Depression Counseling in Lucas Valley Marinwood, CA.

Depression is a serious issue. I know it is difficult to seek help when you are depressed and you probably feel hopeless that there is any help at all. It is the nature of the illness that keeps you from getting the help you deserve. Psychotherapy can help! Depression is treatable and you can live a happier and more productive life. I provide a safe place to help you understand and deal with the depression and together we will create a plan to help you feel better.

Depression originates and presents in subtle ways that are unique to each individual person. Yet it is common to feel taken over with hopelessness and indifference. You may feel as though any other way of experiencing the world is inaccessible, if not impossible. While in it, it can be helpful and less isolating to have a therapist enter into this world with you, come to understand it's origins, it's nuances, how it gets perpetuated and together potentially feel something new.

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.

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.

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.

Frequently, the things we want or need to change serve a purpose for us. They become a part of our identity and while they can cause us distress, their removal from our lives threatens us at a deep level. We are constantly creating an identity for ourselves and the very idea of change represents a threat to that identity. I can help you work through your depression by getting you to focus more concretely on the issues and symptoms you face in a safe and supportive environment. Together we will process some of the various things contributing to your depression, and creatively collaborate on how you can use your internal strengths to change.

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.

Are you having trouble getting out of bed? Do you feel like nothing really matters? Do you not look forward to doing the things you use to enjoy? You might be struggling with depression. Counseling can help you get your motivation back and enjoy life again. You can start speaking to yourself positively, reconnect with your friends and loved ones, and give your life meaning again. Call me for an initial consultation.

Oftentimes, if you scratch the surface of depression, you will find loss, anger, despair, a lack of meaning or purpose, a profound sense of disappointment with others, with oneself, with the way that one's life has been lived. These are the issues that I really try to get to with my clients that come in suffering from depression. I often find that depression is connected to childhood experiences of emotional neglect or inattention. I help my clients articulate and grieve these early experiences and offer them an attuned and empathic relationship that helps them to feel seen and validated. This helps them to see and to value themselves, which opens them up to invest more fully in their life.

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 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.

Maybe you're depressed and nobody even knows your feeling that way; or everyone thinks they know, and they're telling you how to get over it, and to hurry. That advice usually backfires, and makes you feel worse. Recovery from depression is possible, but takes its own time. I am not afraid of sitting with you and those bleak, empty, hopeless feelings, whether you can talk about them or not. While I can certainly give advice if that's useful, I'd rather help you understand what's causing your depression and help you feel through it in your own way - the way it actually works. Gradually, with some ups and downs, you can get a better grip on your life and relationships, and feel better.

Depression is a mood disorder that can cause a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest that can interfere with daily functioning. Reaching out for help is a step towards wellness. Symptoms of depression can vary from person to person, but it is a very treatable condition. Therapy for depression helps you overcome the feelings of hopelessness and despair and to gain control of your life.