Dale Peterson (she/her)

TherapyDen lists over 70 areas of specialty, but allows therapists to choose only three! I think the general term "depression" can refer to feelings of sadness, hopelessness, confusion, and guilt from a variety of issues, whether you've been feeling like this for a long time or the cause is a recent event. Let's explore your feelings about beliefs about these issues so you can choose a path that leads out of depression to a position of hope.

I have read that experienced therapists tends to use strategies that look quite a lot like those of other experienced therapists, no matter what their training and orientation originally was. I think that means that, as therapists grow and learn, we use what works and discard the rest. Person-centered therapy means that the focus is on you and your concerns. Change and healing start with providng you with acceptance, empathy, and encouragement.

As the name implies, the idea behind IPT is that many of our emotional issues arise in the context of a difficult or broken relationship, and that healing can take place by resolving those difficulties. What interpersonal struggles are you currently having? Is it a spouse, a parent, a child, a boss, a friend? Is this brokenness causing sadness, grief, guilt, or confusion? We can work together heal the relationship, change it, or let it go.

I bet you can see by now that I think relationships are pretty important. First and foremost, you need to have a relationship with yourself that includes self-esteem and a sense of worth. A trusting and accepting relationship with your therapist provides the safety needed to explore yourself and find the courage to embark on a new path. Often, that path involves reinventing relationships with the important people (and things!) in your life.

Have you been feeling stuck or dissatisfied with an aspect of your life? Maybe there's been a crisis or a loss, and you have a pretty good idea of what the problem is. Or perhaps you've been feeling like this for a long time, and it's hard to describe how you feel or what might have caused it. Human being are complicated! You've been trying hard, and if you had been able to figure it out alone, you would have done it by now. Let's try to untangle things to find a way forward.

We grieve over many things. Sometimes it's the loss of a loved one, and sometimes it's the loss of a hope, dream, or expectation. It can also be hard to face life's transitions, and that involves grief and loss: From carefree single to parent, from a busy household to empty-nester, from valued employee to retirement, from health and independence to the need for assistance. Even changes e really want and welcome come with an emotional price tag, while others are unexpected and traumatic.