Depression Counseling in South Seattle, WA.

My approach to working with depression is grounded in the belief that what we call depression is not a defect, but a meaningful response to life experience. Using Internal Family Systems therapy, I help people understand the parts of themselves that carry heaviness, hopelessness, numbness, or disconnection. Rather than trying to eliminate these feelings, we get curious about them and the roles they have played in protecting you. As those parts feel understood and supported, people often begin to experience more energy, optimism, and excitement for life.

Everone experiences pain, struggle and stress in life and you may be feeling overwhelmed and hopeless. There are many different causes and different symptoms of depression.YOU ARE NOT DEFINED BY YOUR DEPRESSION: You are more than your mood. We can work on looking at your depression, understanding it, creating some skills to help you become more resilient, look at your thinking, your lifestyle patterns and your relationships. Remember you can learn how to deal with depression! The challege of depression can be an opportunity for personal growth. Let's take action and you'll feel better!

Depression hits all of us at some level at some time in our lives. At a low level, we may feel blah, or describe it as the blues. At a more extreme level, depression can be downright debilitating, causing us to lose our appetites or overeat, to gain weight or lose weight. If depression has taken a hold of you to the extent that you are sleeping all the time or conversely, losing sleep, you will want to see your physician and find out if anti-depressants are in order for you. Even if your depression is not to the point of your being unable to get out of bed in the morning, don't delay in getting help. Call me at 425 652-1413 for an appointment.

The treatment of depression begins initially with the addressing the depression symptoms that are disrupting your life. Without attention to these symptoms first, it is difficult for individuals to begin to examine the reasons behind the depression without provoking more of it. Once these symptoms are looked into, we will start to examine the life situations you are in and the relationships, stories, family roles, events and unprocessed emotion that may be the root of the depression. With some time, consistency, openness and commitment to the process, individuals will find their symptoms eased and the enjoyment of every day returned.

When depression takes over, saps all color from life, drains passion from relationships and interest in activities, takes you by the throat, squeezing your chest, deadening your limbs, making it difficult to breathe or move, I hear a cry for the authentic being within to be truly seen, heard, loved, and accepted. We work to gently help the true you rise through the layers of pain, layers of expectations and lies, layers of imposed identity, that bury your heart and spirit. We work to release or transform all those layers, creating a foundation for and affirming the worth of your authentic self and rebuilding your sense of purpose.

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.

Grey Matters International, Inc. and the work of Kevin J. Fleming, Ph.D. handles depression and other emotional disorders in a very unique way. Most of therapy or counseling processes utilize validation, unconditional positive regard, and reframing as common techniques to get someone to heal from their depression. Though this can be helpful, it rarely fixes the core problem behind it and for tough cases we then refer them usually to a psychiatrist for medication which can have tons of side effects. Instead, why not try a natural and arguably more effective way to not just change your mind, but change the brain--where the depression is rooted. Contact us at kevin@kevinflemingphd.com.

We examine your depression symptoms through evaluation and assessment. Its a comprehensive approach that involves many questions and hopefully honest answers. We then develop a plan that entails supportive networks, encouragement for medication, and other wraparound resources to aid you in increasing a healthy emotional state of living. The process does take time, but is beneficial if you are looking to make positive changes.

Are you experiencing depression or a sense of hopelessness? Do you seek relief from life's blues? I can help as a licensed psychotherapist who works primarily with clients going through loss, divorce, and addictions, depression is one of the areas that often must be worked through in therapy. Depression affects the core of our being as it robs us of our sense of self and positivity. As a therapist, I engage with my clients in a manner where they can feel there is a better day awaiting. Your issue doesn't have to define you. There is hope beyond today's most difficult challenges. When appropriate, I also dialogue with clients on issues of purpose, spirituality, and meaning of life.

Depression can be an endless weight that interferes with a sense of purpose, meaning, and connection in your life. Together, you and your therapist will explore what is contributing to your depression (cognitively, behaviorally, biologically, and situationally), brainstorm manageable solutions, build skills to implement those solutions, and create plans that support lasting change.

Our work together will help uproot and eliminate the causes of depression in life and relationships. You learn to transform negative thought patterns to positive feelings. Discover the perspective to live a more meaningful and productive life. In so doing, you create a more positive environment for you and loved ones. You will feel lighter and happier. The process is available to anyone willing to invest time and energy.

Dealing with pain in life is one of the most challenging things we do. As a therapist, my job is to sit with you in your suffering and help give you tools to overcome the sources of pain in your life. Whether you have contemplated suicide, struggled fruitlessly to overcome your challenges, or are the family member of someone going through depression, I can help you find the hope that will help you hang on until the pain gets better.

You are not alone. Depression is not who you are and can be treated with psychotherapy and sometimes medication. The longer you wait, the more set in depressed ways of thinking and behavior can become which makes it more difficult, not impossible, to remove. We are naturally inclined to feel happy so when your mood is depressed it is simply telling you that something has gone wrong. The tendency to become depressed may have genetic, social and personal factors. Merrie Day, PhD 425-747-0155 and Ken Drummy, MSW 425-895-7295, of Day-Drummy Life Coaches, understand how depression works and can help free you to become happier in your life. There is a solution and we can help.