The effects of depression can range from troublesome to debilitating. You may experience a constant, low grade depression and feel “down in the dumps” more often than not. Or you may experience a slow or sudden decline into a depression that affects your sleep, appetite, energy, memory, self-esteem, concentration and pleasure in your day to day life.
I believe that depression is caused by a complex interplay between physiological, psychological, social, and cultural factors. In therapy, I help individuals learn that creating and maintaining a depression is an active rather than a passive process. I work with clients to develop a number of cognitive behavioral tools and strategies that help them address distorted thoughts, feelings and behaviors that have gone into creating and maintaining their depression.
Moving out of a depression is not a linear process but a spiral journey that invites the individual to do some soul searching. While therapy helps with symptom reduction, it also invites the individual to appreciate and understand what their depression might be trying to communicate to them. Often working with depression will offer an individual answers to difficult life questions.
