In this episode of Wise Mind: A DBT Podcast, hosts Maddy and Raich introduce some of the most essential and reliable skills in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): the TIPP skills. These body-based distress tolerance techniques—Temperature, Intense Exercise, Paced Breathing, and Progressive/Paired Muscle Relaxation—have NEVER let them down, and they explain exactly why these simple tools are so powerful.
When intense emotions flood our system, our brain’s rational part—the frontal cortex—often goes offline, leaving us stuck in reactive panic or overwhelm. The TIPP skills work by targeting your body’s natural reflexes and chemistry, helping to lower or metabolise stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. This physical regulation tricks the brain out of its panic state, calming the nervous system and bringing the frontal cortex back online so clearer thinking and intentional action become possible.
Maddy and Raich explore the science behind these body-based skills, showing how they are essential for grounding and calming when emotions feel out of control and we have the urge to react. These techniques work with your body’s natural responses, not against them, making them among the MOST effective tools in your DBT toolbox.
Beyond their use for managing crises outside therapy, the hosts discuss how TIPP skills support the therapy process itself. They explain how clients can use TIPP to stay grounded during particularly difficult sessions—when they are close to a skills breakdown point—and how therapists often use these same techniques between sessions to regulate their own nervous systems. Maddy and Raich share practical tips for clinicians on how to help clients effectively integrate TIPP skills into their daily lives and therapy work.
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Music“Note to Daisy” by the incredibly talented Micah Polla🎧 Listen on Spotify
Acknowledgement of Country
We acknowledge the Darkinjung people as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we record, share, and connect here on the Central Coast. We pay our deepest respects to Elders past , present and emerging, and extend that respect to all First Nations peoples joining us today.
Crisis Support
This space may include discussions that bring up strong emotions or difficult topics. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, please know you're not alone and support is available.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, we encourage you to reach out to:
Lifeline – 13 11 14 (24/7)
Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636
13YARN – 13 92 76 (A 24/7 national support line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people)
Emergency Services – 000 (if you are in immediate danger)
Acknowledgment of Dr. Marsha M. Linehan and the Origins of DBT
We honor Dr. Marsha M. Linehan— psychologist and professor who created Dialectical Behavior Therapy.
It’s thanks to Dr. Linehan that DBT has become a proven intervention for a range of mental health challenges.
Wise Mind A DBT Podcast gratefully acknowledges that DBT is Dr. Linehan’s work—not ours—and we honor her legacy.
