When it is more than a rough patch
Everyone has hard weeks. Depression is different. It is the heaviness that does not lift, the loss of interest in things you used to love, the exhaustion that sleep does not fix, and the quiet sense of hopelessness that colors everything. It can look like anger and irritability too, especially in men, who are often taught to push through instead of speaking up.
If you have been feeling this way for more than a couple of weeks, please reach out. You do not need to hit rock bottom to deserve help.
How I approach depression
I believe depression usually makes sense once we understand your story. Sometimes it grows out of grief or loss. Sometimes it is the weight of years spent taking care of everyone but yourself. Sometimes it is rooted in trauma, or in a faith crisis, or in a relationship that has gone quiet.
We work at two levels at once. We build small, concrete steps that help you get through the week: sleep, movement, connection, routine. And we do the deeper work of understanding and healing what is underneath, using Internal Family Systems, Coherence Therapy, and Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy. The goal is not to make you feel a little less bad. The goal is for you to feel like yourself again.
A note on safety
If you are having thoughts of ending your life, please call or text 988 right now. The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day. You can also call me, and if I cannot answer I will get back to you as soon as I can. You matter, and there is help.