Depression Counseling in Mahtomedi, MN.

My method of treating depression is to assess the causes of the depression, mobilize your strengths, and support you in making the needed behavioral, cognitive and emotional changes. Depression can result from biological and/or psychosocial factors. Effective treatment will explore the underlying causes as well as developing more effective coping skills. These skills include using social support, changing self-talk, resolving underlying issues, healthy emotional expression, setting and achieving goals, and increasing assertive behavior. My clinical approach to treatment is to be actively engaged, supportive, direct and practical.

I always think of depression and anxiety as close relations. Although they feel very different in the body, they often arise for the same reason; to protect us. For me, the key to working with depression is to use curiosity and compassion to figure out why it has such a hold, and to understand what purpose it serves. I believe that we develop depression because it was adaptive at some point in our lives, but then it stops working for us. If we understand the message/purpose/role this part plays within us, without judgement or shame, it's a lot easier to release depression's hold on us.

If you’re feeling down, are lacking motivation, or lacking motivation, you’re not alone. The demands of work and home life can take a toll on any man. Not many understand the unique pressures you face, and this can be frustrating, lonely, and isolating. Whether you feel like things are falling apart, or you’re still hiding it pretty well, there is hope. I often use EMDR therapy and a faith-based perspective to help men uncover and heal the source of their issues, and discover their peace, hope, and motivation in life. One of the insidious parts of depression is that while you’re in the fog, it’s hard to be objective. I will help you walk through this fog until we get to the other side.

Does life feel overwhelming and hopeless? I'll help you connect with your pain without getting lost in it, understand where it comes from, and interrupt the cycle of negative and despairing thoughts that characterize depression. When you can make sense of your suffering and share it in a supportive environment, it shifts from feeling impossible to live with to being a manageable part of life. You'll understand the events and behaviors in your life that contribute to feeling depressed and learn how to experience a range of emotions. Whether you're on antidepressants or feel strongly about not using them, therapy is an effective way to break depression's state of lethargy and powerlessness.

Depression is one of the most common problems that humans deal with. We look at depression as taking to common forms. There is clinical depression which is more brain based, with a strong genetic component. There is also situational depression, which even though it involves brain chemistry, is more based on patterns of thought. Research has shown that a combination of therapy and medication is commonly an effective approach. Medication alone has shown to not be as effective. The human connection that comes through therapy is key.

You feel hopeless, defeated and lost. It may be difficult to connect to others or find any real meaning in your day to day. You have no energy and simple things feel so hard. It may be taking all the emotional bandwidth that you have right now to be here, reading this, trying to figure out what to do. There is hope and a way through this. I invite you to reach out to get started. I can and want to help you.

Survivors of Narcissistic Abuse often feel broken and defeated. You may feel like you can't trust yourself and wonder if you are truly 'the problem' in all of this like you have been repeatedly told. You carry a deep heaviness and sadness within you. You might even feel hopeless and stuck--not sure how to move forward. I want you to know that I see you and hear you. I understand how exhausted you feel. I can help and would love to support you in these upcoming steps. Please feel free to email me or if you are wanting to start now, you are invited to schedule via the scheduling link of my website.

We will work together to identify your particular depressive symptoms, how they affect you, and how to reduce their impact in your life. Cognitive behavioral therapy is considered the gold-standard in treating depression, so we will likely start there. In addition, we will spend time delving into your past, how you grew up, and formative times in your life to see if any of these may be contributing to depression your life. Clients often report that understanding the source or contributing factors of depression helps them to feel better and more in control. It also helps us create a treatment plan based on your unique situation rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

There are times when depression is debilitating and life may seem hopeless. Although you may feel alone you are not. In therapy I will stand with you and help you rediscover the strength that is within you and help you find your way back to feeling normal. I use a person-centered, cognitive behavior approach so you receive both support and direction. I can also connect you to other resources for medication or holistic health management. Call today.

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

Depression is a real thing. Those that have not suffered from depression may not understand that. They may say "just get over it", or you may even be saying that to yourself. Working with one of our trained professionals can give you a fresh perspective and give you the tools to help you overcome the effects of depression. We offer several clinicians and several different approaches including cognitive behavioral therapy, Christian counseling, Somatic Experiencing®, family systems therapy, narrative therapy, strategic therapy, and others. Visit our website at http://www.centerlifecounseling.com for more information or to contact us for scheduling.

Oftentimes, anxiety can turn into depression, or the two can 'flip' back and forth, resulting in a sort of 'on-again, off-again' experience. Or, depression can slowly grow over time. Or maybe it feels like it's always been there. Whatever the specifics of how depression feels to us, there are some commonalities. We tend to disconnect from others and our supports (or feel like we want to), and we often tend to avoid precisely the things and the people that might be helpful to us. Learn how to be gentle with yourself, slowly and with self-compassion, find your way back, or find your way to a new place.

Depression is a part of the lives of people who experience it, but it does not need to define their life. People who I work with discover new and creative ways to approach their own unique experience of depression so that it has less influence over the parts of themselves and their lives that matter most to them. I recognize the how overwhelming depression can be, while also seeing the power an individual has over it's impact on their life.

Depression can cast a shadow over so many aspects of life. Making it sometimes feel hopeless or that an end is no where in sight. Helping my clients with understanding the causes for depression and utilizing the strengths they already have, as well as teaching new non-medicinal skills, helps to reduce overall symptoms and regain a sense of passion for life again!