Depression Counseling in East Orange, NJ.

Clients struggling from feeling emotionally hurt, isolated, selfish, helpless, or hopeless can gain insight into symptoms and treatment of depression. Clients can learn emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal relationship skills and heal from past painful experiences that may influence current thoughts and belief systems in an unhealthy way.

Our enriched, multi-modal approach is effective for clients who consult us regarding depression and mood-modulation issues. Often the combination of cognitive-behavioral, supportive and psychodynamic-ego-enhancing approaches help moderately depressed clients within a relatively short time--usually within a few months. Our approachability, empathic listening skills and pragmatic conflict-resolution expertise are most useful for clients suffering from the debilitating effects of depression. We also stress a holistic approaches that integrate medical and nutritional needs, as well as incorporating stress reduction, physical exercise and meditation work. Our clients often benefit greatly.

Hal helps clients understand depression and better cope with the nasty and persistent erosion of hope. Hal encourages his clients to understand the reason(s) for their depression and unique ways to climb out of it. He also encourages clients to connect to, express, even write about their depression. Hal believes that only by facing it head are we able to effectively disarm depression, while increasing self-esteem.

I help my clients learn how to let go of their depression and replace it with acceptance and joy. Depression often occurs when we take situations and others' behavior personally. When we think they mean something about our self-worth. You can learn how to define your own self-worth and not allow anything outside yourself to determine your mood. I can help you learn how to take better care of yourself by learning to heal the deeper feelings underneath your depression like sadness, helplessness and loneliness.

You did not choose depression, and it is not something that can simply be “shaken off.” Depression is real, life-altering, and can convince you that happiness or peace will never return. Yet depression does not define you. Together, we can acknowledge its weight while also challenging the painful story it tells. My role is to walk with you through the heaviness, to hold space for the difficulty, and to help you discover that hope and healing are possible. You do not have to face this alone.

Depression is widespread and can also serve a function that allows one to move on in life. The catalyst such as PTSD or loss, when explored appropriately, can enliven a depressed individual. Although depressive feelings and thoughts are debilitating, the process of Working through these feelings can serve as a catalyst for personal growth.

I address depression by exploring its roots in childhood. What were the negative influences that made you believe things would never get better? What made you feel it was pointless to try? Where does your low self-esteem come from? Together, we can identify these factors and how they affected you, and then question their validity in your present circumstances, as an adult with adult capabilities. In addition, I will teach you coping strategies, including mindfulness practices, self-compassion and self-care, that will help you reduce depressive symptoms on a day-to-day basis.

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.

I will help you explore the roots of your depression, whether it stems from relationship issues, low self-esteem, biochemistry, or some combination of them. We will formulate an individualized plan of action to help you address the sources of your unhappiness so that you can shed what no longer works for you and begin living a more authentic and fulfilling life.

I have extensive experience working with depression, from mild forms to severe, cripplling depression. Sometimes depression can seem like the world around you has changed, leaving you isolated and feeling all alone. At times some may feel unable to go on with their daily life. I help you identify the root causes of depression and can provide strategies to move through and onwards with life.

Someone once said that depression "can't hit a moving target". Unfortunately, it also makes you so tired you can't move! Your experience of depression, and the solution is likely as unique as you are. Often treatment includes exploring patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving that may be holding you back. There is life after depression. Together we will gently explore the cause of your experience, and discover the best approach for you. I am trained and certified in several evidence based practices to treat depression.

I work with many people with depression whether as individuals, or in the context of couples therapy. I help people to become aware of their thoughts, feelings, and the experience they have in their bodies around their depression. I work cognitively and behaviorally to help them understand distorted thinking. I also work to "externalize" the feeling of depression, and help people understand that, "you are not your thoughts." Depression may be visiting you, but you are not depression. Mindfulness is a tool I use with depression to help people understand what is happening to them in the moment, and to begin to open to emotions that may be blocked.

Depression can be a challenge in the day to day functions of our lives but together we will bring your strengths to the surface and use evidenced based therapies to assist with improving your mood, increase motivation, increase energy, and find a sense of fulfillment in your life. Therapy will include both CBT and DBT techniques as well as others.