Depression
Depression can be a lonely experience.
Janet* had a difficult upbringing. Her mother and father divorced when she was young, and her father remarried and started a new family in another town. Janet felt pushed aside. Her mother suffered from mental health issues and addiction, and Janet often felt alone with no one to turn to.
Feeling different from her friends for most of her life, she struggled now as an adult to have friendships.
In her late 20s, Janet felt stuck in her present life and hopeless about her future. Though she worked hard, she could not decide on a career path, and her romantic relationships often hurt or betrayed her.
Frequently, she felt worthless and underserved, always needing to be better. On some days, these feelings and thoughts were so intense that she could barely get out of bed.
She decided it was time for help and began therapy. Through working with her therapist, Janet found ways to silence her inner critic. Her energy slowly began to return. She viewed herself more positively and confidently. She was able to show herself compassion instead of disdain for herself.
You are not alone.
Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions. The World Health Organization states that more than 264 million people have this condition. Fortunately, there are effective forms of treatment.
I offer a compassionate, holistic approach to treating depression that addresses therapeutic lifestyle changes such as daily movement, sleep, and social support.
I will also explore possible medical/organic causes of depressive symptoms and help you identify the root psychological causes of depressive symptoms.
“Can EMDR Therapy help my depression?”
Yes. A practical approach I offer for the treatment of depressive symptoms is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. EMDR therapy has been scientifically proven over decades to be a highly effective therapy.
Medication and other forms of talk therapy, though very helpful, are limited in that they typically act like a band-aid for stress disorders, including depression. It is through EMDR therapy that deep psychological healing can occur.
Through EMDR therapy, neurobiological changes in the brain occur, meaning the results are long-lasting. EMDR can help you overcome depressive symptoms, not just cope with them.
“What happens during EMDR therapy?”
During EMDR processing, you will notice what happens with your body, thoughts, and feelings without judging or trying to change them.
While people rarely believe that how they feel can ever change in the beginning, EMDR does help people process painful memories so that they are no longer stored in raw, vivid, state-specific form with negative beliefs attached to them.
EMDR tackles negative beliefs such as “I am worthless,” “I am not good enough,” or “I deserve to be miserable.”
Processing results in the strengthening of alternative beliefs such as, “I am okay just the way I am,” “I deserve to be happy,” and “I am lovable.”
Don’t let depression rule your life!
Janet did not blame her parents for her current problems. Instead, through EMDR therapy, she was able to explore her past and make better sense of how her upbringing shaped her and fueled her depressive symptoms. After successful EMDR therapy, she finally started to believe that she was “good enough.”
As an EMDR therapist having undergone a rigorous EMDRIA-approved training program, I can help you find relief.
I understand the suffering and have worked with individuals who were deep in the trenches of debilitating depressive symptoms. There is hope for healing.
Are you looking for compassionate, safe care and natural healing of depression? Please call for a free 15-minute phone call.
*Name has been changed to protect client confidentiality.