Bipolar Course

There can be many difficult and stressful aspects of having Bipolar Disorder that are not addressed by medical treatment. We offer the CCI Bipolar Course to equip people with knowledge and skills to help them manage Bipolar Disorder in combination with their medication. Research indicates that group psychological treatment can be a helpful addition to medication.

The CCI Bipolar Course is a structured group treatment focused on equipping you with practical skills and strategies to manage Bipolar Disorder. This includes:

• Education about Bipolar Disorder
• Learning to monitor mood and sleep to help predict mood changes
• A pharmacist providing general information about medications and answering questions
• Learning to identify and respond to early warning signs of mood changes
• Identifying activities that give a sense of pleasure or achievement, and working to include these in regular routines
• Learning to break down overwhelming tasks into manageable steps
• Cognitive therapy (identifying, challenging and replacing unhelpful thoughts)
• Learning how to actively cope with problems.

Each Bipolar Course runs for 10 weekly sessions of two hours, with a follow-up session one month after the tenth session; groups are run periodically throughout the year. All appointments take place during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm). The Bipolar Course is run by clinical psychologists and is held at our clinic in Perth, Western Australia. As CCI forms part of the public mental health system, the service we offer is free. There is typically a waiting list for our service, which can be several months. If you are interested in attending the Bipolar Course at CCI, please ask your GP or psychiatrist to refer you to our service.

For more information, see our Bipolar Course brochure:

Click here to view our Bipolar Course brochure online

Click here for a tri-fold brochure (designed to be printed and folded)

Please note that referrals to this course must be made by a psychiatrist.

Bipolar Disorder Support + Skill Building Group for Family and Friends

The Centre for Clinical Interventions (CCI) offers a free two-part group for carers, family members, and/or friends of people with bipolar disorder. These interactive groups are designed to provide information about bipolar disorder in addition to giving participants the opportunity to share their personal experiences and to learn helpful strategies for coping with their loved ones bipolar disorder. Whether you are a parent, sibling, partner, extended family member, friend, housemate, or child of a person with bipolar disorder, this group will be relevant for you.

The groups will be held at regular intervals throughout the year at the CCI office in Northbridge. Topics to be discussed include:

• What is bipolar disorder? – symptoms, and diagnosis
• What causes bipolar disorder: the Stress Vulnerability Model
• Treatment options and common issues
• Putting together a Plan of Action: Recognising and responding to early warning signs of mania and depression
• Taking care of yourself – acknowledging natural reactions and some useful coping strategies
• Maintaining relationships and helpful communication skills

Groups run for 2.5 hours in the early evening and will be held on the same day across two consecutive weeks.

To register please phone 9227 4399 or email info.cci@health.wa.gov.au. Groups are ongoing, please enquire for dates.

For more information, see our Information for Carers brochure:

Click here to view our Information for Carers brochure online

Click here for a tri-fold brochure (designed to be printed and folded)

Last Updated: 08/04/2021