Jan 16, 2023
Jan 8, 2023
Therapy for Depression in Midtown East, Manhattan
& Garden City, Long Island
Have You Lost Pleasure In Life?
When low-grade sadness begins to infiltrate every aspect of life, it can be exhausting to get through the day. You may feel like you’re treading water just to wake up, fulfill your responsibilities, and stay connected in your relationships. With little energy or motivation, you can begin to feel directionless, stuck, and numb—hopeless that relief is possible.
Depression drains life of its pleasure and possibilities. Hobbies and interests that once made you happy feel like chores now, and you don’t know how to lift your way out of the heaviness. The pain of depression can often be unbearable, as physical, emotional, and cognitive symptoms create barriers to a healthy outlook.
Common Signs Of Depression
It can often be hard to differentiate depression from grief, anxiety, or low mood. But there are certain symptoms, including difficulty concentrating, prolonged sadness, numbness or disassociation, tearfulness, and lethargy that are often specific to depression. When these symptoms last for two weeks or longer, clinical depression may be the underlying cause.
And though depression may seem overwhelming, treatment exists. By working with a therapist who will help you develop strategies for coping, you can learn how to overcome feelings of hopelessness as you cultivate more self-compassion.
Depression Is Not Your Fault—It’s The Result Of A Variety Of Factors
There are several causes that can contribute to the onset of depression, including genetics, trauma, and environmental factors. We live in increasingly stressful times, and many of us were not given the proper tools for understanding and expressing our emotions.
Not to mention, mental health education is not a high priority in our culture, and we frequently face challenges that dysregulate us. As a society, we consistently value toxic positivity over true validation, which can worsen the cycle of depression if we don’t seek help.
Unfortunately, many aspects of healthcare—including therapy—are more interested in treating symptoms of depression rather than the cause. That’s why it’s important for clinicians to be trauma-informed to reduce the risk of re-traumatizing their clients. In therapeutic treatment for depression, these clinicians can effectively guide clients in targeting and overcoming symptoms at their roots.
I have helped many clients conquer feelings of hopelessness and navigate their way out of depression. With my combination of holistic, evidence-based, and trauma-informed methods, you can foster a sense of fulfillment.
During our initial sessions, we will work on establishing a new, healthier baseline so that you can regain some energy. This may involve teaching you mindfulness skills for stress management and bolstering your self-care routine. By setting and achieving small goals, you can begin to see the possibility of overcoming depression in the big picture.
As an Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapist, I view depression as a protective mechanism and want to help you interpret the message it’s trying to convey. By understanding how your symptoms are the result of underlying, unhealed wounds, you can begin to view your response as self-preserving—not “bad.” As we work together to develop the tools needed to heal your wounds, you can begin validating yourself in a way that will improve your outlook.
IFS is also useful in depression treatment because it is specifically trauma-informed. Rather than skimming the surface and changing behaviors, this approach allows you to heal deeply as you address core wounds. When paired with mindfulness and meditation, IFS equips you with lifelong strategies for coping so that you can target symptoms of depression as they arise.
Depression may have compromised your self-esteem, but treatment allows you to challenge the counterproductive thoughts and behaviors keeping you stuck. You can validate yourself as you strengthen your connection with yourself, your relationships, and your environment.
You are not alone in your depression, and you can heal. Working together, we will learn more about what your emotions tell you so that you can respond to them in a way that promotes self-acceptance and self-compassion.
As a society, we tend to avoid and dismiss uncomfortable feelings instead of examining them to find out what they’re telling us. In not facing our depression, we risk developing unhealthy patterns and symptoms that will worsen if left untreated.
My approach to therapy can help you to identify core emotions and beliefs to heal on a deep, fundamental level. With the skills you gain in depression treatment, you will be able to navigate all of life’s stressors with more compassion and confidence.
An essential element of my practice is the belief that vulnerability is a strength—not a weakness. Our culture often perpetuates the message that expressing our feelings demonstrates fragility, but I think just the opposite is true. Bravery is about choosing the more challenging option, and it takes great strength to face your sadness.
In therapy, I will encourage your strength and vulnerability so you can develop the self-validation needed to see just how capable you are. But for now, just be easy on yourself knowing that becoming vulnerable is a hard process that takes time–I am here to meet you wherever you are in that process.
No, you do not have to take medication. Antidepressants can help alleviate symptoms of clinical depression, but they are most effective when used in conjunction with talk therapy. Oftentimes, medication can help clients achieve a healthier baseline, but therapy allows clients to develop lifelong tools for managing depression.
It is ultimately up to you if you want to incorporate medication into treatment for depression.
You have the strength and knowledge needed to heal. In depression treatment at My Therapy Space, Inc., you can learn to validate yourself and develop a more hopeful outlook.
I serve the Manhattan and Garden City, Long Island communities. To find out more about how I can help, schedule a free consultation here.