Depression
Depression is more than a period of sadness. When it persists and interferes with daily life, therapy can help.
Understanding Depression
Depression is more than a period of sadness. It is a condition that can affect how you think, feel, and engage with the world around you. I work with adults in New York and Florida experiencing persistent low mood, loss of motivation, withdrawal, and difficulty functioning in daily life.
Depression can look different from person to person. Some people feel a persistent heaviness or emptiness. Others lose interest in things they used to care about, struggle to concentrate, or find that even small tasks feel exhausting. For some, depression shows up more as irritability or physical fatigue than as obvious sadness.
Not every period of low mood is a depressive disorder, and similar symptoms can sometimes have different causes. Duration, severity, context, and impact on functioning all matter. A careful assessment helps clarify what you are experiencing and what kind of support would be most useful.
Common Symptoms of Depression
Mood and emotions
- Persistent sadness, emptiness, or low mood
- Feeling hopeless or like things will not get better
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you once enjoyed
- Irritability or feeling easily frustrated
- Feelings of worthlessness, shame, or excessive guilt
Thinking and concentration
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
- Negative thinking about yourself, others, or the future
- Thoughts of death or that others would be better off without you
Physical and behavioral
- Fatigue or low energy, even after rest
- Changes in sleep, sleeping too much or too little
- Changes in appetite or weight
- Withdrawing from people or activities
- Difficulty getting started on tasks or following through
If you are having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please reach out to a crisis line or emergency services. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 by calling or texting 988.
How I Treat Depression
Depression treatment is most effective when it is tailored to the individual. I begin with a careful assessment of what you are experiencing, including the emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and physical dimensions, and build a treatment approach from there:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is one of the most well-researched treatments for depression. It addresses the negative thought patterns, such as all-or-nothing thinking, self-blame, or hopelessness, that sustain low mood, as well as the behavioral patterns like withdrawal and inactivity that can deepen it. CBT is active and collaborative, and it gives you concrete tools to use between sessions.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT helps you change your relationship with painful thoughts and feelings rather than fighting to eliminate them. It focuses on clarifying what matters to you and taking steps toward a meaningful life even when depression makes that feel difficult. This approach is particularly useful when depression has led to significant withdrawal or loss of purpose.
Psychoeducation
Understanding how depression works, including the patterns of thinking and behavior that maintain it, can be an important part of treatment. Psychoeducation helps you recognize what is happening and gives you a framework for making sense of your experience.
PHQ-8 Depression Screener
Over the last two weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems?
This is a validated screening tool, not a clinical diagnosis. Results are for your personal awareness only and are not stored or shared.
1Little interest or pleasure in doing things
2Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless
3Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much
4Feeling tired or having little energy
5Poor appetite or overeating
6Feeling bad about yourself — or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down
7Trouble concentrating on things, such as reading the newspaper or watching television
8Moving or speaking so slowly that other people could have noticed — or the opposite, being so fidgety or restless that you have been moving around a lot more than usual
Please answer all 8 questions to see your score.
Considering Therapy for Depression?
Depression is treatable, and reaching out is a meaningful first step. I offer a free 15-minute consultation, no commitment required.