Therapy, Depression and Anxiety

It’s become so common to hear the words anxiety and depression; to the point that it’s an accepted part of daily life and an unspoken symptom of work.  The way that these feelings effect us are beyond simple descriptions of feeling ‘sad’, ‘worried’, or ‘down’.  They can take the joy of our everyday lives and prevent us from being able to do the things we have to in order to get by

Coming to therapy involves delving deeper into these feelings and throwing away initial assumptions so we can be open for other answers when they arise.  It’s about collaborating with a therapist to take the language for unhappiness and pulling it apart.  Many times, the way that these painful feelings show themselves blinds us to their deeper causes.  We can’t just trim the weeds, we have to pull them out at the root. Aside from the biological causes of depression and anxiety, there are so many other things that make daily life frighteningly dreadful; this is what we need to acknowledge and in doing so, we learn to be more patient and understanding of ourselves to can get to the bottom of things.

For many of us, experiences early in life create a picture of the world that we carry with us.  It colors our outlook and informs our relationships as adults.  Even if we were to set aside our perspectives and biases, Its not hard to find someone who feels their job under-utilizes them or leaves them feeling empty; the way we spend most of our waking hours has a huge impact on our self-image.  Additionally, the way that our racial, class and gender identities are interpreted by the world around us can even shape the opportunities we’re given or denied.  I’d be surprised to find someone who doesn’t feel overwhelmed thinking about the social forces shaping our lives and how we interact with each other.

In my practice, I focus on taking a scientific or curious perspective on these issues.  Its not about who’s at fault or what didn’t work, it’s about being curious about the challenges we face and the potential solutions we could find right around the corner.  As crazy as it sounds, my clients have all the answers and I’m just providing a shovel and some elbow grease.  Besides providing skills and strategies to reframe thinking, I provide companionship and guidance while my clients do the hard work of examining their experiences and feelings.

If you’re curious to learn more feel free to contact me here.