Amanda OConnell LPC

Sometimes this is practical and present-focused: understanding what sets it off, and what actually settles you rather than what is supposed to. Sometimes it is body-based, using Brainspotting or EMDR to work with what talking hasn’t reached. We’ll figure out which as we go.

We start with what your days actually look like, because depression is as much about what has quietly stopped as about how you feel. From there it depends on what is underneath. Sometimes depression follows a loss or a transition. Sometimes it sits on top of something older. If it turns out to be the second, the trauma work I do is relevant, and we would talk about that openly before going anywhere near it.

Trauma is not only about what happened to you. It is also about what happens within you as a result of those experiences. Because trauma can be held and experienced in the body, trauma-focused therapy can go beyond traditional talk therapy by incorporating body-based and somatic approaches. This is where EMDR and Brainspotting can be helpful.

Person-centered therapy is a collaborative approach that places you at the center of the therapeutic process. It is grounded in empathy, acceptance, and a nonjudgmental environment where you can explore your thoughts, emotions, and experiences at your own pace. Rather than telling you what to do, therapy focuses on helping you better understand yourself, recognize your strengths, and identify what feels meaningful and supportive for you.

EMDR is a trauma-focused therapy that helps the brain process distressing memories and experiences. Through guided eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation, EMDR can help reduce the emotional intensity of difficult memories and support new, more adaptive ways of understanding what happened. EMDR is collaborative, structured, and tailored to your pace and needs.

Brainspotting helps people process difficult or overwhelming experiences. It is based on the idea that where we look can influence how we access and process emotions, memories, and physical sensations. During Brainspotting, we identify a specific point in your visual field that may be connected to what you are experiencing. With gentle guidance and focused attention, this can help you access experiences that may not always be easy to reach through talking alone.