Depression

Can you remember the last time you felt like yourself? What was life like for you before depression showed up? Or maybe you don't remember ever feeling different. But you can! With genuine support and the right resources and skills you can have a better life. I know it can be hard to believe it, but once you take the first step maybe you will start seeing the rest of the path.

Do you have difficulty asking for help and put off seeking treatment even though you've been depressed for several years? Are you not really sure where to start or what to talk about? Most people find it difficult to motivate themselves which can create guilt and shame. They struggle to find happiness and get "weighed down" by the world almost all the time. When this happens, people start to feel uncertain, afraid, and not able to trust their own judgement. This can lead to low self-esteem.

Providing support and promoting healing of hopelessness, low motivation and energy, sadness, irritability, sleep disturbance, and loss of interest and pleasure in life.

Depression involves having a low mood or losing interest and enjoyment in things. The symptoms you have may vary, in how intense they are, how long they last, and how much they affect your daily life. If you have milder depression, you might have a low mood but still be able to carry on with your daily life...but things may feel harder and less worthwhile. If you have more severe depression, you find day-to-day life much more difficult.

I use Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to assist my clients in identifying unhelpful thoughts about themselves and the world that may be interfering with their ability to actively engage in a life that feels meaningful to them. I also use Motivational Interviewing (MI) techniques to assist in collaboratively building motivation towards meaningful change. I have received extensive training in CBT and MI in my years at the VA; I successfully completed a 6-month intensive training in MI in 2016.

Are you feeling hopeless, isolated and not your usual self? Do these thoughts often enter your mind? I am worthless and can’t do anything about it. I feel guilty for just wanting to eat, sleep and be alone. I hate who I am these days. I understand the social stigmas that come with label of being depressed, and thus aim to help clients sort out their environmental, biological and circumstantial factors while offering support and and care through a very dark time in their lives.

You would conquer the world if you had the energy to get up and do it. Depression can hold you back from enjoying the many adventures life holds. Whether it’s camping, world travels, or conquering new skills, depression can feel like a black void or weight holding you back. In our work together, I'll help you make friends with your depression, see what it's holding onto, and work with it to help you gain traction.

How many times have you been told, "If you just focus on happy thoughts you will be okay!" We both know that is not always true. Depression can be debilitating and absolutely frustrating for those who experience it. Let's talk about ways to help you feel better.

In therapy you can expect to identify factors that are contributing to your depression and learn how to effectively cope with them. We will also identify negative thought patterns that may be contributing to feelings of hopelessness and work to change them. You will also develop concrete skills to relieve suffering and prevent later bouts of depression. These skills may include new ways to cope with challenges and creating a personal plan that includes positive lifestyle changes. ​

Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses, but it can be one of the most difficult to treat. Not everyone responds to talk therapy and other traditional treatments. Depression often requires a creative approach. I know how difficult living with depression can be, and I have helped dozens of clients learn to mitigate and manage their symptoms. If you have tried therapy before and not found relief, I can bring a fresh perspective and help you find what works best for you.

I provide a safe space to process emotions and to help find different strategies and tools to push past feelings of depression. We will work together to find the right solutions to increase mindfulness of the present moment and create goals to life you out of the darkest places.

I treat the range of depression, whether you feel persistently low and perhaps do not know why, or if you feel sad and overwhelmed due to a recent trigger such as a loss or end of a romantic relationship, or perhaps you have experienced recurring depressive episodes over time. I use a mix of structured techniques to help improve your mood and broader insight-oriented exploration to better understand your triggers and path forward. (**I do not currently treat patients with suicidal ideation)

Depression is so much more than sad and hopeless. Depression is feeling resigned, defeated, powerless. There doesn’t seem to be any way out - desolate and alone. Together, we will keep eagle eyes out for the things that get buried, are too hard to see right now. We will build a case that is the other side of the story, the one you haven’t been able to see or acknowledge, the side that shows your ability to connect, your deep well of empathic strength, the resilience that has gotten you this far.

I've worked extensively with depressed clients, and find the process of helping them access their core emotions and take empowering action in their lives very rewarding. Depression can be so painful, confusing, and debilitating. Whether the depression is short-term, cyclical, or chronic, we can get to its root and access your aliveness.

You are not alone: Over 17 million Americans have depression. There are different kinds of depression, ranging from long-term depression that reduces quality of life to major depression which makes it hard to even function. Therapy will help you deal with the symptoms, and more importantly figure out why you feel depressed and how to change it. As your recovery progresses, you will notice changes in all areas of your life that help keep you going in a positive direction. You can get better.

Depression is probably the second most frequent issue I help folks address.

Trained and experienced in treating clients with a variety of depressive symptoms and disorders.

I am both a trauma-focused therapist and a CBT therapist, and I believe that negative cognitions drive depressive and suicidal thoughts. Your history presents as fact, and it is difficult to pull away from the idea that you are what you have experienced, or that you deserve what you've been given. We will work together to challenge negative thoughts and process difficult memories that contribute to current symptoms of depression.

Depression lies and cheats you out of the life that you were created to live. I will help provide you with coping strategies in order to help you feel and function better. You no longer have to suffer in silence or put on a front. I look at depression as a sign of something missing from your life and work towards helping you regain it. If you want or need medication, a referral to a psychiatrist can be arranged.