Counseling for Depression
Getting motivated to engage in your life
Depression doesn’t always make sense. Sometimes there is an easily identifiable reason to feel down. Maybe you recently ended a relationship that you put a lot of love and effort into. Or maybe you have been working hard to get the promotion you have been promised for years and then got “meets expectations” on your performance evaluation. But it’s often not that clear-cut. For many people, exploring the “why” of their depression is vital. Sometimes we’re too zoomed into our feelings to be able to identify this on our own.
Knowing what’s causing you a sense of unhappiness and hopelessness can often give you the power to make changes that inspire hope. But sometimes even realizing the reason isn’t enough. You might not have the tools or ability to make the change that would help you feel better at the moment. In these cases, exploring the “how” you can move forward.
Depression can make you feel like you are alone
Depression can be incredibly isolating. Often depression can be made worse by a lack of support, or the fears that come up around reaching out to your support. Many people fear being perceived as a burden to their loved ones, or that people won’t understand. Many times when people do reach out, people throw out all sorts of unhelpful suggestions. You need someone who’s willing to sit with where you’re at, and patiently work with you to re-engage in your life.
Let’s be honest: the world is kind of a mess right now
Many people I work with feel hopeless about the state of the world today. Culturally and politically, there is so much going on. It can feel like every other day something new and terrible happens. It’s only natural to have a reaction to the environment we live in.
However, the way we talk about this typically isn’t the most productive. Most people don’t have a safe space to work through their thoughts without sparking a debate or opening themselves to criticism. Counseling is unique compared to processing your thoughts with friends or family, this space is designed to be yours without the fear of experiencing constant invalidation.
