Depression and Anxiety

Depression and anxiety are serious, but very treatable disorders that can be debilitating if left untreated. They can both take over a person’s life and sense of self. If you come for help with depression and/or anxiety the first session will be a time for me to get a history and assess the level of severity. If severe, I might recommend a psychiatric evaluation for possible medication, but most people find coming to therapy helpful and sufficient in dealing with their depression and anxiety.

My approach to treating anxiety and depression is highly individualized. The type of person you are as well as the type of depression or anxiety you have determine which treatment modality will be most effective. I utilize a variety of theories and techniques including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), as well as narrative and psychodynamic therapy. I work to help you understand what inborn or biological factors contributed to your disorder and what current situations or environmental factors are contributing or causing it now. Finally, I teach skills for distress tolerance, communication effectiveness, self-care and new ways of handling or managing the thoughts, people, places or situations that trigger overwhelming feelings that worsen anxiety and/or depression.

Both anxiety and depression are very treatable illnesses, but I am aware that when you feel depressed it is often hard to do the very things that would help lessen it and when you feel very anxious it is often very anxiety provoking to do the very things that would help to lessen the anxiety. Part of my job is to make those changes manageable and in some cases to help you challenge your greatest fears.