Depression Counseling
IS THERE A BATTLE GOING ON INSIDE OF YOU?
When you think about your future, do you feel sad and anxious? Do you ever feel like your heart is just going to burst from brokeness? Perhaps you’re feeling sad and anxious and do not know why.. You might also feel easily frustrated by your current circumstances, especially if you harshly criticize and shame yourself for “not being perfect”. Do you blame and shame yourself for just about everything? Do you have difficulties setting limits and boundaries? Are you a people pleaser? Do you feel like giving up?
Do you often feel sad, tearful, angry, or irritable but are smiling or laughing? As you attempt to stuff your emotions you may see how what you are avoiding and denying is showing up physically as aches and pains, back aches, fatigue, digestive issues, or sleep disturbances, panic attacks. These symptoms can make daily living seem so overwhelming that it is hard to get out of bed, take care of rather than neglect yourself, let alone exercise or have a good appetite... You may feel alone and misunderstood and have difficulty trusting others as well as trusting yourself.
Is depression taking a toll on your relationships? Maybe you have a history of toxic or turbulent relationships and have never addressed how you have been wounded or shutdown. You may have a war going on inside of you and all of your anger has gotten “stuffed” for you fear rejection and therefore avoid conflict.
Have you been using drugs, alcohol, or food, relationships to distract in an attempt to numb and deny your pain? You may work long hours, spend too much money, or engage in other activities to distract yourself from your what is going on inside or you may focus on physical symptoms.
If you’re ready to take a look inside rather than continue to be distracted so that you can begin to identify and address what really matters to you then a compassionate and expert therapist may be exactly what you need. With therapy, you can get help dealing with your depression in a healthy way and this can be an opportunity for your restoration and growth.
Suffering Is Part Of Being Human
Depression is incredibly common in the United States, affecting more than 17 million adults.1 In fact, many people regard depression as the “common cold” of mental health issues.
For many people, depression is biological in nature. Others get depressed after the loss of a loved one, job, pet, or relationship, life’s transitions or you may be dealing with the effects of not having a secure attachment growing up.. You may be grieving for parts of your childhood, which was “lost” to physical or emotional abuse or neglect. Because many people tend to minimize or bury painful past experiences, you may be experiencing the effects of childhood trauma without being conscious of it but having symptoms
While both genders experience depression, it is particularly common among women.2 One reason for this disparity is that many women are insisting on perfection in their appearance, in their careers, or in other areas of their lives. This toxic perfectionism comes with a higher risk of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation, according to research.3
Even though suffering is part of the human experience, suffering alone doesn’t have to be. Psychological therapy for depression with a skilled and caring expert therapist can provide you with the support, guidance and validation you need to challenge unhealthy patterns and develop courage as you begin to know your value..
Therapy For Depression Can Change Your Life
Being able to express yourself without fear of judgment is a wonderful experience, but one that’s hard to come by for many people. As a therapist, I provide a calm, relaxing, and compassionate space where you can be totally yourself, perhaps for the first time. Depending on your needs, I will pull from a variety of therapeutic approaches—including psychodynamic therapy, object relations theory, and attachment theory—during our work together. The most powerful tool for healing, however, will be the healthy therapeutic collaborative relationship we develop.
If your thoughts and feelings weren’t valued (or were actively discouraged) in your past relationships or childhood you may have learned to hide them away. Because I will listen attentively and with my full presence, you will soon learn that you can safely express yourself.
You may think of yourself as "worthless" at times especially when you make a mistake… which is clearly not true… as we are all a work in progress and that includes you… none of us are perfect and yet each one is of value…
I will also encourage you to get curious about the origins of your negative thought patterns. Many people have internalized the critical or punitive attitudes of their childhood caregivers or past partners. As we uncover the roots of your negative thinking, you will be empowered to view yourself with greater gentleness, kindness, and compassion. Any harmful thoughts that do arise will increasingly be recognized as relics of your past, decreasing their power over you.
As you begin to value and honor yourself: you will become more assertive and no longer view yourself as a "victim," as well as have more clarity on when you feel safe enough to be vulnerable. Rather than repress your feelings in an attempt to avoid conflict, you will learn to establish boundaries that protect and strengthen you. Your growing autonomy and stronger voice will also empower you to take better care of yourself. In the past, you may have felt too tired to engage in self-care, but I can help you reconnect with health-promoting activities you once enjoyed (or help you find new ones).
You may not feel capable or worthy of change and growth. Our minds tend to gravitate toward things that feel familiar, so change won’t happen overnight. You can, however, rewire your brain over time. You may not feel capable or even worthy of change right now, but I can help you stop believing those lies. As you rediscover your inherent worth and realize that you do have choices in life, you can begin to rewrite your life story.
As you consider therapy for depression, you may wonder. . .
How long will this take?
Healing is a process and during that process, you can develop patience compassion and curiosity about what is going on inside and experience new pathways being formed in your brain. You very likely have been depressed for a while and just acknowledging that and seeking help is a step of inner strength and wanting to move forward.. The roots of your experiencing depression may go back many years. It takes time to undo unhealthy patterns of thinking and feeling caused by early childhood attachment trauma and deep wounding. But we know now that we can develop new right-brain pathways and patterns of responding and ways of relating over time.. This will be a very important and exciting part of the process of your therapy with me and that would be: experiencing and seeing the wonder of our brains to form new pathways and: neuroplasticity! Healing from deep emotional wounding can only take place in the present as we can only heal the past in the present not in the past. Emotions are slow and so important not to rush this process and be able to receive the time and attention and emotional attunement that you so need to heal.
Do you think I’ll need antidepressant medication?
Getting psychotherapy for your depression may be all you need to start feeling better. On the other hand, some people require antidepressant therapy just to get out of bed and to each therapy session. After your first few visits, I’ll have a better understanding of your needs and where you’re at mentally and emotionally. If at that point my impression is that medication would be beneficial, then we can have a discussion about it and—if you agree—I can refer you to someone who can help.
Is therapy really worth the cost?
In the same way that it’s important to invest in your career or your financial security, it’s important to invest in yourself. Neglecting your mental health is like building a house without a strong foundation: it may be beautiful on the outside, but if it’s full of termites, it’s not going to stay standing. When you invest in quality depression therapy, the benefits you receive can serve as a foundation for every other life investment. Investing in therapy is also a commitment, as you are making a wise, nurturing, and growth-producing decision for your life.
When You Recognize The Truth, Miracles Can Happen
Finding the truth—that you are unconditionally valuable and worthy of love—will set you free. Even if you’re feeling hopeless and unmotivated right now, I can provide the support, encouragement, and guidance to transform your life for the better.
There are many therapists to choose from in a big city like New York City but it is essential to find the “right” New York City therapist so you can be healed of depression and gloom and doom from the inside out. In my practice for over the past 35 years have worked with many depressed clients and have seen their strength and resiliency from the first session though they were not able to see it at that time. But over time each client began to trust our collaborative relationship and the healing process began and the “grave clothes” started to come off and each precious soul became truly alive.. I work with very high-functioning people but with all their “doing:” parts of them became frozen and shut down and disconnected from joy and vitality as well as being calm and still. By visiting my website, you’ve taken the first step toward hope, healing, change, and growth. So if you are ready to meet in person at my calm and peaceful comfortable NYC home office we can start this process of inner healing so you can be who were meant to be: fully alive and connected and thriving!
Call me so you can begin to heal! I look forward to hearing from you!
“I highly recommend Ronee as a therapist. She is compassionate, very experienced, filled with wisdom, and she genuinely cares. The passion she brings to her work is what makes her truly unique.”
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