Depression Counseling in Franconia, VA.

There are many varieties of depression, from the nearly universal experience of “blues” to soul-crushing, “can’t lift my head out of bed” depression. We help sort out the source of depression, which can include being emotionally “underfed”, to un-grieved losses, trauma experiences, biological disorders, family emotional inheritance, and a lack of connection with your inner source of guidance. After exploring the experience of depression, and the context of a client’s life, we collaboratively shape a plan of treatment, and carefully monitor progress. We coordinate with other care providers, such as physicians.

When you experience a severely depressed mood and decreased activity level for an extended period of time, your life really changes. Hope disappears, joy drains from life, and you may feel isolated, alone, and stuck. Your efforts may fall behind in school or at work, and your relationships may feel strained. But change is possible! Although depression controls your current experience, it does not define who you most truly are. Counseling can help you break the chains of depression, and create a new experience which includes hope and a meaningful connection to life. To determine if we can work together, please contact me to schedule a FREE 15-minute phone consultation.

Simply finding the energy to search out options for a therapist shows your desire to get better. And that is something to hold on to as tightly as you can. In this day and age where we seem to only communicate through text messages and phone apps it becomes more difficult to allow ourselves to feel as well as heal. Working together we can process the challenges that are holding you down as well as work towards goals that can get you past these hurdles.

Depression is a suffering that takes the joy out of life and seems endless and hopeless. It drains your self-esteem. It is a sign of a problem but it makes solving problems more difficult. Sometimes medication can help, but psychotherapy makes the medication more effective. There are several approaches to getting out of depression and I would use all of them. We can work to notice and challenge depressing thoughts. We can work with underlying trauma or loss where you may have begun to feel depressed. I can also support you to take the kind of actions that lift your mood. You will learn ways of being more nourished and fulfilled.

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 affects and is affected by your actions, thoughts, and emotions. We will stop this vicious cycle by starting to acknowledge the factors that contribute to your depression and develop strategies that will provide relief. As you gain ground against your depression, we will target more complicated problems and develop more comprehensive strategies. You will start with simple behavioral changes. You will follow with changes in how you think of yourself, others, and the problems you face. You will continue with changes in how you strategize and solve problems. Finally, you will develop methods to maintain these changes and continue to accomplish your goals with confidence and hope.

Life can present you with difficult situations which are hard to process and move past. These challenges are not on your timeline and affect everything. Having worked in many healthcare settings, I am familiar navigating life-changing events and grief. I understand the territory of encountering loss, coping with trauma, the complexity of the medical system and living with illness. These issues can have ripple effects on your relationships, sense of self and perceptions of the world. I know how complex things can get, and I will support you during this process.

A lot of people tend to blame themselves for having depression when they do not get better. They especially feel bad when they do not get enough support from their family members. When you have depression, you can’t just suck it up or ignore it. It’s not that simple. When you have clinical depression, you lose the ability to feel happy. But, through the therapy treatment, you will be able to regain your happiness back!

Depression frequently comes from feeling overwhelmed by the issues life presents to you--sometimes work, sometimes family, sometimes both. The stresses lead to negative thoughts which become hard to handle. In therapy we work to turn those negative thoughts into positive statements, and find the strategies to work through, or around, the problems which gave rise to the depression.

In my work with men and women with compulsive and out-of-control sexual behaviors, I have found that many of my clients have untreated or under-treated depression. Many individuals learn at an early age that sexuality can soothe uncomfortable feelings, such as depression. Over time, these behaviors can become habitual and may escalate in intensity and risk. One of themes important goals of treatment is to learn healthy ways to cope with depression.

Depression is an emotional issue where a person feels down in mood for two or more weeks. Down mood includes: feelings of worthlessness, guilt, irritability, tearfulness, lack of interest, and lack of pleasure from usually enjoyable activities. Depression often involves repetitive negative thoughts about the self and may also include the loss of or increase in appetite as well as either excessive sleep or difficulty falling and staying asleep. Therapy can help you both manage and resolve issues that may be causing depression or Dysthymia.

Depression can vary from a vague sense of unhappiness and disquiet to crippling experiences of hopelessness that feel as though they will swallow you completely. Regardless of how your depression is manifesting, you cannot work through it alone. I would be honored to help you grow and heal such that you experience hope, joy and peace again (or perhaps for the first time). You do not have to be stuck in the darkness of depression--our brains are built with the ability to heal, and I would love to help you experience that.

Depression is a signal that your life is not in balance; it is also an opportunity and call to action for a better life. I provide a holistic and educational approach to help you: • Examine triggers of depression; • Identify and transform thoughts, behaviors and feeling tendencies that lead to depression; • Promote physical wellness; • Learn skills to resolve conflicts and improve relationships; • Adapt mindfulness skills for calmness, acceptance and compassion; • Enhance the body-mind connection; • Define values, create a life-vision plan, and pursue a life that is worth living. My approach is based upon a belief in everyone's lovability and personal worth.