This essay presents recent insights and theories relating to the various psychological mechanisms underlying bipolar disorder and describes a number of the psychotherapies that are based on these mechanisms. Each type of psychotherapy derives from the assumption that bipolar disorder has a neurobiological origin and all the psychotherapies involve long-term pharmacotherapy and comprise many psychoeducational elements. The psychotherapies complement each other and the best and most useful parts of one therapy can be combined with those of others in everyday practice. Patients participating in these psychotherapies can obtain additional support from selfhelp manuals.