This handout explains the concept of "Wise Mind" from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). It describes three different states of mind using a Venn diagram. Here is a breakdown of what each part means:
1. Reasonable Mind
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What it is: This is your logical, thinking brain.
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Characteristics: It is cool, rational, and focused on tasks.
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How it feels: When you are in reasonable mind, you care about facts, logic, and practical results. Your feelings and values don’t matter much in this state. You act like a computer or a scientist—just looking at the data.
2. Emotion Mind
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What it is: This is your feeling, emotional brain.
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Characteristics: It is hot, mood-dependent, and focused on emotions.
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How it feels: When you are in emotion mind, your moods, feelings, and urges control you. Facts and logic don’t matter. You might say or do things just because you feel strongly in that moment, even if it doesn’t make logical sense.
3. Wise Mind
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What it is: This is the middle ground where Reasonable Mind and Emotion Mind overlap.
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Characteristics: It combines both reason and emotion.
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How it feels: Wise mind is the wisdom inside every person. It’s when you listen to both your head (logic) and your heart (feelings). You see the value in both facts and emotions. It’s called “the middle path” because it balances the two extremes.
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Why is this useful?
The goal of mindfulness practice is often to help people access their
Wise Mind. If you only use Reasonable Mind, you might ignore important feelings and seem cold. If you only use Emotion Mind, you might act impulsively and regret it later. Wise Mind helps you make balanced, thoughtful decisions that respect both your logic and your emotions.
For example:
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Reasonable Mind says: “I need to study for my test tomorrow.”
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Emotion Mind says: “I’m so stressed and tired, I just want to watch TV!”
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Wise Mind says: “I’m feeling really overwhelmed (emotion), but I know studying is important for my future (reason). I’ll take a 15-minute break to calm down, then study for one hour.”
This handout is a tool to help you recognize which state of mind you’re in and try to shift toward Wise Mind when making decisions.
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of dbt mindfulness worksheet.
