Depression Counseling in Alamo, CA.

Depression is usually caused from helplessness in the face of overwhelming situations. This can be a learned response from unresolved traumas in your past. My approach to depression is multifaceted, beginning with getting to know you and understanding your life and its hardships. Very quickly, I like to move into using Somatic Experiencing to help resolve past trauma and retrain your nevous system to be able to re-regulate itself in the face of what used to be overwhelming circumstances. I have seen a lot of people rise up out of the hell of depression, with and without medication, to live the lives they were meant to live.

Depression is the result of loss, powerlessness and trauma. The negative experiences we have, when not processes, the experiences that have become frozen in the form of despair, rage, powerlessness, grief and disconnection from ourselves and others leads to depression. These experiences can be made active, can be processed through and healing can take place. I draw from EMDR and somatic approaches to resolve depressive symptoms and the underlying reasons for the depressive state that formed.

Our understanding of depression and its origins has deepened in recent years, especially with the much more nuanced knowledge we now have about the influences of both our early lives and neurobiology in shaping how we experience and respond to stress and adversity. If you are depresses, it is important to understand whether it is a response to situational, and possibly temporary circumstances, a biological tendency, a response to long-term trauma or a combination of triggers. If you wish to explore how I could help with your particular situation, please call me at 415-533-9724.

When struggling with depressed moods, everything feels heavy and you lack a sense of meaning and purpose. Even the most simple tasks can feel impossible. If you find yourself turning to alcohol, substances, or other addictive behaviours to cope with depressed moods, there is a way out. I help clients with addictions overcome the depressed moods causing them to turn to substances or addictive behaviours to cope. Everyone is different, so I work with you to develop a plan that fits your unique situation. If you are unsure where to start, send me a message. If I'm not the right fit, I can connect you to resources that will allow you to start getting help today, without having to wait.

Depression robs us, not only of our happiness and sense of well-being, but also of the hope that things will get better. Depression makes us feel we are worthless, so it is hard to reach out for the help we need. I help clients defeat depression through reestablishing hope and improving self-esteem and self-care. I have worked with clients suffering from chronic, lifelong depression as well as those experiencing their first depressive episode. Overcoming depression restores resilience and can teach lifelong lessons in self-care and the path to emotional health. I have been there myself, so I know that there is hope. You will overcome depression and feel like yourself again.

I offer a holistic and client-centered experience designed to address the multifaceted nature of depression. I create a supportive and empathetic environment where clients feel safe to explore their feelings and experiences without judgment. By employing evidence-based therapies, such as Ketamine Therapy (KAP), IFS, and mindfulness practices, I work with clients to identify negative thought patterns, develop coping strategies, and build resilience. Additionally, I tailor interventions to each individual’s unique needs, incorporating their personal strengths and goals into the therapeutic process. This comprehensive approach empowers client to achieve a more balanced and fulfilling life.

When depression hits, it's like a ton of bricks weighing on you. It feels like there is no way out of the fog. It can be helpful to have a place to explore this and validate how difficult it can be to experience depression. Therapy is a safe place for you to understand what underlying issues might be making the depression more difficult to manage. I will provide that safe place for you to gain understanding about yourself and the depression you experience. I will also work with you to find tools that can help you move through it with more ease and confidence. I look forward to supporting you through this process.

I work with a depressed nervous system by working with the body. Often we struggle to sleep, eat, or accomplish relatively simple tasks. Our bodies are stuck with the brake on. When our body thinks it is futile, out mind follows quickly thereafter and we begin to tell ourselves how pointless things are and how worthless we are. I work with the whole body to re-regulate the body to enable you to get back to a whole integrated self.

It can often seem like society expects us to be happy and positive at all times, that any admission of sadness or a loss of motivation, energy, or engagement with life is a personal failure. But Depression isn't a personal failure, and it is also more than just "feeling sad". If you find yourself down in the hole of disconnection, surrounded by a fog that is interfering with your life and relationships, you need a hand to help you climb out. A trained therapist understands the mechanics of depression and can help you understand it and find strategies to make your way up and out of it, and back into the light. Please contact me so we can begin to work on this process together.

