Depression can be an occasional visitor or persistent, difficult companion in your life. Let's identify the root causes and begin the healing that is so often long overdue.
Courtesy of PsychCentral: "CBT works by helping you change any unhelpful thought processes that may be contributing to your depression. Through various techniques, CBT aims to do the following:
Identify and challenge negative thoughts: CBT teaches you to spot and challenge automatic negative thoughts linked to depression, like feeling helpless, hopeless, or worthless.
Restructure cognitive patterns: A therapist will work with you to reframe your interpretation of life events, altering any core beliefs that contribute to depressive symptoms.
Develop coping strategies: CBT teaches effective coping skills and problem-solving techniques to handle challenging situations.
Behavioral activation: Your CBT therapist will encourage you to do enjoyable things to fight against feeling withdrawn and inactive, common feelings in depression.
Relapse prevention: CBT not only treats current symptoms but also focuses on preventing future relapses by teaching strategies to maintain healthier thoughts and behavior patterns..."
Depression, at a minimum, involves feeling sad and loosing interest in things and activities once found pleasurable. Depression impacts eating, sleeping, thought processes, and often negatively impacts self esteem, relationships, and work/school functioning. CBT is very effective in treating depression.
I have worked extensively with adolescents who have experienced symptoms of depression. During my work in an inpatient psychiatric hospital, I helped adolescents who experienced suicidal thoughts and self-injurious behaviors.
Depression impacts the view we have of ourselves and the world. It can make us feel like we are stuck. I help clients better understand their triggers and work to reduce negative thoughts relating to self and the world. We will work to improve motivation and explore coping skills that work for you so you can take steps to live the life you want to live.
We treat depression using a cognitive-behavioral and goal-focused approach, working with patients to systematically increase activation. This approach (CBT) has the most research evidence to support its efficacy in treating depression. We also incorporate mindfulness-based strategies, which have been found to reduce relapse.
I have been working with people experiencing depression most of my career as well. I have seen so many people recover from depression and it's so rewarding to experience. Many clients come in feeling hopeless and watching them find hope again is amazing. Depression can be managed and you don't need to live with it. There are real concrete skills you can learn that can keep that at bay and you can live a full life!
Depression can often feel like one is drowning without a raft- it is too much to sift through on one's own. Finding a therapist to help anchor you is essential. Reaching out for help with depression, sadness, the weight of life's "stuff" is the ultimate expression of self care and can only lead to healing, clarity and an evolution of spirit.
So much of our depression is a matter of self-esteem and perception, and often there is grief and pain at the center of our feelings. I can help you find how to mourn that loss and get re-engaged with life.