings hope, validation, and actionable insight.

⏱️ Key Moments

(00:10:32) Why DBT felt different from every therapy Diana had tried before (00:13:48) The “toolbox” metaphor—and why skills matter more than insight alone (00:18:21) How DBT was originally developed to treat suicidality, not just diagnoses (00:22:05) The problem with CBT for highly sensitive or suicidal individuals (00:26:40) The DBT philosophy: therapists are not the experts—you are (00:30:12) Understanding Emotion Mind, Reasonable Mind, and Wise Mind (00:34:55) Can you access Wise Mind during bipolar symptoms? Practical realities (00:39:18) Catching hypomania early: recognizing patterns “at the beginning of the curve” (00:44:02) The PLEASE skill explained—why sleep, medication, and routine are foundational (00:49:27) Mindfulness redefined: it’s not meditation, it’s learning to observe your mind

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for listening. If this episode or podcast means something to you, I would be forever grateful if you could give a five star review so it can reach people that need it.

You can also share this conversation with someone who could use a few more tools in their toolbox—and remember: skills can be learned at any stage of the journey.

We have a peer support group on instagram and you are invited to connect on IG: @this.is.bipolar

Want to connect or work with Shaley? email thisisbipolarpodcast@gmail.com

Buy "DBT for Life" by Diana Partington here

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More about Diana:

Diana Partington is a licensed professional counselor and author of DBT for Life: Skills to transform the way you live. She offers online DBT skills classes, workshops, and training for clients and clinicians across North America. She wrote her master’s thesis at Vanderbilt on effectively teaching DBT skills for different learning styles. Passionate about making DBT skills accessible to everyone, Diana also speaks at major conferences and provides bespoke training for mental health professionals. Her website, DBTforLife.com (https://dbtforlife.com/talking-and-training/www.DBTforLife.com), is a hub of information about Dialectical Behavior Therapy, her educational offerings, her book, and her podcast "Suffering Optional: DBT and the Dharma" You can also connect with Diana on IG @sufferingoptional.