If your mood, energy, and motivation reliably sink as the days get shorter, you are not imagining it. In the Pacific Northwest, the long grey stretch from fall through early spring flattens a lot of people, and seasonal affective disorder is a real, treatable pattern, not a character flaw or something to just push through.
A whole-person approach to seasonal depression
Light matters, and so does the biology underneath. We look at your sleep and circadian rhythm, vitamin D and nutrient status, thyroid, blood sugar, activity, and how the darker months shift all of them, alongside supportive psychotherapy. Bright-light therapy can help, and we fold it into a fuller plan rather than treating it as the only tool.
What we look at
- Your seasonal pattern: when the dip starts, how deep it goes, when it lifts
- Light exposure, sleep timing, and circadian rhythm
- Vitamin D, thyroid, iron, and other nutrient factors that worsen in winter
- Whether low mood, fatigue, or anxiety travel with it
Get ahead of it
Seasonal patterns are predictable, which is a gift: we can build a plan before the darkest months hit rather than scrambling in January. Care is available by secure video across Washington or in person in Bellevue, led by Dr. Koichi Tanji, ND, LMHC.
Insurance and first steps
We are in-network with Premera, Regence, BlueCross BlueShield, Aetna, Cigna, and Kaiser PPO. To begin, book online or call +1 (425) 278-6166.
If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, please call or text 988 (the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) or call 911.