Counseling Specialty Areas: Depression

Depression is a broad term that covers several mood disorders. Depression can classified as major, mild and can even be brought on by the change in seasons. It is easy to fall into the trap of believing that you can “think your way out” of depression, or that you can ignore it or dismiss it as “the blues”. The truth is that depression is very common and very treatable, but it does require intervention from the patient, and therapy greatly aids the healing process.

​

Everyone has a bad day. Even a bad week. But what happens when that bad week turns into a month and the month turns into a year? Severe depression can result in months of feeling like the most routine activities are too much to bear. It can hit hard and stay with you for several months. Chronic low-grade depression is often the easiest to dismiss. It comes and goes for days at a time, but can greatly impact your ability to maintain relationships, perform at your job, and can inhibit your social life. It can make you feel walled off from everyone and everything, despite your attempts to break through.

 

Depression can manifest in many ways. Women that suffer from depression tend to experience feelings of guilt, worthlessness, hopelessness, weight gain and sleeping a lot. Men who are depressed tend to experience depression as anger, irritability, difficult sleeping, fatigue and loss of interest in hobbies and fun activities.

 

Recognizing and acknowledging to yourself that you may be depressed is the most important step you can take. You might sense or feel the impact that your depression is having on your friends, family and coworkers and you are not sure how to get back on track. If you feel stuck and unable to move forward, then it is time to get help. The goal of counseling is to feel excited and optimistic about life again.

 

My approach to combat depression is a mix of in-person therapy, a self-care regimen that seeks to create new helpful habits, and integrating meditation, mindfulness and exercise into your life.

 

With regard to therapy, I utilize two main methods:

 

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: This method helps identify and change negative thoughts and behavior that maintain depression. It promotes use of positive coping and is solution oriented.

• Interpersonal Therapy: This method examines interpersonal issues causing depression. These issues could include conflict, differing communication styles, excessive dependence on others, anger at others or a change in role at work, home and socially. Interpersonal Psychotherapy can help you adapt to a wide range of circumstance

 

There is a way out of depression. It involves acknowledgement of oneself and a willingness to change and grow. Book an appointment today to get started.