Oakland Psychotherapy & Online Counseling
Depression therapy Oakland
Therapy to help you cope with depression
What are symptoms of depression | Grief counseling |Mood swings | Isolation & loneliness
Managing depressive symptoms through therapy
Sadness is different than depression. Depression is a continuous pattern of thoughts and feelings that interrupts your day to day and your relationships, making you feel hopeless, tired, and miserable. People often seek help and support with feelings of depression when it begins to overtake their lives.
Symptoms of depression may include
physical pain
emotional exhaustion
over-eating
loss of appetite
feelings of despair
frequent crying
difficulty getting out of bed
feeling alone
hopelessness
numbness
Symptoms of depression vary. I’ve worked with clients in the past who have experienced it as grief, loss, or loneliness. Other times they are showing signs of sadness, boredom, irritability, and fatigue. Maybe you lost a loved one. Or maybe you feel as if your life’s purpose is one big question mark.
Therapy with me will help you change how you interact with negativity and depressive thoughts so that you are better able to be the kind of person you want to be and have your life back.
Counseling for depression will include support with adjusting your daily routine and behaviors so you can optimize your chances of success and improve your overall mood. You will find a safe, comforting and validating space in psychotherapy with me so you no longer feel alone, overwhelmed, and helpless.
How Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps with depression
Have you ever tried to tell someone you are upset? sad? lonely? And the first thing they say is
“Don’t feel sad! You shouldn’t feel that way. Look on the bright side!”
You and I both know… It doesn’t work that way.
You might be able to distract yourself for a little while but in the end, difficult feelings always come back.
That’s where ACT comes in!
In ACT we will talk about the unhelpful stories we tell ourselves and the unrealistic expectations we buy into.
Instead of getting caught up in these narratives, I will support you in
doing things that are important to you
being someone you are proud of
acting in a way you want to be remembered for
Sample ACT technique for dealing with difficult feelings
Step 1: Observe the feeling
Notice the sensations in your body. Scan yourself from head to toe. Where is the pain? Find the first uncomfortable feeling. Focus on it. Be curious.
Step 2: Describe it
What color is it? Warm or cool? What shape is it? Moving or still? Is it light or heavy?
Step 3: Breathe
Breathe into and around the sensation. Fully empty your lungs with each exhale.
Step 4: Make room for your feelings
Imagine you are creating extra space into and around the painful feeling. With each breath you take, visualize a perimeter of oxygen flowing around it. Open up and give it plenty of room to move.
Step 5: Notice the struggle
It’s normal to want to push away the painful feeling. Bring awareness to any resistance you have towards it.
Step 6: Let it be
Even though you don’t want it or like it, try to allow the sensation to be there. Don’t fight with your feelings. It makes them worse. Simply allow them to be just as they are.
The goal is to make peace with your tough feelings. They are a normal part of being alive. We do this so we can move forward even when life is hard.
Step 7: Take action!
Now it’s time to get up and do things that give your life purpose and meaning.
You will still feel uncomfortable feelings from time to time but it no longer has to paralyze you from being someone you’re proud of.
Now that you’ve made room for the pain, you can make choices to be the ideal you.
Grief counseling & coping with loss
Losing a loved one leaves an irreparable hole in one’s life. In many ways it is indescribable. Death causes feelings of fear, despair, and confusion and is an upheaval to everything one knows. Clients seek therapy with me to help them heal after experiencing a loss in their family, friend group or community. Reflection, pain, adjustment, and acceptance are all parts of coping with grief through psychotherapy. Together we will help you transition to a life without your loved one so you can find meaning and purpose while balancing the sadness that inevitably comes with such a great loss.
The five stages of grief are:
denial
anger
bargaining
depression
acceptance
We will identify what stage of grief you are in and how to move through it. Everyone grieves in different ways and there is no “normal” way to do it. I’ll help you work through the painful emotions associated with grief and loss so you can continue on your path towards a meaningful life.
Mood swings
If you find yourself frequently on an emotional roller coaster, rapidly switching between ups and downs, highs and lows, then therapy may be a helpful option for you.
One minute you may feel at peace but then something changes and you are devastated. Things might be going your way but all of a sudden you feel out of control.
Crying spells, not getting out of bed, explosive arguments, or emotional shutting down can happen if we don’t have stable coping mechanisms in place for when life throws its curve balls.
Through psychotherapy and counseling we will help you find new ways to manage powerful thoughts and emotions so you maintain your inner calm and prioritize your values even when the world around you might be in chaos.
Isolation & loneliness
When you feel like nobody understands you, you feel alone. It becomes more and more difficult to reach out to others if you feel separation from them. This can then lead to spending most of your time isolated and on your own.
This is a viscious cycle that is common for many clients who come to therapy. Understanding how to work through thoughts and ideas that lead you to withdraw from others is the first step.
Learning how to reconnect with others is a skill you can learn through counseling and psychotherapy to reduce the loneliness you are experiencing. Together we will help you feel understood and empowered to create meaningful relationships with others.
Book today and receive a free 10-minute consultation