Depression Counseling in Richmond, CA.

I approach the therapeutic healing from depression with a lens of authenticity that begins by building a trusting relationship with the client. Heal from the darkness of depression with my compassionate integration of Internal Family Systems, mindfulness approaches, and other psychodynamic approaches. We will work on accessing your inner wisdom of "self" in combination with awareness of the power and science of the mind and body to help find your light.

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.

When you’re depressed it makes life feel like you’re walking through mud, everything is more difficult and tiring and you feel less motivated to do anything. This can make depression incredibly difficult to deal with because it requires taking action to overcome. I have personal and professional experience in recovery from this unpleasant disorder, which gives me an edge and helping people to heal from depression.

Depression is the result of loss, powerlessness and trauma. The negative experiences we have, when not processes, the experiences that have become frozen in the form of despair, rage, powerlessness, grief and disconnection from ourselves and others leads to depression. These experiences can be made active, can be processed through and healing can take place. I draw from EMDR and somatic approaches to resolve depressive symptoms and the underlying reasons for the depressive state that formed.

My approach with treating depression is to assess for negative thought patterns as well as unresolved grief or trauma. Once I determine the source, I have a Holistic approach for depression that involves a program of self care and inner work. I offer somatic techniques such as breath work, guided visualizations, EFT (the tapping technique that releases anxiety or trauma). I also teach cutting edge Law of Attraction techniques that help you stay out of depression and build up your self esteem as well as create more love, happiness, and financial abundance in your life.

Depression can set in when our emotions or negative thought patterns become overwhelming and too much to hold. Pain or hardship often is too much to hold alone. With my help, we can start to open to emotion, bring a wise awareness to thought patterns, and to find aliveness again. If we can make friends with our emotions, stop fighting them, and to recognize their purpose in regulating the nervous system or showing us what matters to us, tremendous resilience can be found on the other side.

I am of the opinion that feelings of depression are most offten associated with unexpressed or unacknowledged deep-seated feelings of anger that we hold on to for one reason or other. Because every human behavior has a purpose, holding on to one's anger in the form of depression has some "secondary" gain for the individual, perhaps putting one in the victim's role and otherwise allowing us to feel a sense of control in situtions where we may feel out of control. However, there is a great price to pay for this in terms of a loss of aliveness and joy in one's life. I help people who are stuck in their depression to get to the other side.

Working with the experience of depression is much more than changing our thoughts to change our behavior. Our brains are wired to notice the negative; it's part of our survival. I support my clients in expanding what they notice, and help them discover what works for them by creating a tool kit through experiential relational interventions in session. When I see children, I utilize play therapy as the modality, including Child Centered Play Therapy, Filial Therapy, and Prescriptive Play Therapy. When working with adolescents and adults, I utilize expressive arts, DBT, CBT and Narrative Therapy.

For clients experiencing depression, I help them explore both external and internal circumstances that are impacting their mental health and look for relationships in their lives that are impeding the healing process. Then we do relational work together to move out of a place of hopelessness and helplessness into a place of strength and empowerment.

I believe depression is caused when we shut down our emotional expression. As in if we shut down one part of ourselves, such as our anger, or our desire, or our fear, or any other one part, we can't just shut down the one channel and we end up shutting them all down, leading to depression. The solution is to create the safety and trust needed for the person to finally be able to express and feel what they have been blocking and thus move past the depression into more aliveness.

Depression can manifest itself in different ways. It's most well-known manifestation is tearfulness, isolation, low self-esteem, hopelessness, and negative self-talk. Depression can also show up as irritability, patterns of avoidance, aggression, and anxiety. Because of 1) the more popular face of depression and 2) the stigma attached to it, people encounter difficulty in reaching out for and receiving help. It can be a really frustrating, hopeless place to feel stuck. I will help you to come to a place of understanding your depression and give you tools to understand and manage the symptoms.

Depression (and anxiety) are normal responses to painful environments. Are finding it difficult to be motivated? Are you lower energy than you should be? Is it hard to get out of bed? Do you get irritable for no reason at times? If so, you may be suffering from depression. I attack depression from two angles. One strategy is using CBT strategies to help you manage some of your symptoms. I also use EMDR, attachment based psychotherapy, and body / nervous system informed strategies to help you transform some of the underlying brain mis-wiring that is there from your past. Don't find somebody that just stares at you and lets you continue to be depressed. Let's do something about this!

Depression robs us, not only of our happiness and sense of well-being, but also of the hope that things will get better. Depression makes us feel we are worthless, so it is hard to reach out for the help we need. I help clients defeat depression through reestablishing hope and improving self-esteem and self-care. I have worked with clients suffering from chronic, lifelong depression as well as those experiencing their first depressive episode. Overcoming depression restores resilience and can teach lifelong lessons in self-care and the path to emotional health. I have been there myself, so I know that there is hope. You will overcome depression and feel like yourself again.