Depression & Mood Disorder Therapy in Pasadena

Did You Know?

Did you know most people are never taught the tools to manage their emotions in a healthy way? Bottling up emotions and negative feelings is harmful but if we don’t have the skills to explore them how can we be expected to do so? Instead survival mandates we find ways to process, deal with or make sense of what has hurt us, often leading to the development of depression, anxiety, addiction, eating disorders, and other ways of coping.

Did you know that the brain processes physical pain and emotional pain in the exact same part of the brain? Self-injury is often the only mechanism through which a person can express how much emotional pain they are truly experiencing.

Did you know that we are socialized from a very young age not to ask for help? As children we may be stubbornly determined to do it all on our own or we may be afraid to be perceived as dumb or weak. These thought patterns follow us through our lives leaving us vulnerable in our darkest moments, alone and afloat, too scared to reach out. Asking for help is powerful. You don’t have to be alone.

Did you know that we can’t know what we do not know? On the surface this statement seems simple but how many of us carry guilt and shame for our behavior when, in truth, we were never taught that other more preferred reactions or chooses were available? We cannot authentically make choices that we do not know exist. With the right skills the impossible will be possible!

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Depression, Bipolar & Mood Disorder Therapy in Pasadena, CA

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Expert, Neuroscience-Informed Care for Depression, Bipolar Disorder & Mood Changes

The world is round
and the place which may seem like the end
may also be only the beginning”

– Ivy Baker Priest

When your mood changes, your entire experience of life can change with it.

Depression can make even familiar parts of your life feel distant, exhausting, or difficult to access. Bipolar disorder can bring shifts in mood, energy, sleep, activity, attention, and motivation that are confusing both for the person experiencing them and for the people who love them. Sometimes the challenge is not knowing exactly what is happening—only knowing that you no longer feel like yourself.

At Dr. Kate Truitt & Associates, our expert psychotherapists provide personalized, neuroscience-informed care for depression, bipolar disorder, and other mood-related concerns. We work with you to understand not only the symptoms you are experiencing, but the larger pattern: your nervous system, history, relationships, stress load, sleep, coping strategies, and the experiences that may be influencing how you feel and function.

Our goal is not simply to help you feel better in the moment. It is to help you understand yourself more clearly, develop effective tools for managing mood and stress, and build greater stability, connection, and agency in your life.

We provide in-person psychotherapy at our Pasadena office and telehealth services throughout California.

Click Here to Schedule a consultation to explore fit and next steps today!

Imagine a life in which you have the tools and techniques to do more than survive.

When Depression Changes the Way Life Feels

Depression is more than feeling sad or having a bad day.

It can change how your brain and body respond to experiences that once felt rewarding, how much energy is available for everyday tasks, how easily you can concentrate or make decisions, and even how connected you feel to the people you care about.

Common experiences associated with depression can include:

Persistent sadness, emptiness, numbness, or hopelessness
Loss of interest or pleasure in things you normally enjoy
Fatigue or feeling physically slowed down
Difficulty initiating or completing everyday tasks
Changes in sleep or appetite
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
Irritability or feeling unusually overwhelmed
Withdrawal from relationships or activities
Excessive guilt, self-criticism, or feelings of worthlessness
Feeling disconnected from yourself or your future
Thoughts about death or suicide

Depression does not look the same in everyone. Some people feel profoundly sad. Others feel almost nothing. Some continue to perform exceptionally well professionally while privately struggling to get through the day.

Effective treatment begins by understanding your individual pattern rather than assuming depression looks one particular way.

Contact Dr. Kate Truitt & Associates today for a complimentary 30-minute phone consultation and take the first step toward healing. Together, we’ll help you navigate this journey and reclaim your incredible life.

One of the most important parts of good mood-disorder treatment is understanding the pattern over time.

Understanding Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder involves clinically significant shifts in mood, energy, activity, concentration, sleep, and behavior that go beyond the ordinary emotional changes all of us experience.

Depending on the specific bipolar-spectrum condition, a person may experience periods of depression along with episodes of mania or hypomania.

During manic or hypomanic periods, someone may experience:

Significantly increased energy or activity
A decreased need for sleep
Racing thoughts or rapidly shifting ideas
Unusually rapid or increased speech
Increased confidence or a sense of being unusually powerful or capable
Irritability or agitation
Increased impulsivity
Spending, sexual behavior, substance use, or other risk-taking that is unusual for that person
Difficulty slowing down despite exhaustion or consequences

Bipolar I disorder includes episodes of mania. Bipolar II disorder involves episodes of hypomania along with major depressive episodes. Other bipolar-spectrum presentations, including cyclothymic disorder, can involve recurring periods of elevated and depressed mood that do not fit neatly into either of those patterns (NIMH, n.d.-b).

Importantly, hypomania does not always feel like a problem while it is occurring. A period of greater energy, productivity, confidence, sociability, or creativity may initially feel positive. That is one reason some people seek treatment repeatedly for depression before recognizing that a larger mood pattern may be present.

Depression or Bipolar Depression? Why the Distinction Is Important

One of the most important parts of good mood-disorder treatment is understanding the pattern over time.

A person experiencing a depressive episode may have major depressive disorder—or the depression may be part of bipolar disorder. Looking only at how someone feels today can miss important information about previous periods of elevated energy, reduced need for sleep, impulsivity, agitation, or hypomania.

This distinction has meaningful treatment implications. Bipolar depression is treated differently from unipolar depression, and current treatment guidelines caution against using antidepressant medication alone in many people with bipolar disorder because of the potential for treatment-emergent mania or mood destabilization (Keramatian et al., 2023; NIMH, n.d.-b).

Our therapists therefore take the time to understand the broader clinical picture, including your history of depression, mood changes, sleep, energy, behavior, relationships, medication response, stress, trauma, family history, and co-occurring concerns.

When medication is part of your treatment, we can coordinate with your psychiatrist, physician, or other prescribing clinician, with your permission, so that your psychotherapy and medical care support the same goals.

Additional Healing Resources at Dr. Kate Truitt & Associates

Additional Resources

To complement your therapy journey, we provide resources such as:

Educational Videos: Visit our Dr. Kate Truitt & Associates YouTube Channel for insights on mental health topics, including depression, stress, and resilience.
Blog Articles: Explore helpful tips, strategies, and stories to inspire your healing process.

Start Your Journey Toward Hope and Healing

Depression doesn’t have to define your life. With the right support, you can rediscover joy, purpose, and connection. Imagine waking up feeling hopeful, energized, and ready to embrace the day.

Contact Dr. Kate Truitt & Associates today for a complimentary 30-minute phone consultation and take the first step toward healing. Together, we’ll help you navigate this journey and reclaim your incredible life.

Visit our Living Your Excellence Blog

Visit our growing collection of blog articles below to explore how the latest advances in neuroscience create opportunities for harnessing the power of neuroplasticity, and create a space for inspiration to flow.