Depression affects many people and come up a lot in my practice and I have experience helping those who struggle with depression to be able to function in everyday life.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
People with Depression often believe there is something wrong with themselves, sometimes unable to identify that depression is coloring the way they see themselves and the world. Compassionate therapy, psychoeducation and behavioral changes can address depression. Medication along with therapy have proven to be very effective.
Depression has a dangerous tendency to build upon itself. As a result, normal life tasks such as work and relationships start to fall by the wayside. Eventually, doing the bare minimum creates new problems, which cause stress and worsening depression. We will work together to explore the underlying causes of your depression and develop coping mechanisms, resilience, and a renewed sense of hope.
Depression is a wicked beast that likes to hold you in place due to your past experiences. Using CBT to look back at those experiences, we can reframe them to improve our moods and emotions today. Depending on the severity, it may need medication intervention.
The two primary therapeutic approaches that I use with clients are both evidence-based treatments for reducing symptoms of depression. Accelerated Resolution Therapy often reduces the negative emotional reaction to depression triggers in an average of 1 to 5 sessions. Cognitive Behavior Therapy helps clients identify and replace the unhelpful thinking that leads to uncomfortable feelings and less preferred actions. Together, these two approaches can help bring faster relief from depression and "clear your headspace" to learn new strategies and tools for helping yourself cope better with life's challenges. (Online therapy is not recommended for all clients. I strongly recommend that clients who are experiencing suicidal ideation, self-harm or other high risk symptoms work with a mental health professional in person / face to face therapy.)
I have a passion for helping clients reduce sadness and depression related symptoms - so that they can live more fulfilling, authentic, and happy lives. Many of my clients have stated that coming to therapy has helped to catapult them out of their stagnation - enabling them to reach their full potential. For clients who have had difficulty finding a therapist who can understand their complex and intersecting identities, I can be a breath of fresh air. I work with folks ages 15 and up.
Depression can be situational or clinical. Broadly speaking, situational depression is caused by unmet needs (sometimes controllable, sometimes not), while clinical depression can be caused by a chemical imbalance. Both can be helped in therapy by regaining control of our decisions, reframing perspectives, and improving our ability for self-care.