116. Understanding and Treating Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder can be one of the most challenging diagnoses for clinicians to understand and treat—so in this episode of the Therapist Thrival Guide, we are sitting down with Rachel Snipes, LPC, who specializes in trauma and clinical supervision, to break it all down.

We talk through the key differences between Bipolar I and Bipolar II, how to spot symptoms, and why it’s often misunderstood or misdiagnosed. We also cover the most effective treatment approaches—like medication management, therapy, patient education, and building healthy routines.Whether you’re a new clinician or a seasoned therapist, this conversation is packed with practical insights to help you feel more confident when working with clients navigating bipolar disorder.

Unfortunately, this will be one of our last episodes. Thank you for all of the support and listening-- we couldn't have made it this far without you!

OUR HOST:

Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for several years. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, case manager, and the Director of Brand Content at Ellie Mental Health. Follow her on⁠ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miranda-barker-msw-licsw/

The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellie Mental Health⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We want to move therapists beyond surviving and into the realm of thriving by covering all the things that graduate school didn't teach you!

This mental health podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, LICSW and a rotating cast of seasoned therapists. Each episode features a therapist speaking to their areas of expertise to help us learn how to thrive as therapists.⁠⁠

Ellie is a national mental health brand organized around community-based outpatient mental health clinics. It all began with a single office in St. Paul, Minnesota back in 2015, and has expanded to an explosive number of locations nationwide after franchising our model in 2021.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 – Introduction

00:37 – What is bipolar disorder?

01:17 – Symptoms and misconceptions

02:54 – Types of bipolar disorder (I vs II)

04:48 – How diagnosis is made

06:59 – Common challenges in diagnosis

09:03 – Understanding mania

18:21 – Why accurate diagnosis matters

22:28 – Treatment approaches that work

24:41 – Managing manic episodes

25:18 – Hospitalization considerations

26:04 – Medication & therapy options

29:10 – Routines and therapeutic strategies

32:04 – Challenges in treatment

35:23 – Compassionate diagnosis conversations

41:30 – Final thoughts & encouragement