Depression Counseling in Northridge, CA.

Depression, fear and anxiety are some of the most common and uncomfortable emotions that we can experience at some point in our lives. Therapy can help you to talk things out, cope with feelings, problem solve and change behavior patterns that may contribute to your symptoms. Through our work together in therapy, I am able to help you recover motivation, perspective, and joy that you once had so that you can live your best life.

We have learned much in the past decade or so about the neurobiology of emotions and their relationship to our body, genetics, and past experiences. Although there may be medical causes of depression that may be medically treatable, research has shown that a combination of psychotherapy and medication is the best treatment. In therapy, we will explore your experiences that may be contributing to depression. We will identify ways to improve self-care (i.e., sleep, diet, exercise), and the ways in which thoughts and emotional responses to stress contribute to depression along with options for improving managing symptoms and coping with emotions.

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.

Young adults across the country are struggling, and often their parents often don’t understand why, or how to best help them. By waiting until emotional problems with your child have escalated, the issue becomes more complicated to solve. Seeking my services as a Young Adult Life Coach offers the opportunity to address and remedy these problems. I provide a safe, non-judgmental space for your child to express their feelings and overcome their challenges. I invite you to take advantage of my FREE Initial Parent Consultation.

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.

“Stinkin’ thinkin’” isn’t what causes depression. It’s just one manifistation of this bewildering, joy-sucking, often recurring illness. The good news is that depressive illness does not last forever, even though it can feel like it. The not-so-good news is that for many people, depression is a recurrent illness that hides in the shadows and may strike without cause or warning. MBCT (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy) is an 8-week program that’s been scientifically-shown to prevent—or at least, decrease the likelihood of— recurrence in people who have suffered from 3 or more episodes of depression. It is a skill-based program that reduces the body’s vulnerability to depressive illness.

Many of us will experience depression at some point during our lifetime. Depression has many different causes, including loss, life transitions, divorce, childhood abuse, traumatic experiences, genetics, illness, and many others. I believe that the therapeutic relationship is the first tool in helping you to feel better. I will compassionately and supportively help you to identify and get to the root of the underlying thoughts, feelings and experiences in your life which may be contributing to your depression. In an atmosphere of non-judgment, you will begin to explore, process, and integrate these contributing factors, allowing you to feel a new sense of peace, lightness, and optimism.

We all feel down sometimes. Real depression is when we can’t get back up. Or it’s when we do so only after great effort, and even then it’s not all the way back. If sadness, hopelessness, and helplessness get in your way, that’s depression. Even mild or periodic depression can interfere in your life. It can also increase conflicts at work and in your relationships. Therapy helps, even without medication. Some people may benefit from medication, but that’s on an individual basis, and research shows that medication works best when it’s combined with therapy. We’ll examine what causes the depression, what you’ve tried, and what else can be done. Depression doesn’t have to stop your living.

My approach to working with depression utilizes a combination of depth psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and existential therapy. Depression is the soul speaking of its pain and isolation through the body. My clients benefit immensely from learning to listen to the unconscious through dream analysis and the use of active imagination. CBT provides a tool for clients to identify negative thoughts and replace them with life affirming thoughts. Through existential work my clients learn to take responsibility for and take charge of their depression. For those clients who are taking anti-depressant medication I work closely with their psychiatrists to maximize outcomes.

Depression is a crippling experience that often goes unidentified by ourselves or those in our lives for way too long. It is self-sustaining, as it causes us to withdraw from our lives and from possible support. Mild to moderate depression may be treated with traditional "talk" psychotherapy, although severe depression may require pharmaceutical intervention. I work with you both to make sense of your depression and take steps to challenge it and move through it, into a better quality of life. We will talk. We will work somatically, with your breath and your body, to move stuck emotions and energy and remove the blocks to getting back into your life. Depression IS treatable. Seek out help.

Many people have felt sad or depressed at times. Our moods go up and down based on our experiences, physical wellbeing, affected by our day to day encounters. Feeling depressed can be a normal reaction to loss, life's labors, or a wounded self-esteem. But when feelings of extreme sadness -- including feeling hopeless, and worthless last for many days and then to weeks and keep you from performing normally, your depression may be something more than sadness. It may very well be clinical depression – which is a treatable medical condition. A sign of depression is either depressed mood or loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed for more than just a few days. In addition, the depressive symptoms need to cause clinically significant distress or...(view profile to read more)

Talk therapy, when combined with medication, can play an important role in helping clients manage depression. Working together with a professional therapist helps you gain a new perspective on any issues you may be facing at work, with family or friends or in your general life. Having the support of a therapist through a depressive episode will provide you with an ally who will see you through your depression, help you manage your medications and be able to monitor the progress should it become worse.

In adulthood, our closest relationship is often with our spouse, partner, or significant other. When chronic conflict invades this relationship, it can become difficulty to find joy and contentment in life. Our practice works with couples in which one or both partners are experiencing depression. We believe that as the relationship heals and partners learn strategies for respecting and valuing one another's needs and desires, symptoms of depression will be alleviated. Call/text us at 516-387-5143 for a free 15 minute consultation to see if we're a good fit for your needs.