Online Therapy for Depression
Depression Therapy Can Help You Improve the Quality of Your Life
Do you feel depressed, sad and lonely?
Perhaps you're also feeling irritable and upset, but you can't figure out why.
Maybe you find that you don't enjoy the things that you once did. Life's demands are overwhelming, and you don't have the energy keep up with everything.
Depression affects men and women of all ages. It can have profound impacts on the individual and oftentimes the person who is depressed hides how they feel from their family, loved ones, coworkers and friends. It feels like the person has the weight of the world on their shoulders, and people often feel guilty or ashamed of how they feel.
What are the Causes of Depression?
Feeling sad, second-guessing yourself, or not feeling good about yourself is common for everyone. Sometimes this is triggered by an event in our life; maybe a breakup, loss of a job, or problems in relationships. This is normal and everybody experiences this. There are times, however when these feelings of sadness, feeling bad about ourselves, persists, leading to more long-term clinical depression, including major depressive disorder, which has a greater impact on the individual and their life. Often accompanying more profound depression is isolation from others, which only reinforces the heaviness of one's depression.
It is believed that major depressive disorder is often caused by several factors. One explanation is that there is a genetic component to one's depression, often times there is a history of depression in ones family, which is a predictor and contributor to depression. Environmental factors can also be a contributing factor, including stressful or traumatic life events or even seasonal changes. Currently, and since the start of the pandemic, depression has increased, as people are feeling more socially isolated with increased worries and stressors.
The Connection Between Depression, Anger and Irritability. Anger is Normal.
It's not uncommon when people are depressed to also experience irritability and anger. Anger and irritability can manifest in two ways.
Sometimes the the anger is turned inward, at oneself. Accompanying depression is an internal voice or inner critic, that reinforces negative thought patterns about oneself, triggering feelings of guilt, sadness, low self-esteem and anger towards oneself. You might find that you’re hard on yourself, and your inner critic and inner voice tells you that you’re not good enough, you’re a bad partner or a bad parent, you’re horrible at your job, or you should be better at [fill in the blank].
Anger can also manifest outwardly towards others. People often say that they feel like they have a very short fuse, and find that they take their anger out on the people that are closest to them. You might have a difficulty expressing yourself when you're frustrated, which can then result in anger or irritability. This can then lead to additional problems in relationships because your loved ones might think that you're upset with them, which is normally not the case. Often times the person who is depressed then feels horribly for showing their anger, which then reinforces negative thought patterns they have about themselves, (see above. I’m a bad person, I’m a bad partner, etc.) triggering additional feelings of guilt, sadness, shame and low self-esteem. This is VERY uncomfortable, but also very common.
Anger management therapy can help. The first step is recognizing and naming the anger and irritability. It’s ok to feel angry and frustrated, but we want to work on ways to communicate our frustrations differently. Depression and anger are often intertwined, and feed off of each other. Depression therapy and treatment can help.
There is Hope. Depression Therapy Can Help You.
Often times when people seek out therapy for depression, they may feel isolated and alone, lack energy and feel fatigued, and there might be some hesitation with finding a therapist to talk about what is bothering them. They might also feel judged or misunderstood by their loved ones, which might fuel anger and irritability. I understand. Speaking with a therapist about how you feel, can be a lot of work, feel uncomfortable and make you feel vulnerable. Maybe you're thinking “will a therapist understanding me”? Or “how does therapy work, anyways?”
A Little Bit About What It’s Like to Work With Me
As a therapist who provides online therapy to treat depression in Mansfield, MA and across the state of Massachusetts, I will meet you where you are, and create a safe space to help you process any life events or situations that might contribute to depression. I utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and mindfulness techniques. I often find that when people are experiencing depression, they also experience low self-esteem, often feeling very badly about themselves. The use of cognitive awareness, and being aware of negative thought patterns, and negative self-talk, is helpful as many people realize that this is a contributor to their continued depressive state. We can, together develop techniques to challenge negative thought patterns and bring awareness to your emotions so you can process them in a safe therapeutic space.
Another main component of depression treatment is focus on self-care. Oftentimes people with depression tell me that they're having difficulty with sleep, might not be seeing people as often, or maybe they're overextending themselves with people in ways that is not good for their mental health. I work with people to develop techniques to take better care of themselves promoting improved emotional well-being and a better relationship with themselves.
As a therapist who provides treatment for depression, I want to help people develop new skills to improve self-esteem, and develop techniques challenge negative self talk patterns. Together, we can work on this, and come up with a plan that is right for you.
More on My Treatment Approach:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is an evidenced based treatment for depression. CBT assists people with bringing awareness to their thoughts, emotions, and how they are responding (or not responding) to situations in their life. A major component of CBT is to work on ways to restructure negative thought patterns, also known as negative self-talk, as these negative thoughts produce unpleasant emotions triggering depression, irritability, and low self-esteem.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT is a behavior therapy, similar to CBT. The main principals and concepts of ACT focus on goal setting and making changes that align with your personal values. ACT teaches people how to accept the ups and downs, and the good and bad of life, and teaches people how to accept and tolerate difficult emotions. This is a great approach for people who want to understand and change their internal thought process (perspective), take action, and work through barriers and conditioned responses. ACT is an evidenced based treatment, and is proven to be an effective treatment for depression.
Psychodynamic Therapy
If you want to go “deeper,” psychodynamic therapy is form of therapy that will allow you to access deeper emotional states, and understand emotions that underlie surface level emotions. We will understand how developmental experiences in childhood, upbringing, and parent and family system relationships have influenced your experience in the present time. A main focus is to bring awareness to deeper emotional states, and allow for greater insight into how you feel and think. This processing and awareness is healing for many people, and allows people to make different decisions in their life, and take action in new and productive ways.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
MBSR is a evidenced based program, and has proven to be helpful to reduce depression symptoms and improve overall well-being. I combine concepts from MBSR with other treatment interventions, and find that MBSR is especially helpful in combination with developing a personalized self-care plan.
Some Common Questions and Concerns About Depression Therapy:
“Yeah, but I can handle my depression without treatment. Why should I get therapy?”
Oftentimes people do not get therapy for their depression because they think that they can handle their depression without treatment. There’s also a misconception that asking for help for mental health concerns is a sign of weakness. This is not the case. Asking for help for any reason in your life is a sign of strength. Depression therapy has proven to be helpful in reducing the severity of depression symptoms, and improved self-esteem.
“I don't have time for therapy. How am I supposed to fit this in?”
Another common concern for people who are busy with work, school, family or other commitments is that they don’t have the time for therapy. Currently, online therapy is more accessible than ever. With online therapy appointments as long as you are in the state of Massachusetts I can meet with you for video appointments. This increases access to treatment for individuals, and reduces barriers with commuting to and from appointments.
“Am I going to have to take medications for my depression?”
Another common concern is people believe that they're going to need to take medications for their depression. Medications have proven to be helpful in reducing the severity and longevity of symptoms of depression. The decision to take medications is a personal decision and it is not a requirement for therapy. In my conversations with people, if they decide that they may want to meet with a prescriber, we can discuss referral options, but it's not a requirement of therapy.
You can feel better and create a new path forward
It takes strength and courage to ask for help. Speaking with a counselor can help you develop techniques to improve your mood, reduce stress, and better understand what is contributing to your depression. You can feel better and not have depression rule your life. I want to help you work through what is blocking you from living a balanced, harmonious, and fulfilling life.
Schedule Your Free Consult
Contact me to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation to see if we would be a good fit in working together, and if online therapy is right for you. I prioritize scheduling initial appointments so you can get help without delays or barriers. I look forward to hearing from you!