Do you feel sad or can’t experience joy anymore?

Are feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness affecting your life and you worry that things are never going to change? 

Do you watch others looking happy, enjoying their life and not understand why you can’t feel the same way?

Depression can cause you to struggle with just getting out of bed in the morning. You go through your life as if everything is a chore. Sometimes you may not get out of bed at all, or you find excuses not to leave the house and feel like you get nothing done. Depression can cause an inability to experience pleasure or desire in everything. It can make you feel unmotivated or have no energy. This affects every area of your life.

 Would you like to feel happy again or feel less alone? Do you wish things could change but you are unsure how?  

Depression is More Common than You May Think

People struggling with depression often think they are the only ones that have this issue.  The truth is that, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)*, more than 17 million people will experience a major depressive episode in the next year. Friends and family may try to be supportive, but when they say you need to “just get over it” or “just be happy” it makes you feel even worse. Depression is more than feeling sad or something that will just pass.

 Depression doesn’t look the same for everyone. Depression can be triggered by a loss, major change in your life, a traumatic event or medical condition. It can also be a longer struggle that has slowly gotten worse over a long period of time. Some people feel “really sad”, others feel “bummed” almost all the time and some people have more anger or irritability. Many people also have feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, “just don’t care” or “don’t feel anything.”

 What do people with depression all have in common? Everyone struggling with depression symptoms has a desire to feel better, to feel different, to get their life back. How you feel matters, and you deserve to be happy too!  With the help of an experienced depression therapist, you can get your life back. 

Depression Treatment Can Help You Find Joy and Confidence in your Life

 In my practice, I offer a safe, compassionate environment focused on helping you feel better. I pull from many techniques to create a plan that is as unique as you are. Therapy can be extremely effective for depression treatment. A combination of learning about your depression, how you think and concrete steps tailored specifically to you can lead to a significant decrease in depression symptoms. Therapy for depression is most effective when the client is actively involved in their plan and making steps toward change.

 So, in our first few sessions together, we will work on determining where you are now with your depression symptoms, what your larger goals are and how we are going to get there together.  We will create small steps such as getting out of bed in the morning or creating a bedtime routine. Then, we will progressively build on those smaller steps towards achieving your larger goals. This makes it feel more manageable and less overwhelming. You also get to see progress along the way towards finding a happier you. On the days that you may just need to “vent”, get advice or have someone listen without judgment, I will be here for you to do that too.

 As an experienced depression therapist, there are 3 therapeutic approaches that I use most often because they have been proven effective for depression treatment: Client-Centered Therapy, Narrative Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

 Client-Centered Therapy creates a non-judgmental, comfortable, empathetic environment that allows you to move at your own pace.  Being allowed to lead the way with when and how you share, results in feeling accepted and understood.

 Depression often can feel all consuming. Narrative Therapy shows that there can be many ways to view the same situation. This can help add some emotional distance to lessen your distress, reframe difficult situations or stressors in your life, and see them a different perspective. For example, not being offered a job that you were originally hesitant about, could be looked at as an opportunity rather than a failure. Propelling you forward, rather than causing you to remain stagnant.

 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has decades of research* proving it to be effective for depression treatment. CBT looks at how patterns in your thinking affect your emotions and behavior. Then, together we will focus on replacing negative thoughts that are making your depression symptoms worse with positive ones that can result in you feeling happier, more content and more hopeful. It focuses on the ways depression is negatively affecting your life and provides concrete steps to help you achieve the change that you want.

 In addition to the strategies above, I am also trained in EMDR therapy and Brainspotting. Although both of these techniques can also be used for depression symptoms alone, sometimes there is a larger issue, event or trauma that causes a persistent feeling of depression or dread. EMDR therapy and Brainspotting can target those emotions, memories or events directly, lessening those depressive feelings attached.

 I have been working with clients struggling with depression for more than 10 years. They have experienced great changes in their lives such as increased happiness, more energy, improved relationships, better self-care skills and strategies to cope more effectively with their emotions when faced with an unexpected stressor. Together, we can create the life you want to live.

“As a professional psychiatric colleague who has worked with Marcia for many years, I found her to be thorough, professional and compassionate in delivering therapy to clients. Many of our common patients demonstrated great improvement and enjoyed Marcia’s humorous common sense approach to learning new skills to address their mental health, substance use and trauma challenges. It is without hesitation that I would recommend Marcia to address your therapy needs.”

Debra Jaccard, PMHNP-BC

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner-Board Certified

Common Concerns about Starting Depression Treatment

“I don’t have time for counseling.”

 Depression therapy is worth the commitment. You deserve to have a life that you enjoy, feel excited to wake up in the morning and not feel like your whole day is a struggle. After starting counseling, you may wake up feeling happier, have more energy and feel like you have more time because you are able to get things accomplished in a shorter amount of time.

 In addition, I understand that people are busy and are often trying to fit way too much into their day. That’s why I offer evening and weekend appointments. I also offer online video sessions to make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule filled with childcare, transportation and weather concerns.  

“I’ve never been to counseling before. What if I don’t know what to talk about or I don’t feel comfortable talking to a stranger?”

 There is no right or wrong way to participate in therapy. It is individual for every person. I offer a free 30 minute consultation which allows for us to meet, talk about what you are looking for and see if we are a good fit.

 We will only talk about topics you are comfortable with and move at your pace.  I am able to provide a confidential sounding board, unbiased advice and teach strategies and skills to help you improve your life and your relationships. Many clients have told me how surprised they are with how comfortable they feel within the first couple sessions. 

“Isn’t it just easier to take medication?”

 Medication is more complicated than a simple yes or no answer and there is no “one size fits all” treatment for depression. Depression therapy and medication are two completely different services, though research* has shown that even clients who are on antidepressant medication have better results when combined with therapy.

 I do not and cannot prescribe medication. However, I can help you work through your options and provide referrals if you would like one. Many people find that medication can make it easier to follow through on behavioral changes in therapy. Others choose not to take medication and have great success with therapy alone. Ultimately whether you choose take medication or not, is up to you and we can work together either way.

You Can Be Happy

 Would you like to find some relief from your depressive symptoms? Are you interested in seeing if we are a good fit?  

 If you have any questions about depression counseling or would like to schedule an appointment, please call or contact me. I also offer a free no obligation, 15-minute consultation and respond to all voicemails and emails within 24 hours. I look forward to hearing from you!

Relevant Blog Posts

*Sources:

Depression. (2017, August). Retrieved from https://www.nami.org/learn-more/mental-health-conditions/depression

David, D., Cristea, I., & Hofmann, S. (2018, Jan 29). Why Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Is the Current Gold Standard of Psychotherapy. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5797481/

Cuijpers, P., Sijbrandij, M., Koole, S. L., Andersson, G., Beekman, A. T., & Reynolds, C. F. (2014, Feb). Adding psychotherapy to antidepressant medication in depression and anxiety disorders: a meta-analysis. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3918025/