Depression

On the other side of anxiety is depression. Depression is about living in the past with the voice in our head that is constantly yammering at us telling us all the things we are not; not good enough, successful enough, pretty enough, smart enough, thin enough, fit enough, fill in the blank. With that perpetual conversation in the head, you can't NOT feel depressed. Often this is rooted in our childhood and we've gotten into patterns that we don't know how to get out of. There is a another way!

Depression is such a challenging force, when it feels like it's overtaking you. What's more, we're told to "just get over it". It just doesn't work like that. Together we'll explore more of what's behind the depression, what it may be shielding you from, what it feels like in the body, and coping skills to help you move forward in ways that feel right to you.

Extensive training and utilization of CBT to treat depression

Depression can be so hard.. sometimes just hard to get out of bed in the morning. I understand because I have been through it myself. Sessions with me aim at taking baby steps to identify ways to decrease depression and find joy in life again.

Depression can envelop people's lives. Sometimes in obvious ways like staying in bed and not showering, but also in ways like hating a job, or forgetting to pay a bill. There is no easy fix here. However, when we can truly examine the narrative that was internalized over the years about ourselves and our capabilities, we can take control of that script and give the energy to get creative with it.

There is no "one thing" that is depression. Rather each depression is different and there are many different types and intensities of depression. If you are feeling depressed, then it is best to treat it as early as possible before it gets worse. I find that psychodynamic psychotherapy and CBT (cognitive-behavioral therapy) along with other interventions (such as EMDR) are effective in treating even persistent depressions.

My approach to working with clients experiencing depressive symptoms focuses on goal setting, mindfulness practice, and incorporating positive psychology elements to increase motivation.

Psychotherapy often involves a series of structured sessions in which a provider helps the patient identify and change behaviors (isolation, inactivity, avoidance of problem-solving) and cognitions (negative rumination, magnification of bad news, minimization of good news). Oak & Associates, LLC offers therapy for major depression and other severe persistent mental illness (SPMI).

I believe treating children with depression in a therapy requires a specialized approach that combines age-appropriate interventions, such as play therapy and art therapy, with evidence-based techniques like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to help them manage their emotions and thoughts effectively. Collaboration with parents or caregivers is essential in the treatment of child with depression.

Depression has underlying, unconscious reasons for its existence. Together, we will figure out the root causes and bring about your innate capacity to heal. I have over ten years of experience working with folks who have struggled with depression. Oftentimes, depression is about unresolved grieving and anger turned towards the self. Therapy provides a path to properly mourn what's been lost and release anger that's been held in for too long.

My own personal experience with depression as a young adult allows me to understand, empathize and connect with clients experiencing depression. I help my clients see that it is not what's wrong with them, but rather what happened to them that has led to their depressive symptoms. This helps them transform shame into pride and allows them to unlock self-compassion and self-love.

As with anxiety, depression can be caused and fed by many factors; not to mention symptoms of depression can vary widely from person to person. Together we dig into your experiences and the narratives created by those experiences.

Depression is a mental health disorder that affects mood, including how you feel, think, and behave. Everyone feels sad sometimes, but when it starts to affect your ability to perform daily tasks and your ability to enjoy things that typically bring you happiness, you may be suffering from depression.

Excessive sadness with loss of interest in pleasurable activities that you were once comfortably doing can be managed by developing therapeutic strategies in understanding the uneasy feeling of pain, shame and guilt. There was a time you felt great about yourself, you can feel great again by practicing healthy and effective coping strategies. You will be able to apply clinical skills in managing depression and related symptoms.

I have over 16 years of experience with helping people overcome depression. My goal is to help you improve your relationships with others if needed by learning different ways to communicate, helping you improve your problem solving skills, and to help you manage your emotions more effectively.

Depression is a beast. Whether you are realizing it's impact on you for the first time, or have been fighting it for years, you deserve support. I can help you explore the relationship you have to depression, the impact it is having on you, and tease out the trajectory of depression within your life. By working together to better understand the role of depression in your life, we can explore and practice ways to shrink the depression and help you access more joy.