Therapy for Depression

You haven’t felt like yourself for a long time.  In fact, it’s hard to remember what being happy even looks like.  You’re tired of the negative self-talk, the exhaustion, and the deep sadness.

The truth is that this depression is more than just sadness.  And more complicated.  There’s shame.  Disappointment.  Sometimes you even notice fear. Or at least you think you should be afraid of what happens if you never find a way to feel better.

The truth is that life is hard for everyone.  And everyone experiences sadness and discouragement. But for some people, these challenges and emotions become depression.  The feelings are so deeply rooted in your life that they aren’t easily removed.  So, the sadness remains.  And the depression becomes overwhelming.

You’ve tried to be happy.

You want to feel happy again.  So, you try to focus on the positive things in your life.  Try to be grateful. But negative thoughts keep breaking through. You hear yourself saying that other people deserve happiness more than you do. That you’re worthless.  That nobody wants you around.  Your thoughts are saying that you are to blame for everything in your life that’s gone wrong and that there’s no way out.

You’ve tried other things too.  You’ve read self-help books. You have talked to friends and tried that random thing they told you magically cured their depression. Maybe you have even been to see other therapists.  But, the depression remains.

It’s like there’s a constant battle happening within you, you versus depression, and you are losing.  Every time you make some ground and start feeling a little bit better, something happens and you find yourself back where you started.

You are looking for real tools to treat your depression. And you want results that will last.  You don’t want a temporary “pick me up” where you feel better for a month or two and then find yourself battling depression that’s worse than ever. You want to find a way out of the pain and you need a therapist who truly understands depression. You’re looking for a therapist who gets it. A therapist who takes your depression seriously and can really help you make lasting changes in your life. 

Therapy for depression isn’t always easy.

At first, it may be hard work. Your brain is really used to being depressed and you don’t have much motivation to try anything new right now.  Then, I may ask you to try some skills that seem silly at first.  You may have homework to try something new between sessions.  Or there may just be days where even getting out of bed to participate in therapy is a challenge.

Just know that you don’t have to do the hard work of recovering from depression alone.  I will be there to support and help you.  I’ll encourage you during counseling sessions, celebrate your progress and help you troubleshoot any setbacks.

Depression counseling & DBT for suicidal thoughts

Maybe you’ve had thoughts about death or even past suicide attempts. Sometimes, it feels like the emotional pain you are in is so overwhelming. It’s hard to imagine ever feeling better.

You’ve been reading this page thinking, “Ok, so they help with regular depression.  But mine is really bad. I’m not sure anyone can help at this point.”

The good news is that your depression is exactly the type of depression for Dialectical Behavior Therapy or DBT.

Yes, counseling can even help you if you’ve had thoughts of suicide or engaged in self-harm.  Every day people who have had severe depression, suicidal thoughts, or who have made suicide attempts in the past find peace, healing, and hope through counseling.

Therapy Can Help Lift You Out Of Depression And Provide Skills To Cope

The good news is that depression does get better.  You don’t have to keep living this way.  It might be difficult, but with the help of a skilled therapist who specializes in treating depression, you can find joy again.

After participating in counseling, you’ll have the tools to turn the negative experiences in your life into a positive power.  You’ll be able to see the positive in things again and stop dwelling on the negative thoughts.  When things get stressful or you feel overwhelmed, you’ll have a toolkit of very specific things you can use to cope with those emotions.

Counseling does more than just help you feel temporary joy again.  I will help you truly create a life worth living and you’ll have tools to cope with stressful periods of your life in the future.  Then, you’ll be able to see a future for yourself again.  A bright future where you are resilient, have good relationships and are happy to be alive.

In a safe, supportive and compassionate environment, you and I can begin to identify, explore and address the thoughts, feelings and issues that are fueling your depression. Once we understand the driving force or forces – be it too much pressure to achieve, a family history of depression, current challenges or past trauma – you can begin to develop a more mindful awareness of your thoughts and experiences and begin to think more realistically about current experiences. You can begin to move away from negative self-talk and self-punishment, learn healthy ways to cope with stress and develop greater mastery over your thoughts, emotions and behaviors every day. In sessions, you can also develop a greater awareness of who you are, along with a deeper understanding of your strengths and goals. A key part of treating depression is to help you build on strengths and set practical, achievable goals while developing mindfulness and increased self-awareness.

If you are hoping to finally lighten this load and feel like yourself again, contact me today.