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Condition 05 of 08 1 min read

Conditions we treat

Bipolar Depression

The depressive cycles of bipolar are a different country from “the ups and downs everyone has.” You don’t need to keep explaining that to anyone in this office.

Care formatsIndividual · Family-Focused · Group · Coordinated with prescriber

Typical session50 min weeklyHigher acuity may step into IOP

ModalitiesIPSRT · CBT for bipolar · Family-Focused Therapy

NoteWe are not a medication practiceWe coordinate with your psychiatrist

A man laughing while listening to music with headphones

The shape of it

What we mean when we say Bipolar Depression.

Bipolar depression is depression occurring within the broader pattern of bipolar disorder. The treatment overlaps with major depressive disorder in some ways and differs in critically important ones — particularly the role of medication, sleep, and the recognition of early warning signs of a mood shift.

We are not a medication practice. We are a psychotherapy practice that works alongside your psychiatrist. If you are not currently working with a prescriber, we can help you connect with one. The therapy work runs in parallel — and for many bipolar clients, it is the part that has been most missing from their care.

This page might be for you if…

You’ve been told “everyone has highs and lows” and it hasn’t felt remotely useful.
Sleep has an outsized effect on your stability.
Your good moods make you wary because of how they’ve gone before.
Past therapists have been well-meaning but not equipped to track this with you.

What this can feel like

From the inside, it often sounds like this.

You’ve been told “everyone has highs and lows” and it hasn’t felt remotely useful.
Depressive episodes feel different from the depressions you read about — sometimes more agitated, sometimes more flat than sad.
You’ve developed a wary relationship with your own good moods because of how they’ve gone before.
Sleep has an outsized effect on your stability.
Past therapists have been well-meaning but not equipped to track this with you.

The depressive cycles of bipolar are a different country from “the ups and downs everyone has.” You don’t need to keep explaining that to anyone in this office.

— From the practice

How therapy can help

What working on this looks like.

Therapy for bipolar depression is a long-game collaboration. The most evidence-supported approaches are Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT), which focuses on the stabilizing role of daily routines and sleep, and CBT for bipolar, which adapts standard CBT to the specifics of cycling mood.

Individual therapy with a clinician who has experience tracking mood charts, early warning signs, and prodromal symptoms.
Family-focused work when the household is part of the support system. The family-focused therapy literature is strong here.
Coordination with your prescriber, with your permission. We will write to your psychiatrist when relevant.

Helpful authoritative reading: NIMH on Bipolar Disorder.

Not sure if this fits what you’re carrying?

A short conversation with our healthcare coordinator usually clears it up. No commitment to schedule.

Talk to someone

Common questions

Things people ask about Bipolar Depression.

Can therapy alone manage bipolar?

For most people with bipolar I or II, no. Medication management and therapy together are the standard of care. Therapy provides a critical layer that medication does not.

Do I need to be diagnosed first?

Not at all. Many of our intakes start with an untangling conversation about whether what someone is experiencing fits bipolar, MDD, or something else.

Can my partner come to a session?

Yes. Bringing a partner or family member into the work — sometimes briefly, sometimes ongoing — is often very helpful.

You don’t have to figure this out alone

Reach out — even if you’re still not sure.

Most people sit with the question for a long time before making the call. Whatever you’re carrying, we’ve almost certainly sat with someone holding something similar. The first step is just a conversation.

Book Your First Session Call (626) 354-6440

Bipolar Depression

What we mean when we say Bipolar Depression.

This page might be for you if…

From the inside, it often sounds like this.

What working on this looks like.

Not sure if this fits what you’re carrying?

Things people ask about Bipolar Depression.

Reach out — even if you’re still not sure.

You might also recognize yourself in

Major Depressive Disorder

Anxiety with Depression

Seasonal Affective Disorder