Marin Individual Therapy and Counseling ~ Depression

Feeling down can be a normal part of life – but prolonged despair or hopelessness might be something different. If we decide to proceed with therapy together, we’ll find a way to decrease your symptoms first. My counseling work with depression pulls a lot of ideas and tools from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy so I'll give you management tools to use on your own. We can then explore the possible source of the depression. I believe there’s usually a link somehow to the family of origin – or other past occurrences – so we’ll try to gain insight into this together. Then we’ll attempt to reshape any unhelpful beliefs into more helpful, affirming ones. It is possible to feel better! I always strive to help people work towards long-term change. If your symptoms are really problematic, I might encourage a medication assessment. This is to assist in improving functioning and to be able to effectively proceed with talk therapy. If there is a hesitation to take medication, we can talk about that.

The symptoms of depression are sometimes described as a “pit in the stomach” or a “black cloud” over a person’s head – and can vary from person to person. If you suspect you might be depressed, take a look at the following depression symptoms checklist:

Loss of interest in daily activities
Loss of energy
Sleep changes – insomnia or oversleeping
Concentration problems
Feelings of hopelessness
Appetite or weight changes
Irritability
Psychomotor agitation – restless or sluggish
Strong feelings of worthlessness or guilt

See my article, 3 Tools to Manage Depression in The Toolbox at LisaKiftTherapy.com, a resource for emotional and relationship health.