Depression Counseling in Vashon, WA.

Depression. It's one of the most core maladies to all of humanity. Catholic monks used to call it "acedia" or the noon day demon; robbing one's will, the ability to freely engage in life. In the modern day, we have more methods than ever to "escape" the feelings we don't like. Yet depression is one of the ones that stick around. My work focuses on facing depression while not villainizing it. I pay particular attention to both your life story and who you are here and now. Through this we can learn to work with our emotions and find new ways of dealing with the messiness of life.

Do you feel tired? Numb? No motivation or anticipation for what you once enjoyed? Depression can be like a thick, gray blanket pressing you down. You want out from under it, but can't imagine how that might be possible. In fact, just thinking about what could help makes you tired...and more depressed. If this is your experience, it's crucial you bring it to someone who can understand you and your depression. Someone who can slowly, compassionately "take your hand" and find a way through the dismal fog with you. Someone who meets you where you are, yet holds onto the true experience of hope and joy on your behalf, helping you rediscover your life again.

Take charge of your depression. I can help you learn tools to lessen depression and start feeling better. Our thoughts, our current lifestyle, friends or lack of, all contribute to how we feel. Past failures tend to repeat themselves until they are understood. When getting motivated, completing tasks, or social relationships are a struggle the stress of this can lead to depression. Don't put up with feeling other people have more enjoyment in life than you do. Research is showing us that there are ways we can feel better without using medication.

Everyone experiences sadness at times. But depression is something more; it interferes with the activities of daily life and can even cause physical pain. Thankfully, depression is highly treatable. Depression isn't a sign of weakness and most people can't just "snap out of it" but with professional help it does get better! Our therapists will help you to: - pinpoint life events or circumstances that contribute to depression and assist with making changes or adapting to those situations. - set realistic and achievable goals for the future. - Identify negative thought processes that contribute to feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. - Develop skills to cope with symptoms and problem

Social anxiety and shyness can easily lead to feelings of depression. If you feel depressed because you feel alone, isolated and have trouble making friends, you might be glad to know that there is a way to learn and practice the social skills you missed learning as a child. You can learn and practice new skills, meet new people, learn how to start conversations and create your own social circle. Life can change and it takes just one step to start the process rolling in the right drection.

Depression can stop us in our tracks. In those moments, it can feel like life is passing us by. I address depression from a relational and theological approach that has seen great results. As we take time to explore the potential origins of your current depression, you will benefit from the hope that is offered as well as a new sense of purpose and meaning.

There are many symptoms you may experience that may be related to depression. You may feel sad more often than not, unmotivated, sleep a lot, have a loss of appetite, or an increase in appetite. These are just some of the ways that depression can emerge. I can help you determine what is bringing your symptoms on and teach you coping skills to keep you from being trapped by the depression.

Depression keeps you away from others, all you want to do is stay in bed and bide your time before you absolutely have to be somewhere. It sucks you into this hole that begins to convince you that the life you truly want to live is not possible. Life is happening all around you and you can't quite seem to make the steps to jump in and participate. As we begin to look into this hole together, we can identify where you are at and find life.

We can survive almost anything, as long as we see the end in sight. But depression is insidious and relentless that it's impossible to ever see the end. Talk therapy or psychotherapy, can help treat depression. Talk therapy can help you learn about your depression and find ways to manage your symptoms. Psychotherapy can be an important part of treatment for depression or manic depression. A therapist can help you cope with feelings and symptoms, and change behavior patterns.

I give my clients lots of encouragement, practical strategies for self care, aide in thinking about life in a new way, and an in-depth look at the roots of their depression. We figure out their unique situation together, establish ways to expand socially, and become more physically active. Clients learn what triggers their negative feelings and find ways to avoid depression in the future.

I work with many clients who are depressed and am generally very good at assessing which clients are good candidates for medications as well as talk therapy and which clients will benefit from therapy alone. I am very good at relating to depressed clients and try to help them regain connection to self and others and to find meaning in their suffering.

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.

I work with clients to unpack the clues in connection with their unique experience of depression. Often the answers exist just out of the client's sight. We may have complex family histories that affect our ability to experience a sense of freedom to be happy in our lives. We will work together to bring the unconscious as well as conscious material to light. Often understanding and integrating the experiences we carry with us from the past will give us a sense of freedom in the present.

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.

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 isn't just a lack of happiness, for many, it can also be a debilitating condition that robs you of the ability to live your life to the fullest. With understanding, care, and non-judgement, I will teach you the skills you need to help you overcome your depression so you can live the life you want, with the strength and resiliency you deserve.

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.

Tired of feeling hopeless, fatiqued, irritable, or sad??? Depression is a condition that responds well to treatment. Work with an experienced therapist to find more satisfaction in life. You are what you think! Cognitive Behavioral Therapy teaches you to replace negative thinking with positive thoughts. Shifting you perspective about things can create a huge shift in your moods and actions. I suplement this traditional counseling with complementary methods to accelerate your progress. Get started today!

When depression hits, just getting though the day can feel like an enormous task. Depression is caused by many things and ranges widely in severity and length. Whether depression is mild or severe, there are proven ways to help get through it. I work with clients to help discover and treat the root issue that's causing the depression so they can be free to enjoy life once again.

When working with clients who are suffering from depression, I like to work on two parallel tracks at once. The first is a practical track designed to help the client start making changes in his/her external life. For example, if someone is socially isolated, I help him/her figure out how he/she can start to be around other people. The second track is an interior track through which we examine the root causes of the depression and begin to heal the inner wounds that have led to the person's suffering in the first place. I find that, through working on both these levels at once, depression is more quickly and effectively shifted.

Depression often leaves you feeling confused, hopeless and helpless. Working within a Christian worldview I can help alleviate your depressed mood restoring joy and functioning. I carefully listen to you, assessing your mood episodes and together we identify the source of your depression. In addition to using interventions related to how you think and act we’ll explore the possibility your depression might be rooted in relational struggles. I also believe some issues can have a physical component and I might refer you to your doctor. Together we'll work to restore your hope, your focus and your ability to enjoy work and relationships.

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.

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.

My approach to treating depression is to first create relational trust with you as a client. Then in the process of our weekly sessions we can interpret various environmental factors that add to your depression. We may also find earlier stories in your life that affect your current moods. Depending on the severity of your depression I may recommend that we coordinate with a naturopath or family doctor to check your thyroid, vitamin D levels and any other possible medical concerns. Depending on those results a nutritionist or psychiatrist may also help stabilize your mood. Once you feel more stable we can then delve into deeper places of your narrative for healing.

There is a way to move beyond depression and make sense of suffering. We will work together to help you develop a new and different relationship with your painful thoughts, feelings, and behaviors so you can have greater life satisfaction. Struggling with your feelings pulls you away from the life experiences you want. By learning ways to let go of the painful struggle with difficult thoughts and feelings, you are free to connect with what is meaningful to you. I want to help you become more grounded in the present moment, gain clarity on what really matters to you, and commit to living a full, satisfying life.