DBT Skill of the Day: Wise Mind from the Mindfulness Module

Wise mind is a balance between Reasonable (or Rational) mind and Emotional Mind. Like many skills in DBT, it’s a synthesis of the two opposing mental forces (that’s what dialectics is all about). Marsha Linehan, the inventor of DBT, states: “”Wise mind is that part of each person that can know and experience truth. It is where the person knows something to be true or valid. It is almost always quiet, It has a certain peace. It is where the person knows something in a centered way.”

There are 3 states of mind when we think about Wise Mind and Mindfulness.  They are described as follows:

Reasonable Mind

When you are in reasonable mind you are devoid of feelings and emotions. You are like a robot or computer, completely logical and reasonable, yet disconnected from the rich emotional experience of the things and people around you.

 Emotional Mind

When you are in emotional mind, you are devoid of reason, living by feelings and emotions. You are spontaneous/impulsive and can be chaotic and unpredictable, completely driven by your current emotion.

 Wise Mind

When you are in Wise Mind, you are calm and serene with a balance of reason and emotion, of reasonable and emotional minds. You can be logical, controlled, sensible, creative, caring and motivated. The Pros of both mind states are available to you. You can maintain both your good judgement and your equanimity. Wise Mind makes for sound decisions, even when faced with difficult situations. In Wise Mind, you can face/do hard things.