Depression Counseling in Parish, NY.

Depression is different from sadness. The most common reason people come to therapy is because of depression. When we feel hopeless, uninterested in our lives, and sad most days, it is time to talk about it and begin feeling better. In my 20 years of practice, the majority of clients come in feeling depressed. I can help you begin feeling better in the first few sessions. We will identify what is causing the depression, help you heal it, and get on with enjoying your life.

Therapy offers a powerful and multifaceted approach to navigating depression, and when incorporating Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), its benefits are amplified. CBT provides practical tools to identify and challenge negative thought patterns that fuel depressive symptoms, fostering more realistic and positive thinking. Simultaneously, EMDR can address underlying emotional distress, including past adverse experiences or traumas that may contribute to depression, by reprocessing these memories in a safe and controlled way. This combined approach not only equips you with coping mechanisms for present challenges but also helps to heal the roots of emotional pain, leading to more profound and lasting relief from depression, enhanced r

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 use a compassionate, evidence based approach to help clients manage Major Depression by combining CBT strategies, emotional processing, and structured goal setting. I support clients in understanding their symptoms, challenging negative thought patterns, and rebuilding daily routines that strengthens motivation and well being.

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.

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.

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.