Therapy For Depression
Living with major depressive disorder (MDD), dysthymia or other forms of depression often doesn’t feel like living at all. You feel dead inside while having to keep up appearances on the outside to avoid people feeling sorry for you or looking at you like a weirdo. It seems impossible to ever feel excited, hopeful, happy or genuinely connected to another person. You wonder why everyone else seems to be getting along OK when inside you feel defeated and like a failure, seemingly for no good reason. You are constantly carrying a weight inside and have to force yourself to do everyday tasks when you really just want to lay down and not do anything or see anyone. This never-ending struggle builds up resentment to the point where you hate yourself, you hate your life and you hate everyone else. Life is pain and there’s no point in living.
If this is you, please know there is hope for a brighter future. I help people experiencing depression find ways to reclaim joy, energy and meaning in their life. Together, you and I reconnect with the vital energy within and use it weave a durable sense of competence, connection and hope that’s with you as you take on the challenges of life.
My approach to working with depression is informed by an understanding of how childhood environments, societal oppression and traumatic events impact the mind and body. It is driven by a belief in the power of mindfulness, of human connection and of the body’s innate strengths. Depression is a learned, healthy reaction to the past that has stuck around longer than is useful.
My training helps me understand the biological, psychological and social roots of depression. Even from before birth, we have received messages about ourselves and the world and these experiences leave a lasting imprint. We may have internalized messages that we are unwanted, incapable, or unsafe just as we are. We may have survived traumatic experiences but still be living with a nervous system in disarray, despite our best efforts to “move on.” Ongoing societal messages, such as racism and sexism, may have worked their way deep into our conception of ourselves and robbed us of the unconditional love we are all entitled to.
Key elements of my approach to working with depression are:
Establishing a warm, open relationship between us and creating a space where you aren’t pressured to be somebody you’re not and that you can be heard and met in the depth of your sorrows without the fear of being a burden.
Breaking the myth that you ARE your depression by expanding into a non-judgmental noticing presence and by challenging the lies that depression tells you about yourself and the world.
Finding your existing strengths/resources and building new strengths/resources to help manage bouts of depression and give you a sense of empowerment. We often try to reason with our depression and that usually fails - together we’ll ally with the supportive energies naturally present in your body and move from there.
Discovering the various parts of your psyche (such as your inner child and your self-critic), understanding them and pointing them towards your highest self for reassurance, guidance and love. This highest self becomes the parent you never had and your best, most trusted friend.
Understanding if your depression is linked to trauma. If it is, we’ll work on resolving trauma in a gentle, yet effective way using mind/body’s natural abilities. These are the same abilities that animals use every day to shake off traumatic close-calls and are readily available to you in every moment.