Depression Therapy
in San Diego, CA
Are You Feeling Sad, Lonely, Or Down Lately?
Do you find it difficult to function or thrive in your daily life? Are you constantly down for no particular reason? Have you been experiencing any of the following symptoms:
Sadness, numbness, or worthlessness?
Fatigue, lack of motivation, or low energy?
Detachment, disconnection, or withdrawal?
Maybe your symptoms are causing you trouble in your closest personal relationships or in your work life. Or perhaps you’ve been struggling to practice proper self-care, and it’s been taking a toll on you internally, even though you seem okay from the outside.
Depression Can Weigh You Down And Hold You Back
The signs of depression can manifest in various ways. You may have noticed physical symptoms such as headaches, difficulties sleeping, or changes in your eating habits.
Or perhaps you’re experiencing cognitive symptoms such as indecisiveness, trouble concentrating, or memory loss. These symptoms may cause you to struggle with functioning as you move through your day-to-day life.
With the help and support of therapy, you can get a handle on your symptoms and start to feel like your best self once again. I can help guide you to the root cause of your depression so you can not only address your symptoms but heal for the long term.
Most People Feel Sad Or Depressed At Some Point
The occasional experience of sadness is a normal and unavoidable part of being human, and our feelings of sadness are always valid and often rooted in real and recent loss. While some people may be more genetically predisposed to depression than others, anyone can be pushed into a depressive episode at any time by an adverse life event.
For example, according to the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH), “an estimated 21.0 million adults in the United States had at least one major depressive episode… [which] represented 8.3 [percent] of all U.S. adults” (1). Sometimes depression resolves on its own, but when it completely takes over your life, you might need outside support to move past it.
Sometimes Depression Needs Outside Support And Treatment
When depression is rooted in issues like poor parenting or unprocessed intergenerational trauma, it can take professional support to break those patterns and cycles. On top of this, our modern world can give us ample reason to feel depressed due to the fast pace of living, a lack of support and community, and negative information constantly at our fingertips.
A depression therapist can offer you a neutral but engaged audience to work through your symptoms. By opening up communication and self-awareness, I can help you break free from negative patterns and build the life for yourself that you actually want. We will move at a pace that you are comfortable with while taking direct steps toward growth and healing.
Depression Therapy Can Help You Feel Like Yourself Again
When you’re stuck in the symptoms of depression, it can be difficult to imagine a better life for yourself. Depression can rob you of not only your basic functioning but also your optimism and your hope for a better future. Depression doesn’t just affect how you feel; it can impact how you think, function, and relate to the world around you. Over time, this can get you stuck in a self-fulfilling prophecy, making it even harder to break free without compassionate support.
But therapy can help you create a new self-narrative that fosters greater self-compassion. I want to help you better understand how many of your past experiences—including trauma, grief, and loss—are all connected to patterns of thinking and interacting that are contributing to your depressive symptoms in the present.
A Unique, Holistic Approach To Depression Therapy
I use a variety of therapeutic modalities in my treatment of depressive symptoms, including:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – An evidence-based therapeutic modality, CBT can help you identify and reframe many of the negative thought patterns reinforcing your depression.
Psychodynamic Therapy (PDT) – A form of psychotherapy that explores unconscious patterns, Psychodynamic Therapy can help you healthily process the difficult and deep-rooted emotions related to your depression.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – An action-driven form of therapy, ACT can help you develop and commit to practical ways of moving past your depression that are in-line with your values.
Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT) – An integrative approach to treatment, MBT helps you develop mentalization skills that can ease your depression symptoms while allow you to better understand yourself and others.
While CBT helps you reframe the thoughts that reinforce your depression symptoms, Psychodynamic Therapy can help you explore how your past relationship experiences are affecting you. ACT can help you clarify your values and commit to chosen ways of living with more purpose and consistency.
Mentalization skills can help you create a more flexible cognitive understanding of yourself. This knowledge can lead to healthier relationships and a more balanced emotional experience.
I want you to know that within the context of a safe therapeutic relationship, it’s well within your reach to find relief from your symptoms, regain control of your life, and feel like your best self once again. Depression can seem insurmountable when you’re in the thick of it, but I can help you move forward so you can reconnect with yourself and live your best life.
You May Have Some Questions About Depression Therapy…
I’m concerned that I’ll need to take medication to get better.
Medication can be particularly helpful for individuals struggling with depressive symptoms, but of course, it will always be your decision whether or not you want to take medication. You can think of medication as a flotation device in that it can help give you the confidence to swim, and studies have shown that combining medication with therapy creates better outcomes than therapy alone. While I don’t personally prescribe medication, I can help you get connected to a prescriber if you decide that it’s the right path forward for you.
I’m worried that talking about my issues in therapy will make things worse.
Therapy is about creating a safe space for you to process what’s going on internally. It’s possible that discussing things you’ve pent up over time can stir up intense emotions, but talking about these issues is the first step toward understanding and healing. You are in control of the pace, and we will work together to help you feel supported and empowered through every step.
I’m concerned that it’ll take a long time for therapy to make a difference.
It’s natural to want to feel better as soon as possible, and it’s true that therapy does take time. Your own goals will determine the length of your treatment, which we will discuss in our initial sessions. Recent research has shown that 50 percent of people in therapy report feeling better after only 15–20 sessions. However, it can also be helpful to stay in therapy to practice new skills and identify patterns.
You Can Take Control Of Your Life And Your Journey
If you are struggling with the symptoms of depression, therapy with Deep Sea Psychology can help you reclaim control of yourself and your narrative once again.
Please call 619-797-5258 or utilize the contact page to get started.
(1) https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression
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