Personality & Mood Disorders

Ventura Wellness Behavioral Health provides mood disorder treatment in Thousand Oaks for adults living with bipolar disorder, cyclothymia, and personality disorders such as borderline personality disorder. Our outpatient programs pair psychiatric care with skills-based therapy, so you can bring your moods back into a range you can manage while still sleeping in your own bed and showing up for the people who count on you.

If you are thinking about harming yourself or you are in immediate danger, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call 911. Ventura Wellness Behavioral Health is an outpatient program and is not an emergency service.

Mood Disorder Treatment in Thousand Oaks, CA

Everyone has good weeks and bad weeks. A mood disorder is different: the highs and lows are stronger, last longer, and start to make decisions for you. Bipolar I disorder brings manic episodes that can upend jobs and relationships. Bipolar II involves milder “hypomanic” stretches alternating with heavy depressions. Cyclothymia keeps someone cycling through smaller ups and downs for years, often without anyone giving it a name.

Personality disorders are long-standing patterns in how a person sees themselves, handles emotion, and relates to others. Borderline personality disorder is the one we see most often alongside mood symptoms, but avoidant, dependent, and other patterns also show up. We treat these conditions together because they overlap so often, and because the same core work — understanding your emotions, tolerating distress, and repairing relationships — helps with both. If low mood is your main concern, our depression treatment page may be a better starting point.

Signs of a Mood or Personality Disorder

Only a licensed clinician can make a diagnosis, but these patterns are a good reason to reach out:

• Stretches of unusually high energy, little need for sleep, racing thoughts, or impulsive spending, followed by a crash
• Low periods that last for weeks and drain your interest in things you used to enjoy
• Emotions that flare quickly and take a long time to settle
• Relationships that swing between intense closeness and sudden conflict
• A persistent sense of emptiness or a strong fear of being left
• Using alcohol, drugs, or risky behavior to level out how you feel

Family members often notice these shifts before the person living with them does. If you’re reading this for a spouse, adult child, or friend, you can call us to talk through what you’re seeing. The National Institute of Mental Health also publishes plain-language overviews of bipolar and personality disorders.

How We Treat Bipolar and Personality Disorders

No single therapy fits every mood disorder, so your plan draws from several approaches, adjusted as you make progress.

Psychiatric care and medication

For bipolar disorder in particular, the right medication can be the difference between constant crisis and steady ground. Our psychiatric team evaluates you early, explains your options, and keeps watching for side effects through ongoing medication management. You stay part of every decision.

DBT and CBT skills

Dialectical behavior therapy was built for people whose emotions run hot, and it remains one of the best-studied treatments for borderline personality disorder. You’ll practice distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and communication skills, then use them between sessions. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps you catch the thought patterns that feed a spiral. Both are part of our behavioral therapies.

Individual, group, and deeper work

In individual therapy you work one-on-one on your own history and goals. Group therapy gives you a place to practice new skills with people who understand mood swings from the inside. Some clients also benefit from psychodynamic therapy, which looks at how early relationships shape the patterns you repeat today. Yoga, breathwork, and sound baths round out the week and give your nervous system something besides talk.

PHP, IOP, and Virtual Options for Mood Disorders

The right intensity depends on how much your symptoms are getting in the way right now.

• Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP): about six hours of programming a day, for people who need close support without an overnight stay.
• Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP): about three hours a day, several days a week, so you can keep working or studying.
• Online therapy: the same PHP and IOP care by video for California residents, or a mix of in-person and virtual days.

Groups run in morning, afternoon, and evening tracks, which matters for clients commuting from Westlake Village or Simi Valley around a work shift. Many people step down from PHP to IOP as their mood stabilizes. Your team plans that move with you instead of ending care abruptly.

What to Expect When You Start

You’ll be matched with a dedicated therapist, a case manager, and a psychiatric team. Within your first three days you’ll have a written treatment plan built around your goals, and you’ll see a psychiatric provider during your first week. The plan is reviewed every week, so it changes when you do.

You don’t need a substance use diagnosis to join our mental health programs. If alcohol or drugs are part of the picture, our dual diagnosis treatment addresses both at the same time. Our case managers also coordinate with outside doctors and help with work or school paperwork when you need it.

Insurance and Cost

We’re in network with many major plans, including Aetna, Cigna, Blue Shield of California, Kaiser, Tricare, and UnitedHealthcare/Optum. What you pay depends on your plan’s deductible and coverage. Our admissions team will run a free benefits check, usually the same day, and explain the numbers in plain terms. If there’s a gap, ask about our payment options.

Mood Disorder Treatment FAQs

Do I need a diagnosis before I contact you?

No. Many people call because something feels wrong but they don’t have a name for it. Our clinicians complete a full assessment when you start. If you already have a diagnosis from another provider, bring any records you have, and we’ll use them as a starting point rather than repeating work that has already been done.

Can bipolar disorder be treated without a hospital stay?

Often, yes. Many people with bipolar disorder do well in a partial hospitalization or intensive outpatient program, especially with consistent medication management. If you’re in an acute manic episode, having psychotic symptoms, or not safe at home, a hospital is the right first step, and we can help plan your transition to outpatient care afterward.

Is DBT only for borderline personality disorder?

No. DBT was first developed for borderline personality disorder, but its skills help anyone whose emotions feel overwhelming, including people with bipolar disorder, depression, or trauma histories. In our programs, DBT skills are taught in groups and reinforced in individual sessions so you can practice them in real situations.

Will I have to stop working during treatment?

Not necessarily. Our IOP runs about three hours a day with morning, afternoon, and evening options, and many clients keep working. PHP takes more of your day, so some people take short-term leave. Your case manager can help with leave paperwork and plan a return to work that doesn’t rush you.

Do you treat mood disorders and substance use together?

Yes. Mood swings and substance use often feed each other, so we treat them at the same time in one plan with one team. If you need medical detox first, we’ll help arrange a referral and then welcome you into our outpatient program once withdrawal is behind you.

Steadier days are possible, and you don’t have to sort this out alone. Call us at 805-905-5483 to talk with our admissions team, or verify your insurance online to see what your plan covers.