Depression Counseling in Mill Neck, NY.

Depression is a chronic feeling of loss of energy, sadness, and inability to take action. At times, it can be triggered by certain situations in life. Depending on your specific situation, therapy may consist of working with internal beliefs that hold you back or may consist of working to improve a life situation, or a combination of these. I get to know the client, finding out why they experience the depression and what is going on in their life. This points to the effective solution to address the depression. You deserve to enjoy life and take on the actions and goals that inspire you. I can also work in conjunction with a psychiatrist for medication where needed.

We all feel sad or “down” occasionally, however, if someone feels sad all or most of the time, has a loss of interest in their favorite activities of life, feels worthless or guilty for no reason, feels life is empty and meaningless, he or she may be in the midst of a serious depression. A good rule of thumb is that, if someone feels this way every day for two weeks, it’s time to call a therapist. Together we can properly evaluate if you or your loved one is suffering from major depression or Low-Grade Depression (Dysthymia), whether the depression may be recurrent or may be part of a Bipolar Disorder, and how it can be helped by therapy and/or medication

Depression is a mood disorder where it is important to seek out a professional. Chris has treated many people with depression and other mood disorders. Millions of Americans are effected by Anxiety and Depression with various symptoms of low mood, irritability, loss of pleasure. As a veteran psychotherapist who has treated many clients with depression, proper assessment is essential that can include coordinating care with a physician. While not all individuals need medication, having a therapist who can identify symptoms and offer empathy and understanding to individuals who suffer from a mental health disorder is beneficial. Chris uses a cognitive behavior therapy approach to help clients.

Depression can range from being draining to being completely debilitating. Wherever you land on that spectrum, so much of depression involves negative thinking of oneself, others, and the world. Talk therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy are research-backed successful tools in providing support for those experiencing depression. I use talk therapy to provide a space for clients to share their feelings and things that either lead to or are affected by their feelings of depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps identify and shift negative thinking patterns as well as behaviors, which ultimately creates a more positive cycle in ones life and decreases symptoms of depression.

If you have a pulse and a heart, you have been sad. Using the science of happiness rather than standard interventions for depression we focus on increasing positive emotion, engagement, and meaning rather than directly targeting depressive symptoms. In using these interventions with clients I have noted the effects of these interventions in a variety of settings. In informal and clinical settings these interventions have commonly been reported to me and referred to as “life-changing.”

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.

It can often seem like society expects us to be happy and positive at all times, that any admission of sadness or a loss of motivation, energy, or engagement with life is a personal failure. But Depression isn't a personal failure, and it is also more than just "feeling sad". If you find yourself down in the hole of disconnection, surrounded by a fog that is interfering with your life and relationships, you need a hand to help you climb out. A trained therapist understands the mechanics of depression and can help you understand it and find strategies to make your way up and out of it, and back into the light. Please contact me so we can begin to work on this process together.

Sometimes it feels as though your sadness is a heavy weight on your shoulders. We can help you lift that weight and feel more peace and joy in your life. We use a safe and collaborative approach to helping you explore the roots of your sadness while learning evidence-based interventions to alleviate feelings of sadness, loneliness and being overwhelmed.

Feelingings of depression can be organically or situationally based. Organic depression has a strong heritability factor, with everyday stressors exasperating it. Situational depression is triggered by transitions in people’s lives where their current coping mechanisms are not strong enough to create the resilience and ongoing fortitude required to counteract the mood shift. For 30+ years in clinical practice, I have assisted my clients in understanding how to embrace their mood states and build cognitive belief patterns and behavioral routines that allow them to feel that they are in charge of their life and that the depression does not own them.

Depression is anger turned inward or against yourself. As anger builds within, an individual has three choices: To channel the anger energy assertively by expressing the feelings attached to the situations causing one to feel depressed; to express the anger through outbursts that can be very destructive to the self and others; to internalize the anger and become more depressed and less functional with time. My job is to enable you to learn how to identify and express feelings that are causing you to feel depressed. The next step is to change behaviors associated with your feelings freeing you from depressive thoughts and feelings.

Depression means sadness that may result in crying or may simply steal your happiness. It may be difficult for you to function throughout your day, to think positive thoughts, to make decisions or to enjoy anything. It also involves low energy, sleep and eating disturbances and isolation. I help my clients get through their depression by finding out who they are, seeing how they can regain self-confidence, acting like a mirror to reflect your best qualities and helping regain feelings of connectedness. Simultaneously, each symptom is worked on by determining coping skills to match the problem in strength and intensity.

Anxiety & depression are frequently interconnected and can have challenging effects on our personal and professional lives. Finding evidence based strategies to counter the negative thought patterns we have can become a valuable tool for our recovery. Together we can explore these patterns and find strategies to replace them with more positive and nurturing patterns.

I provide clients with a safe place to explore the root causes of their depression. Within the therapeutic relationship, we will also examine how the individual's thoughts, actions and feelings are connected to and feeding into their depression. We will work on breaking these negative cycles and start positive more adaptive ways of thinking, and acting to improve their mood.