Depression Counseling in Montville, NJ.

Depression comes in differant forms, sometimes people become depressed because of situations in thier lives, be that losses or traumatic life events. Situational depression is real and can be treated very effectively through psychotherapy. Chronic depression is a more organic condition that can be a long term condition, however, good psychodynamic psychotherapy can be extremely helpful. With either situational or chronic depression, psychotherapy is an important part of part of the path to recovery.

Is sadness and despair overwhelming your experience of yourself and the world? Do you feel as if a dark cloud is hovering over you? Do even the simplest things seem too difficult to accomplish? Do you wish you could just leave, even though you don’t even know where to go? Are feelings of helplessness overwhelming you? If you can identify with these descriptions, then you may be struggling with clinical depression. Depression can be temporary striking because of overwhelming life events or it can be more persistent. Regardless of its source, there is effective treatment for these symptoms. Let's work together to help you bring hope and joy back into your life.

Depression is one of the most widespread mental health issue which effects millions of people worldwide. Whether your depressed mood was triggered by a specific event or whether it cannot be easily defined, there is help available. Please call me to discuss your exact needs so that we can explore some helpful therapy options. You don't have to live another day in pain, please take the next step.

Depression can take on many forms from person to person. During our time together we will spend intimate time identifying what depression looks like in your life and what supports need to be put into place to help you achieve a desired level of functioning. Tools and skills will be developed to help assist during difficult times that are occurring outside of the therapeutic setting and to help promote independence and self efficacy when encountering symptoms.

I leverage a solution-based approach to clearly outline your primary challenge, work through an exercise to meditate on and define your future state and then work over 8 sessions to achieve it via homework and 1:1 sessions. Clients have experienced great success with this approach, my goal is to empower you - YOU have the answers and I want to help you find them.

Depression is very difficult to address on ones own. Often clients don't know its depression as their thoughts and feelings almost begin to feel normal. They forget about how life once was and need a help in climbing out of the dark hole that they feel there in. I will use few different approaches including referrals for medication when a client feels they are ready or request it.

I believe that depression is nature’s way of shutting us down when there is some element in our life or our past that overwhelms and burdens us. It is often something experienced that our usual ways of coping cannot remedy. A client experiencing depression is often ‘turning off’, ‘shutting down’ and going inward in response to something in their life or in their relationships that is just too much to bear. I help depressed clients discover what it is in their life that is overwhelming them and help them find the strength and power to directly face the matter that is causing the turn inward and the shutting down.

Children and adolescents who act out due to symptoms of AD/HD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Autistic Spectrum Disorders, and School Underachievement constantly receive negative feedback from parents, teachers, and peers. This results in underlying feelings of helplessness and hopelessness leading to depression. I motivate such children to develop self-control which leads to improved academic and social skills. This leads to social acceptance and academic achievement and self-esteem rises. Helplessness and hopelessness dissipate and depression and anxiety lessen.

Audrey believes deeply in approaching depression holistically. Using a "here and now" disposition, Audrey will focus more on the present as opposed to digging through your past. We will identify patterns in your thinking and actions that do not serve you and help to reframe and restructure the belief system them supports your unhealthy behaviors. This will be paired with consistent check-ins regarding your overall health such as food, sleep, sunlight, work life etc.... to maximize overall joy in your life.

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.