Depression Counseling in Castro Valley, CA.

Depression can have many different sources: isolation, unresolved loss, unconscious anger turned against the self, feelings of shame, inadequacy and low self-esteem. It is sometimes experienced as a kind of deadness or emptiness, an absence of feeling. Therapy offers you the opportunity to get to the bottom of what is troubling you, to find your way to solutions. By talking through your issues and feelings you know what you need to do to change and you have support for taking the steps to make the change happen. Everyone needs to feel heard and understood, to feel empathy for their suffering, in order to do this. I offer this empathy, support and guidance to you.

Depression means feeling down or blue for at least two weeks and/or not finding pleasure in activities or relationships that typically make you happy. Nobody chooses to feel depressed, but those who suffer from it may blame themselves. The first step in recovering from depression is cultivating an attitude of patience and empathy towards oneself for feeling depressed. I offer therapy models this attitude and equips clients with the tools to help them cope. We also address the underlying beliefs that may be contributing to the depressive symptoms.

Clients usually experience a progressive decline in mood, which can impact their emotions, the quality of their sleep, relationships (they may even begin to withdraw from others), and have persistent negative thoughts. Many clients prefer to explore viable holistic and integrative strategies before trying medication. In our collaboration, we will design a plan to explore possible options, strategies to strengthen effective coping mechanisms, and identify a plan to enhance the opportunity for recovery.

Depression can be so debilitating. Having a safe place to talk about what has happened, your hopes, your worries with someone who can come along side of you to share the difficulties can be really helpful. Sometimes we can get stuck in ways we think of ourselves and others and feel like there is no way out. Exploring these ideas with someone who can really be present for you can help. Sometimes we don't realize we have strengths and options for ourselves. Counseling can help uncover those resources and provide hope.

Depression can grow on you. Once you experience it, you must find a way out of it or it becomes you. Depression can develop because of loss, trauma, chemical imbalance, or chronic pain and other reasons. Some people believe they have been depressed all their lives. I will help you figure out what is feeding it and how you can get out from under it. We will explore the best way to treat your depression. That includes an assessment, psychotherapy with or without medication or Lifespan Integration to help you out of your depression.

I will help you get out from under your depression by understanding the contributing factors that keep it in place. You will develop more mindfulness and challenge negative patterns of thought and behavior. You will practice new ways of thinking, and being to offset the negative bias of depression. You will learn to cultivate acceptance and compassion for your suffering while challenging yourself to grow and change in the ways you can.

Depression manifests in many ways but the overriding symptoms in children are irritability, changes in sleeping and eating habits, low energy, not seeming to enjoy things that once were fun and isolating. Some have feelings of hopelessness. I work with my clients, to gain an understanding of what they feel. We work together to uncover the deeper reasons for the feelings, the thoughts and behavior. And then begin to learn ways to change the thoughts and feelings so they can once again feel more confident that things will work out for them.

Depression is the experience of being cut off from feelings, leaving a person feeling numb to life. I help people work through depression by helping them reconnect with themselves. I do this by helping them develop awareness, engage somatic practices to get into their body, do cognitive behavioral techniques to help manage negative beliefs, heal past trauma through the use of EMDR, and learn to sit with more difficult feelings, such as loss and anger. By having a space to process difficult experiences, I person can be free of depression.

I use Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to treat depression. At the heart of CBT is an assumption that a person's mood is directly related to his or her patterns of thought. Negative, dysfunctional thinking affects a person's mood, sense of self, behavior, and even physical state. I use a combination of techniques and interventions to address and assist my client to learn to recognize negative patterns of thought, evaluate their validity, and replace them with healthier ways of thinking. I aim to help clients change patterns of behavior that come from dysfunctional thinking.

Depression can be painful for the person suffering from it as well as those closest to them. When we are depressed, previously enjoyable activities can appear meaningless. We lose interest in connecting with others (often exacerbating symptoms). Furthermore, it can feel as though there is "no point" to life. We all have periods of time when we feel less than ideal, but depression is severe and enduring. Counseling provides an atmosphere where it is safe to discuss these feelings.

Depression can be experienced in a number of different ways. It can feel like an overwhelming sense of sadness or grief, which can make it difficult to get out of bed and carry on your daily functions. It can also emerge as irritability or even boredom. Depression can cloud your judgment and can make being in relationships challenging. Depression can also be confusing, particularly if you don't know what caused it. In psychotherapy, I can support you in discovering insights that can help you find relief. I can support you in finding ways to better cope with your feelings and process whatever old internal wounds may be lingering, which has led to your depression.

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.

Research shows that the most effective treatment for depression is psychotherapy. Depression can range from feeling down to major symptoms such as having trouble even getting out of bed or contemplating suicide (if you have suicidal thoughts or plans, call the National Suicide Prevention Line at 1-800-273-8255). Online counseling is effective for depression because it is easy to access: you can start treatment without even leaving the house.