Depression Counseling in Lakewood, IL.

You may feel like you're drowning. With little motivation or energy, every task feels a million times harder than it should. You may feel completely alone; like no one could possibly understand your pain. How do I know? I've been there before. Depression is incredibly hard to manage alone. I know what it takes to overcome the challenge of depression and I regularly help my clients regain happiness in their lives too. During the therapy process, I help clients let go of things that aren't working anymore, regain their energy, motivation, happiness, and belief in themselves. Let me help you feel better!

Are you feeling sad or depressed? Do you sometimes feel hopeless? Working with a therapist has been shown to be an effective treatment for depression. Within a non-judgmental and supportive therapeutic environment, I will work closely with you to identify the causes of your depression, to develop effective coping skills, and to make positive and enduring life changes.

Making sure that if the depression is chemical in nature is very important to get a medical/psychiatric evaluation. Many of symptoms of depression stem from unresolved self esteem issues and early childhood issues. Changing the way we self talk and how we view self and who we operate in the world can change our mood state. Being more aware of the cognitive nature of ones perceptions allow the individual make significant changes in how they feel.

Symptoms of Depression: Withdrawal, inappropriate guilt, overwhelming self-doubt, unwarranted pessimism, inappropriate irritability, unwarranted weight gain or weight loss, dysfunctional use of drugs or alcohol, over-sleeping or under-sleeping, inappropriate deficiency in energy, excessive lethargy and abnormally unpleasant mood. Depression Treatment: Re-structuring of psychological perspective, cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectal behavior therapy, drama-response extinction, re-framing of catastrophic predictions, anti-depressants, narrative therapy and state-of-the-art self-hypnosis. Benefits of Treatment: Rapid enhancement of mood, increased optimism, more energy, reduced fatigue.

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.

Karen’s approach in assisting people suffering from depression varies with each person. She initially searches for the reasons causing the depression, and together she and the client will pursue the changes needed to alleviate the symptoms. Karen uses the word picture with her clients of viewing depression as being down in a valley, and by putting the accepted interventions into practice, she can assist them in climbing out of the valley. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a well researched therapy that has been shown to be effective in treating people suffering from depression, and this is the intervention Karen most often uses along with other accepted techniques.

People suffering from depression have more negative thoughts about themselves, the world, and the future. Those who are depressed also tend to feel more helpless, hopeless and worthless. Research with depressed individuals suggests that treatment focusing on changing peoples’ thought (cogntive behavioral therapy) is a particularly effective treatment for depression. CBT as part of a comprehensive treatment plan is a very effective approach to treating depression.

Many of the 17 million adult Americans suffering from depression during any one-year period do not recognize that they have a condition that can be treated effectively. Everyone feels sad at times or grieves over upsetting life experiences such as loss of employment, death of a loved one, or divorce. Most of these feelings of grief tend to become less intense on their own as time goes by. Depression occurs when these feelings of extreme sadness or despair last for at least two weeks or longer and when they interfere with daily living. Depression tends to make people feel helpless, hopeless, and blame themselves for having these feelings. People with depression may feel overwhelmed, exhausted, have difficulty sleeping, and stop participating in...(view profile to read more)

Depression is frequently referred to as the common cold of mental health issues. Everyone experiences difficulties in life from time to time but when normal grief, stress,work, family issues or other stressors become overwhelming depression can set in causing individuals very serious symptoms and struggles including, decreased energy/motivation, alienation from relationships, feelings of hopelessness, fatigue, poor concentration and at worst no longer wanting to go on with life. The good news is there is help available. When dealing with depression it is important to be able to talk about the struggle but we will also give you strategies and tools to relieve your distress.

It can be very challenging to live day to day life when we are feeling chronically sad, overwhelmed, disconnected or lonely. To help people who are feeling depressed I meet them where they are at & seek to understand what they are thinking & feeling & how those thoughts & feelings are negatively affecting them. I find out what their ideal life would be - their hops & their dreams - what life would look like if they were no longer sad or depressed & I work with them to take small action steps to help them to feel stronger, happier, more fulfilled.

Depression is an energy disorder, a thief of enjoyment, accomplishment, connection with others, and self-care. It comes in many forms and facades. You can feel helpless not being able to change your feelings. Depression can be scary and cannot be reasoned away. I can help you identify, understand and regulate difficult emotions, and find a workable plan to address how difficult it can be.

Depression is seen by some as a biochemical imbalance that is genetically transferred to the individual and can only be treated through medication. This might be part of the picture, but also a depressive, negative style of thinking can result in changes in the brain that bring about this unhealthy biochemical imbalance - and psychological treatment can change the thinking style that leads to this imbalance, rendering the individual to be free of reliance on medication and overall improved life that lasts on it's own merits.

Feeling depressed is one of the hardest emotions to deal with--especially if you have been suffering with it for a long time. Know that there is always hope for feeling better. First, I will closely listen to your story, and assist you in identifying what is contributing to your depression. Then I will recommend helpful resources to use, and begin to equip you with skills that will improve your mood and foster a growing sense of well-being.