Therapy for Depression

At ACED, we can help you to learn the skills and coping tools needed to find your joy again, and to take charge of your life. We are here to help you better understand how your depression works and how to relieve your painful and debilitating symptoms.

While there is no one-size-fits-all cure for depression, we know how to help you relieve it, manage it, and understand it so you can get back to living your life and doing the things that you love.

We’re Here to Help

Depression Has Taken Over

We all experiences sadness at times, however depression is something different. Depression is severe sadness or despair that lasts more than a few days. Depression gets in the way of daily activities and causes physical symptoms like pain, changes in appetite, disrupted sleeping patterns, or extreme fatigue.

You may also find it difficult to concentrate, or have feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt, and some people struggle thoughts of death or suicide.

Depression is the most common mental disorder. There is hope - keep reading.

Many People Struggle With Depression

Suffering with depression can be overwhelming, and effects everything in your life— your relationships, your work or school, your physical body, your emotions, your mental health, your capacity to pay attention, and even your identity. It is also true that having depression is not your fault.

Depression runs strongly in families, meaning that someone likely passed it down to you. There is a high degree of heritability (approximately 40%) when first-degree relatives (parents/children/siblings) have depression.

Depression affects an estimated 1 in 15 adults (6.7%) in any given year. And one in six people (16.6%) will experience depression at some time in their life. Depression can occur at any time, but on average, first appears during the late teens to mid-20s. Women are more likely than men to experience depression. Some studies show that one-third of women will experience a major depressive episode in their lifetime.

Depression Counseling Works

Psychotherapy for depression is a collaborative process, where you get to be a big part of your treatment, and will receive expert guidance in coping with and reducing your depressive symptoms. The therapy sessions will look a bit different for everyone, and this is because the ACED team is specialized in individualized depression treatment. Research shows that psychotherapy really works to treat depression. It can be an effective way to help you learn tools and skills to feel better and make the positive changes that you desire in your life.

Depression issues are very treatable! Most folks who struggle with depression are able to reduce or mostly eliminate symptoms after several months of psychotherapy, and many people find significant relief by getting on an anti-depressant medication in conjunction with therapy.

Let Us Help

With the help of a skilled, specialized therapist and/or dietitian (if your depression affects your eating), you can develop the coping skills, insight, and compassionate self-care needed to help with your depressive symptoms. We can provide the support you need:

• You will receive a personalized treatment plan that is highly specific and aligned with your unique needs and goals

• Tools and skills to manage and diminish depressive symptoms

• Support in developing insight and understanding about yourself, your mind, and your body

• Education about the science behind depression

• Help learning to regulate and soothe any intense emotions

• Coping skills to advocate for yourself and take better care of yourself, especially the parts of your life that depression makes you neglect

• Nutrition support, education, and guidance if depression affects your relationship with food

• Inspiration, motivation, and accountability

• So much love and compassion

We utilize a number of therapeutic modalities to aid in your unique recovery process:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

• Psychodynamic Theory

• Feminist Theory

• Health at Every Size® and Intuitive Eating

• Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Parts Work

• Relational Cultural Theory

• Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT)

We Cherish Your Autonomy

You and you alone (given that you are an adult) are in charge of your life and your body. You ultimately decide what is best for you, and we will empower you to make your own decisions about your care. We will have plenty of recommendations (see above) to aid your healing process, and if your symptoms are more severe, we may be more directive in nature. However, you are always free to agree or disagree, to come and go as you please, and do what you believe is the best thing for you.

We believe that you must make your own decisions to get the most out of therapy, and we support you in doing so. We cannot make you do anything, and you simply will not change unless you want to. We unconditionally accept you for who you are, right now.

Help Is Available for Depression.

We’re here for you. Schedule a complimentary phone consultation to ask all of your questions, and see if we might be a good fit for you.