Depression Counseling in Castro Valley, CA.

If you are reading this, and wondering if you might be depressed, you probably are. Even if one is used to it, depression sucks the life energy out of a person, dampening their ability to concentrate, to be creative or have hope for a good future. Depression is different from the blues, which may last just a day or two. Depression can be mild, moderate or severe, but left unchecked, it can become chronic. Please call or email me so I can help you to assess where you are right now in terms of the feelings that you are having that are holding you back from a meaningful, productive and happy life.

Depression is usually very treatable. As an Oakland depression therapist, I help people with depression work through their pain and take steps to feel better again. I use traditional talk therapy techniques as well as empirically proven therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness based therapy, and EMDR. Exciting new research is proving the effectiveness of combining meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, for depression, and I am excited to offer this therapy to my clients. As a somatic therapist, I am also able to help you work with your body to change the physical symptoms of depression. I help adults & children heal and recover from depressive disorders.

I have been working with people struggling with depression for the last 17 years. Using a lense of mindfulness and meditation, I help people to see past the symptoms of depression in order to ask "why is this here? What is my higher self trying to tell me?" I also incorporate cognitive therapy where appropriate, in an effort to decrease a client's negative thinking.

When you do not seek help for depression, you suffer needlessly. The depression gets worse if feelings are unexpressed, coupled with isolation. We will begin by identifying options for the future and setting realistic goals that enable you to enhance your mental and emotional well-being. We will focus and draw on your strengths, focus on the positives and you will learn tools and skills needed to move through this state. I will help you understand and improve communication patterns of interacting with other people, should it contribute to the depression. You will make small changes each day. We build on it. Gradually you will incorporate enjoyable, fulfilling activities back into your life

Depression can be overwhelming and cause people to feel hopeless and helpless. Unfortunately depression may not subside without some kind of intervention. The good news is that once someone is able to develop the understanding of their depression and he/she can learn what coping skills work best for him/her, they will be able to use those in the future should the depression ever return.

There are many causes for depression and many forms of depression, from reactive depressions to deep internal depressions. Sudden depressions as well as long lasting depressions are not to be ignored. They are serious emotional responses which can benefit extensively from appropriate counseling and therapeutic interventions. Having a caring and listening ear to talk to during a time of depressive despair can be extremely healing. It is often stated that a healthy listening relationship can heal beyond measure. There are depressions which will benefit from medical interventions along with talking interventions. In general, cared for depressions will greatly improve and most will pass.

Our thoughts, behaviors and our emotions are all strongly connected. Change one of these three and the others have to shift as well. Cognitive-behavioral therapy relies on these connections to give you some control back over your depression. Studies have shown Cognitive-behavioral therapy to be a highly-effective treatment for depression, with or without medication. Different types of depression require different types of treatment. I work with each client to fully understand their unique experience of depression. We can work together to build on existing skills and find new ways to help you manage your mood.

Has anyone ever implied you should just "snap out of" depression? Oh, boy, do they not understand! If depression is keeping you from living the life you want, I can help. I understand that depression is a complex emotional, physical, and psychological disease. Often historical, genetic and environmental factors contribute to depression. Together we can sort out those complex factors and address them one by one. Depression is not your fault, nor is it a moral failing. You can feel better. You can feel alive again. Studies show that even contacting a therapist can give you hope. Give it a try. I'm waiting to hear from you.

Jonathan is highly skilled at cognitive-behavioral work with depression and at shifting personal relationships that contribute to depression. At the same time, Barbara excels at empathetically guiding clients out of depression. She grew up with a depressed mother and has become an expert at reaching pain and fear that many clients are otherwise unable to access. She also has exceptional intuitive powers for understanding the source of a depression.

When depression hits, it's like a ton of bricks weighing on you. It feels like there is no way out of the fog. It can be helpful to have a place to explore this and validate how difficult it can be to experience depression. Therapy is a safe place for you to understand what underlying issues might be making the depression more difficult to manage. I will provide that safe place for you to gain understanding about yourself and the depression you experience. I will also work with you to find tools that can help you move through it with more ease and confidence. I look forward to supporting you through this process.

Are you feeling overwhelming sadness? Disconnected from yourself and others? Lonely and isolated? Uninterested in activities that you used to enjoy? Are you finding that you are sleeping or eating more or less than you typically do? Is it hard to get yourself going and to complete tasks? Are you feeling guilt, worthlessness, or hopelessness? I can help you overcome symptoms of depression by addressing the root causes. Together, we can work to reconnect you to yourself and bring you back to thriving in your life. I specialize in working with people who are experiencing depression, and have helped many individuals achieve lasting change in their life.

Grey Matters International, Inc. and the work of Kevin J. Fleming, Ph.D. handles depression and other emotional disorders in a very unique way. Most of therapy or counseling processes utilize validation, unconditional positive regard, and reframing as common techniques to get someone to heal from their depression. Though this can be helpful, it rarely fixes the core problem behind it and for tough cases we then refer them usually to a psychiatrist for medication which can have tons of side effects. Instead, why not try a natural and arguably more effective way to not just change your mind, but change the brain--where the depression is rooted. Contact us at kevin@kevinflemingphd.com.

Anyone who has struggled with depression knows that relief can be hard to come by. I take a very pro-active and collaborative approach in working with clients facing depression. I help clients both work with and manage their depressive symptoms, as well as helping them access and work through the underlying causes of those symptoms. For example, I find that addressing the anger, grief or sadness that is oftentimes "underneath" the depression goes a tremendous way in beginning to shift the depression itself. When appropriate, I also work collaboratively with a client's physician to build treatment plans that include both medication and therapy, an often very effective combination.