Bipolar Disorder Coaching

Coaching for individuals with Bipolar Disorder I, Bipolar Disorder II and cyclothymia is focused on developing individual plans to meet goals and managing triggers that can impact your mood. At Goose Creek Coaching, we focus on a variety of techniques to identify and help manage triggers, such as lack of sleep, stress, anxiety, confrontation and psychosocial problems.

Many of our clients with a disorder in the bipolar spectrum are functional and are seeking to simply find greater satisfaction in life, while others are in the midst of crisis and need immediate and intensive care. Borrowing from the best of coaching, Insight-Oriented Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, we provide a supportive and nurturing environment that allows clients with bipolar and cyclothymia to manage their day-to-day feeling, their comfort level in social situations, the amount of isolation, career goals, motivation, sleep and other factors that reduce the likelihood of depressive episodes.

Contact Us for more information.

    By Jayson Blair, Certified Coach

The importance of a good diagnosis has become even clearer as pharmaceutical companies have further refined their biological silver bullets for mental illness. Medicines like, for example, serotonin reuptake inhibitors can be targeted to treat depression, obsessive compulsive disorder and a variety of other illness. But they can have dramatically harmful effects on those with bipolar disorder.

Jayson Blair, Certified Life Coach

Jayson Blair is a certified life coach who specializes in working with people with bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, ADHD, anxiety, personality disorders, pervasive developmental disorders, asperger syndrome, schizoaffective disorder and other mental health issues that affect the day-to-day quality of life of his clients. Previously, Mr. Blair worked as a life coach at an Ashburn mental health practice and as the executive director of the Depression Bipolar Support Alliance of Northern Virginia. He has additional experience in crisis care, case management and wraparound care. Mr. Blair has developed career coaching and career testing programs, and continues to work with people on personal motivation, career transition and career development.

Read more >>

See Jayson, his family and colleagues speak about life with bipolar disorder in this WebMD TV documentary.

Bipolar Disorder -- sometimes called manic depression -- causes mood swings that range from the lows of depression to highs of mania. When you become depressed, it can be as bad or worse than an major depressive episode. When your mood shifts in the other direction, you may feel euphoric, seem grandiose, full of energy and be at high risk. Mixed episodes are depression and mania occurring at the same time, and rapid cycling involves quickly shifting moods. Depression and bipolar disorder can often involve mood-related psychosis.

Some signs and symptoms of bipolar mania include:

• Increased energy, activity, restlessness and euphoric or agitated mood
• Racing thoughts and thoughts jumping  
• Pressured Speech
• Grandiosity
• Behavior with high risk for negative consequences

Some signs and symptoms of bipolar depression include:

• Depressed mood, sadness and crying spells
• Sleep and appetite problems
• Not able to concentrate or make decisions 
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness and/or hopelessness 
• Not able to enjoy things you once liked, not wanting to socialize 
• Recurring thoughts of death or suicide  

Other Mood Disorders:

• Cyclothymia
• Depression
• Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
• Mood Disorder, NOS
• Schizoaffective Disorder
• Dysthymia
• Bereavement
• Anxious Depression
• Substance-induced disorders