Counseling for Depression
In my counseling practice, I offer a welcoming space where we can begin to investigate, with kindness, what our actual experience of depression is, and how we can work more skillfully with it.
I decided to write a separate page about depression, because it is one of the most commonly reported experiences in my office. Whether clinical, circumstantial, or otherwise, most of us have experienced some form of depression or we know somebody else who is living with it.
In my practice, I use person-centered counseling, mindfulness skills, and self-compassion practices to help others peel away the layers of suffering on top of depression. Suffering often takes the form of self-judgment and shame for experiencing depression. It can be helpful to see depression as part of our common humanity, rather than a personal pathology.
Using the RAIN meditation practice (Recognize-Allow-Investigate (with intimacy)-Nurture with Self-Compassion) may be a helpful tool in your work with depression, and I offer this practice in my counseling sessions when appropriate. One teacher I admire has suggested that depression is an invitation for deep rest. It may be here to let us know that we have been ignoring our own wisdom regarding how we want to live our lives.
Ultimately, I consider my approach very practical, and oriented toward living a more balanced and content life. I will work with you to build on the skills you already have to reach your goals.
"If you feel irritation or
depression or despair,
recognize their presence
and practice this mantra:
'Dear one,
I am here for you.'
You should talk to your depression
or your anger as you
would to a child. You embrace it tenderly with the energy of mindfulness and say,
'Dear one, I know you are there, and I am going to take
care of you,'
just as you would with
your crying baby."
-- Thich Nhat Hanh