Depression Counseling in North Plainfield, NJ.

I can help you recover from depression. We'll start with a thorough assessment to understand what level of depression you have and the treatment options you might consider. We'll look through a toolbox of depression-management strategies from mindfulness and exercise to cognitive-behavioral therapy that can unearth the negative and shame-producing beliefs you operate within. We'll work together to develop a customized depression reduction plan for you. Then comes the hard part--getting started and sustaining the things that work over time. I'll be with you every step of the way until you rebuild the joy and peace you deserve in life.

Whether you are in the depths of depression or mildly depressed, I will tune into the underlying causes, help you understand how these are having an impact on you, make a caring connection with you, and you will most likely feel hope. Every person's needs are different, and I therefore work differently with each person. Some people will benefit from medication, but I very rarely insist on that route. I help some by doing walking therapy--get moving, talk while walking. I have helped others get into meditation. I make myself available, and some meet more than once a week, which gives us the opportunity to deepen our work. Being understood and feeling safe here will benefit you.

There are many evidence-based treatments for depression. As a licensed psychologist, I am trained to deliver many of these effective treatments to you. However, our work together is significant because I personalize these treatments to who you are, what you need, and what works for you. I know what it's like to suffer from depression, and I've made sure to go through years of training and experience to help you unlock the door to excitement, joy, and inspiration.

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.

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.

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 often controlled by our unconscious feelings, thoughts, memories, and dreams. Drawing on Positive Psychology and other therapeutic models, I help clients to understand how we relive early experiences unconsciously, and I coach them on behavioral techniques they can use to overcome the vicious cycle of negativity and change their present. These include a blend of empirically based techniques clients can use at work or at home to overcome depression, end self-sabotage, and get unstuck.

My philosophy of therapy and change is that change comes from within. As a therapist, I ask a great deal in asking an individual to change, as change is an incredibly difficult task for everyone. The journey of change requires both the client and myself to work collaboratively throughout this journey. It is for this reason that the rapport between the client and myself is critical. I aim to provide all my clients with the space to explore their underlying feelings, thoughts, and behaviors so that they can engage in change.

Depression can be debilitating, but it can also be a dull ache that underlies one's everyday activities. You may appear to be doing "fine" but underneath it all, there is a depressed feeling that does not go away. Using an integrative approach, I can help you work through the underlying issues while addressing the day to day challenges. Seasonal depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is also a common and highly treatable depressed state that is often seen in the colder, darker months and around holidays.

Sometimes depression is based in chemical imbalances in our brains. Sometimes depression is caused by the situations in our lives. Learning how to cope with depression is a skill that can be learned and practiced. The pain of depression is often disabling. However, the beliefs we have and the choices we make today can make the difference tomorrow. Medication is not always necessary and is never enough for healing for the pain of depression. I will offer support and techniques to guide you through those dark and depressed times. Life can be filled with joy, hope and serenity. Learn how positive living and positive thinking breaks through the darkness of depression.

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.

Dr. Marty has developed his own approach to handling depression he calls Focused Short Term Therapy (FSTT)* It combines new cutting edge therapies in the field of energy psychology as well as short term focusing on the depression. When appropriate Dr. Marty uses hypnosis and self hypnosis as well. To learn more about this approach you can go to: http://drmartytashman.com/focused-short-term-therapy-fstt-2/

Your teen can, and will, rewire their brain to think and feel differently. In our work together, your teen will replace unhealthy coping skills with healthy ones. They will learn about depression and identify ways to manage it with techniques that work for them. If needed, I will assist them in creating a safety plan. I will help them identify their warning signs, internal coping strategies, people they can ask for help (both at school and home), crisis resources, and how to make their environment safe. Most importantly, I will communicate safety concerns with you so we can partner as a team to support your teen. With counseling, struggling teens can develop into thriving adults!