If I were to ask you, “How are you?”, how might you respond? Perhaps you would say, or if not say out loud, think, “I’m feeling overwhelmed–unhappy.” Does what used to bring you joy and comfort leave you feeling dissatisfied or empty? Do you often wake up dreading the day that lies in front of you? Feeling depressed eats away at confidence and robs one’s life of joy and a sense of meaning, leaving you with a feeling of despair.
One of the most common health concerns in our society is depression, touching every aspect of a person’s life, including one’s view of oneself, relationships and work. Depression alone affects 350 million people worldwide. (World Health Organization, fact sheet #369, Oct 2012.) Depression may be triggered by a variety of factors, including psychological, physical, social and environmental.
The good news is that depression is highly treatable with therapy and healthy lifestyle changes, or in conjunction with medication. Fortunately, therapy can often alleviate your symptoms rather quickly, starting you on the road to feeling better. Reaching out for help is the first crucial step out of the quicksand of depression and towards a life of fulfillment and vitality. In our early work together, we will collaboratively set goals for your therapy. We will look at areas in your life where lifestyle changes that protect against depression can be made. This might include an exercise regimen, nutritional changes, sleep hygiene, and broadening your social support. If you are not already employing stress reduction techniques, I will teach you skills that will alleviate your symptoms, giving you more energy. Together we will explore and work through the roots of your pain that fuel the negative patterns in your thinking and behavior. We all have the innate abilities not only to heal but to thrive, and our work together can help you discover or rediscover this truth.