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BDI MONTHLY UPDATES

August 2026

September 9: BDI hosts the San Diego-wide, monthly case consultation meeting (for mental health professionals working in the field of diabetes). Contact us at info@behavioraldiabetes.org if you are in the greater San Diego area and would like further information about this program.

Podcast Appearance

Think Like a Pancreas:

Fear of Low Blood Sugars. Breaking it Down with Bill Polonsky

In this episode of the “Think Like a Pancreas” podcast, Dr. Polonsky (BDI President) chats with podcast host, Anna Sabino (MSW, CDCES), about fear of hypoglycemia. Now streaming on all podcast platforms and can be watched on the IDS YouTube channel. 

ONE 2026

August 14 – 16. Taking Control of Your Diabetes (TCOYD) will be hosting the in-person ONE event, an amazing weekend experience here in San Diego for more than 500 people with type 1 diabetes and their loved ones. Dr. Polonsky is honored to be one of the presenters, and we will hope to see many of you there. There are still a few spaces left, so if you’d like to know more, please visit: https://tcoyd.org/one-2026

Stay Tuned for another CME offering in the Fall!

On April 18, we completed BDI’s live, one-day, CME workshop: Engaging the Disengaged: Innovative Strategies for Promoting Behavior Change in Diabetes. Healthcare professionals from across the country attended and it was so successful that we’ve decided to do it again in the Fall!

Run by Dr. Polonsky (BDI President) and Dr. Guzman (BDI Clinic Director), this interactive workshop examines the powerful role of psychosocial factors in diabetes self-management. Participants will deepen their skills in recognizing and addressing common barriers to effective self-care and cardiometabolic medication initiation and maintenance, while fostering respectful, stigma-free clinical encounters.

The workshop is scheduled for October 24, space is limited. You can find out more at: https://diabetesedstore.net/products/engaging-the-disengaged-oct-2026

And much thanks to Abbott Diabetes Care for supporting this program.

What people are saying...

  • “This is the best course you will find on psychological factors that impact diabetes management. The instructors are experts and leaders in the field. The course is engaging and interactive, and the time flew by. The instructors make it look easy, but I can appreciate the amount of expertise and rigor that must have gone into developing the material. They have an impressive grasp of the expansive literature surrounding these topics, which they have woven together with years of clinical experience and distilled into practical strategies. A bonus is getting to meet other clinicians working in diabetes care. I cannot recommend it enough.”

-Jennalee S. Wooldridge, PhD

Assistant Professor UCSD
Clinical Psychologist
VA San Diego Health Care System 

  • “This is an essential workshop for every healthcare professional aiming to boost patient engagement, improve outcomes, and foster a more positive approach to diabetes management. Dr. Guzman and Polonsky provided an incredibly insightful framework for guiding behavior change, profoundly challenging how we approach our roles with our members. Highly recommended!”

–Tony Song, MBA
CEO / Founder / PWD
Diabetes Care Partners

  • “I am extremely satisfied with the workshop with Dr Polonsky and Dr Guzman . I learned valuable strategies for working with patients in diabetes distress, along with practical tools and share in my classes. More workshops like this are needed to enrich clinical practice. The venue was also wonderful. Greetings from Mexico”

-MTRA. Vero Rubio

Psicóloga Clínica, Terapeuta Cognitivo Conductual y Educación en Diabetes (Certificada).

JOIN US FOR A LOCAL EVENT

Monthly Events

November 11
November 11Case Consultation
November 11: BDI hosts the San Diego-wide, monthly case consultation meeting (for mental health professionals working in the field of diabetes). Contact us at info@behavioraldiabetes.org if you are in the greater San Diego area and would like further information about this program.
November 14
November 14World Diabetes Day!
November 14: World Diabetes Day! Time for another T1D meet-up! GrownupT1Ds, a wonderful nonprofit that organizes fun social events for adults with type 1 diabetes here in southern California and now spreading to other cities across the United States. The next local one will be at Brewery X, 3191 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim, CA 92806. Things get started at 2:00 P.M. Please RSVP at kelly@grownup.t1ds.org
November 26
November 26Happy Thanksgiving!
This Thanksgiving, we are especially grateful for the individuals, families, healthcare professionals, and friends who make up the BDI community. Thank you for your continued support and for sharing in our mission to improve the emotional well-being of people living with diabetes. Wishing you and your loved ones a warm and happy Thanksgiving!
November 3
November 3Engaging the Disengaged
November 3: Dr. Polonsky (BDI President) will be speaking on “Engaging the Disengaged: Diabetes Distress, Diabetes Burnout and More” at the Southern California Permanente Medical Group’s 32th Annual Diabetes Hybrid Symposium, in Long Beach (CA).

BEHAVIORAL DIABETES INSTITUTE

Recent Publications

During 2024, BDI staff authored or co-authored 24 scientific publications (which includes the 3 new ones highlighted above) and 8 published abstracts at major scientific meetings. You can see the full list right HERE. Our work has covered a wide range, including studies on diabetes distress, the value of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) for people with diabetes, the impact of diabetes medications on quality of life, the benefits of diabetes technology for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, diabetes stigma, and more.

View All Publications

Whats New

JOIN US FOR A LOCAL EVENT Monthly Events October 14Case Consultation October 14: BDI hosts the San Diego-wide, monthly case

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