Depression Counseling in Petaluma, 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.

I work with a depressed nervous system by working with the body. Often we struggle to sleep, eat, or accomplish relatively simple tasks. Our bodies are stuck with the brake on. When our body thinks it is futile, out mind follows quickly thereafter and we begin to tell ourselves how pointless things are and how worthless we are. I work with the whole body to re-regulate the body to enable you to get back to a whole integrated self.

Depression can rob your life of pleasure and meaning. It can become difficult to do things that could make you feel better. Instead, you'll often do the things that make you feel worse, like eating or drinking too much and avoiding the people you care about.  We believe that your depression has meaning.  Whether the cause is a long-term issue or a sudden crisis, or a feeling that there's more to life, depression has something to teach you. Our goal is to help you understand what's going on and help you regain a life of joy and meaning.

Depression can cause experiences of lonliness, sadness, agitation, tearfulness, hopelessness, and decreased motivation. Together we can work to identify potential causes of depression symptoms and how these symptoms may be impacting your life. In most cases a core belief about ourself or the world can cause depression to persist. Some of these beliefs can include but are not limited to "I'm not good enough", "noone cares about me", "it's not safe to express my emotions", and "bad things always happen to me". Taking a collaborative approach we will incorporate both self compassion strategies and tangible skills based interventions as a way to work on improving your mood.

NEW ZOOM CLASS on healthy relationships! more info in my bio - FIRST CLASS FREE! - Depression often really just means "repression". It is usually a sign that they human system is overwhelmed with thoughts & emotions that have become unmanageable. A shift in circumstances is usually needed for people suffering from depression AND expressing emotions through a variety of outlets is extremely helpful. This can be done through verbal expression, creativity such as dance, writing, music, painting, etc. Receiving attention & compassion from others is also critical. This is what a skilled therapist can provide, though it's also important to get this from others such as friends and family.

I use several methods for helping you overcome depression. I support you in maintaining safety. Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, I help you to identify unhelpful thoughts and learn how to restructure your thoughts. I help you identify root causes of your depression and find ways to reduce their impact by replacing them with activities and relationships that support you in increased positive mood and personal responsibility. Depression can be comorbid with other issues you may be struggling with and I take a holistic approach to help you address what is needed in order to become a more fulfilled, and satisfied individual.

Psychotherapy can be used to treat a depression. Therapy can help lift the depression, sometimes forever, sometimes for a period of time. Therapy works by addressing some of the causes of depression. Those things that seem to be related to depression include: difficult relationships in the past and present, traumatic experiences from the recent and distant past, emotions that are unexpressed in healthy ways, and ways of thinking that were learned from those around you, from both childhood and adulthood. The problem here is that if you are depressed, you may not feel like you deserve treatment. Your depression may have increased a sense of hopelessness, and low self-esteem. I