137 N. Oak Park Ave, Suite 329, Oak Park, IL, 60301 call 708-381-0634 or email
Depression Therapy
Do You Feel Too Depressed To Enjoy Your Life?
Have you been feeling overwhelmed and hopeless about the future?
Are you struggling with a lack of motivation and energy?
Is it a struggle just to get out of bed and go about your day?
Maybe you feel numb, lethargic, and empty. Perhaps nothing feels enjoyable to you anymore, not even your hobbies and passions. Maybe you’ve been less social than usual—you find yourself isolating and turning down invitations to hang out with friends. As a result, your relationships may be struggling to stay afloat. Your loved ones may not understand what you’re going through, leading you to feel deeply alone.
Depression Can Make You Neglect Yourself And Mask Your True Feelings
When you’re dealing with depression, you may end up taking less care of yourself and neglecting your needs. Because of how little energy you have, you might eat less, sleep in more, and neglect self-care. As much as you want to seek help, you probably have little motivation to reach out to anyone. You might prefer to mask your true feelings and keep moving even when you feel crushed by the world around you.
In the end, however, hiding your emotional pain doesn’t make it go away. As a depression therapist, my goal is to help you regain your energy, restore your sense of hope, and enjoy the loving, meaningful connections you’ve been missing.
Depression Is Inevitable In A Society Obsessed With The Pursuit Of Happiness
There is so much pressure in Western society today to live a happy life. We’re expected to get married, raise kids, own a nice home, and have a fulfilling career. The expectation that everything in life will be immediately satisfying sets us up for disappointment. When our hopes and dreams fall flat, we often turn inward and blame ourselves. We don’t realize that the problem is our expectations, not us.
In many ways, the problem of unrealistic expectations is exacerbated by social media. Our timelines are littered with pictures of happy couples, expensive vacations, and glamorous supermodels. This creates a culture of comparison—we’re always comparing ourselves to people who seem to have it better than us.
What’s more, we live in a society rampant with racism, sexism, homophobia, and many other forms of oppression. All of these factors negatively impact our beliefs about ourselves and the world. Little wonder, then, that so many of us struggle with depression.
Depression therapy is a chance to step away from all the pressures of the modern world and talk to someone who supports you unconditionally. It’s an opportunity to find acceptance, compassion, and hope.
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Depression Therapy Can Help You Live A More Authentic And Meaningful Life
Part of the problem with our society today is that we are taught to search for a happy life instead of a meaningful one. When the focus is always on feeling better—not living out our purpose or adhering to our true values—depression is all but inevitable.
As a counselor, I want to help you come to grips with your feelings, get to the bottom of your depression, and explore the kind of life you truly want. Some of this work involves aligning your life with the values that you hold dear. I want you to dig deeper, figure out what’s most important to you, and reconnect with your sense of purpose. When you do this work, I believe that you will have an easier time feeling satisfied.
What To Expect In Depression Counseling Sessions
When we start working together, you and I will focus on your immediate needs and outline some practical steps for alleviating them. The goal is to start small, looking at what makes it hard to get out of bed, what prevents you from going after what you want, and other everyday concerns. Depending on your symptoms, I might encourage a medication consultation with a prescriber (although whether or not you take medication is ultimately your decision). The symptom work will be ongoing and monitored throughout depression therapy.
As you progress, we will move into deeper territory and look at what created your feelings of depression. This might involve insight into the past and how it affects you today. Together, we can explore any past trauma and negative early life experiences that may be contributing to your depression. The goal is to heal the unresolved emotional wounds at the root of your present struggles.
Counseling Can Help You Reflect On Your Goals, Values, And Purpose
I use a lot of cognitive and behavioral strategies in depression therapy, but the most important work is usually analyzing your relationships and values for coherence with your goals. What do you want out of life? Do your relationships reflect what you want? Are your choices lining up with your real goals and values? Answering these questions can help you create a space for deeper self-exploration and allow you to live a more authentic and meaningful life.
In the end, it is possible to feel better and feel more hopeful about your future. Together, you and I will figure out what’s created the cloud hanging over your life and what can be done to remove it. We will work on identifying what a meaningful life looks like for you and illuminating the steps to help you get there.
You May Have Some Concerns About Depression Treatment…
Just the idea of scheduling an appointment and talking to someone feels overwhelming.
It’s normal to feel this way. Since depression takes away your energy and motivation, merely scheduling your first appointment can feel overwhelming. But healing from depression often means doing right in spite of your feelings—after all, your feelings are not always the best indicator of what’s good for you. Scheduling and attending your first appointment is a gift to yourself, and I am confident that you will feel better just by doing it. Most of my clients tell me how relieved they feel after the first session.
I feel like people would be better off I wasn’t here. Can therapy help me with that?
When you’ve been feeling depressed for a while, suicidal thoughts are very common. Lots of people have such thoughts—the key is recognizing how serious they are. In therapy, you and I will work on gauging that together. Oftentimes, the very act of letting those feelings out is helpful. It’s incredibly relieving to share your darkest feelings aloud with someone who supports you no matter what.
I feel like there is something wrong with me. I can’t ever be happy.
So many of my clients say the same thing, so I can assure you that you are not alone. Depression is very sneaky and can often trick you into believing things that aren’t true about yourself. Depression counseling is a great place to piece together why you think there’s something wrong with you and what you can do to change that.
Let Me Help You Reconnect
With Your Sense Of Purpose
If you want to break out of negative thoughts and live a more purposeful life, I encourage you to pursue depression therapy with me. To get started, you can use the contact form or call 708-381-0634.