Depression Counseling

Life is challenging and it’s perfectly normal to feel down from time to time. Our culture can imply that we should be “having fun” and “enjoying our life” all the time. These days, social media can certainly help us buy into that myth. In actuality, it is unrealistic to be “happy” day in and day out and it can be harmful to hold on to that ideal. However, clinical depression is different than the usual ups and downs we all experience in life. It is a deep sense of despair and a hopelessness that can cause pain and suffering.

Depression can lead to feeling overwhelmed, making it difficult or even seemingly impossible to manage common responsibilities like work, school, relationships and maintaining good health. It’s when we are overwhelmed by feelings of sadness, emptiness or irritability for more than a couple of weeks – and those feelings interfere with functioning – that it’s important to reach out to a psychotherapist. The good news is that depression is treatable and many therapeutic approaches can be profoundly helpful when administered skillfully.

Using therapy to treat depression may help you regain, or find for the first time, your sense of meaning, purpose and clarity. The lifting of depression and the opening to life can be a powerfully life affirming experience and an enormous relief.

Signs of Depression:

• Persistent sad, anxious or “empty” mood.
• Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism.
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness or helplessness.
• Decreased energy, fatigue, or being “slowed down”.
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
• Difficulty sleeping, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping.
• Appetite or weight changes.
• Thoughts of death or suicide or suicide attempts.
• Restlessness or irritability.
• Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems without a clear physical cause that do not ease even with treatment