Depression Therapy
Online Depression Counseling
Depression is sneaky AF and a lot of the time, it’s other people in our life that notice something is wrong before we do— depression therapy can help. You’ve become shorter with your partner and have less tolerance for people in general. You feel like you’re walking through sludge and want to be in bed a lot of the time. Maybe you’re crying even more than usual. You’re eating and sleeping may also be affected.
Depression is very unique to the individual, I would argue even more so than with anxiety. The issues I mentioned above are just the very broad strokes. I view depression as a way of letting us know that something isn’t working in our lives. In addition to physical, genetic and environmental factors, depression can be a manifestation that our higher self or subconscious creates to help us make changes in our lives that may better fit our values in order to have more purpose and meaning in our lives. This is why the experience can vary so much. Depression therapy can address these issues.
Living with Depression sucks but there is hope and a way to understand the ‘why’ behind it. When you know the ‘why', it makes it easier to understand the ‘how’ for making things better and feel freedom from the Depression that has taken over your life. Depression therapy and counseling can definitely give you some tools for your specific needs. We can determine what works for you and we can also look at the reasons why you may have become depressed in the first place.
You can learn the best ways to move forward so that Depression doesn’t hold you back.
If you’re Experiencing Depression or a Depressive Episode, You’re Not Alone
It’s estimated that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men will experience a depressive episode by the time they turn 65 years old.
Even with Depression being common, the biggest sting that comes from Depression is how isolating it is and how it’s still frowned upon to feel that way. People may also have the reaction of feeling sorry for you when you describe a depressive episode, which is not the same as being compassionate and simply validating and listening to your experience. While they have good intentions, this can make you feel even more lonely in your experience and feel like something really is wrong with you.
Symptoms that look like Depression can also be a normal response to grief and loss.
You May Still have Some Concerns…
I have no energy to commit to therapy right now, everything just feels so overwhelming and too much…
I hear that, but you’ve already taken a big step in looking for help. Just take things one step at a time and it will be less overwhelming. Try to take encouragement in the fact that you were able to muster up the energy to reach out. Things will get easier with time. Give yourself the same compassion that you would give a good friend. How would you respond to them if they told you the same thing? You would probably tell them that it will be okay, that they do have the strength to look at their problems and get help.
I’m sure I can just shake myself out of this and talk to my friends when I’m struggling…
Yes, oftentimes early on when you are just starting to feel overwhelmed or defeated, talking with friends and using self-care will help and you can avoid therapy. At times though, you may need someone with an outside, objective perspective. You should feel like you can talk with your friends about what’s bothering you, but the reality is that a friendship can be a give and take situation and in therapy the focus is on you and your needs. I don’t advocate that everyone come to therapy or stay in therapy for long periods of time. I love to see my clients reach the point where they don’t feel like they need to see me anymore because they have the tools, the trust in themselves and support from friends and family to live the full life they are meant to live. This is one of the goals of depression therapy — that you don’t need therapy anymore. If it’s important for you to not need therapy indefinitely, you may be more motivated to do the work of therapy and end therapy sooner. If you do better with regular therapy for maintenance, that’s okay too.
Ultimately, I want you to know that there is hope. Book a free 20 minute video consultation to see if we’re a good fit.
Testimonial
Robin is a clinician with several years of experience, she is very empathetic and is a great listener, she is very passionate about providing support and helping individuals gain tools to improve their quality of life.
Joanna Helmker LCSW
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