Struggling to live life with overwhelming sadness and apathy is often miserable. Depression can take over and become all consuming - unless you get help. A safe place to talk can begin easing the emotional pain controlling your life. Through exploring issues and emotions we can begin to identify and work through possible underlying causes. We can then begin to identify strengths and resources to start the process of moving you forward and out of the depths of your darkness. You can attain a more satisfying and productive life - one in which getting out of bed is not the biggest challenge of your day. Make that life saving phone call today and I will walk through this with you.

First, it's important to me to understand what my clients mean by "depression" because how one client experiences depression can be very different than another client. This is necessary so I can customize the strategies I use for each specific client based on their unique experience of depression. Ultimately, my clients can expect to discover real-world steps they can take to feel not just "less depressed" but better about their life - and more positive and hopeful.

I approach the therapeutic healing from depression with a lens of authenticity that begins by building a trusting relationship with the client. Heal from the darkness of depression with my compassionate integration of Internal Family Systems, mindfulness approaches, and other psychodynamic approaches. We will work on accessing your inner wisdom of "self" in combination with awareness of the power and science of the mind and body to help find your light.

When one is depressed the range of thoughts and feelings encompass a wide spectrum. Sadness and despair might be pervasive. One can feel as if they have fallen into a deep dark pit where everything is covered in negativity and hopelessness. In this state, one can feel inadequate, discouraged, unable or unwilling to make decisions. In addition, guilt, shame, profound low self-esteem and loss of interest in relationships, sex, career and even life itself are commonly found. A variety of evidence-based tools, specific to the needs of the individual, applied skillfully at the right time, can dramatically lift one out of that deep, dark pit and help avoid relapse.

Depression can set in when our emotions or negative thought patterns become overwhelming and too much to hold. Pain or hardship often is too much to hold alone. With my help, we can start to open to emotion, bring a wise awareness to thought patterns, and to find aliveness again. If we can make friends with our emotions, stop fighting them, and to recognize their purpose in regulating the nervous system or showing us what matters to us, tremendous resilience can be found on the other side.

I have specialized in treating depression for many years. Rather than viewing this as a 'pathology,' I see depressed moods as a form of dispiritedness- i.e. a loss or breakage of our inner spirit. This condition is a signal that some aspect of our life and/or self needs attention and healing. Often, we can sense the dispirited self through posture, life-stances, behavioral patterns, lack of energy and drive, and an inner sense of resignation or defeatism. When we allow the body freedom to experience, express and move, then its energy comes alive and leads us to discover how the spirit was broken. I show us ways that we can recover the wounded self, restore spirit and rejuvenate life energy.

Ugghh! The crushing, heavy feeling of depression can make it difficult to get up in the morning, to find connection to others and to the world, to move forward at all. Worse, symptoms of depression can, in themselves, make us feel more depressed still, creating a downward spiral into an an abyss of emptiness. It's so hard to motivate one's self to do anything about depression because of the weight of it all. It can feel immobilizing. You don't have to keep feeling that stuck, awful feeling. I can help! Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has been shown to be as effective as medication for treating depression and getting you back to the life you want to live.

Are you struggling with sadness, loss of motivation, low energy, feeling down, hopelessness or helplessness? Life these days are not easy and can bring on depression and loneliness. I want to be a support to you and help you through this part of your life. I will help you find hope and identify coping skills to manage your symptoms. It would be my pleasure to walk by your side and find a new path of hopefulness!

Grey Matters International, Inc. and the work of Kevin J. Fleming, Ph.D. handles depression and other emotional disorders in a very unique way. Most of therapy or counseling processes utilize validation, unconditional positive regard, and reframing as common techniques to get someone to heal from their depression. Though this can be helpful, it rarely fixes the core problem behind it and for tough cases we then refer them usually to a psychiatrist for medication which can have tons of side effects. Instead, why not try a natural and arguably more effective way to not just change your mind, but change the brain--where the depression is rooted. Contact us at kevin@kevinflemingphd.com

Depression (and anxiety) are normal responses to painful environments. Are finding it difficult to be motivated? Are you lower energy than you should be? Is it hard to get out of bed? Do you get irritable for no reason at times? If so, you may be suffering from depression. I attack depression from two angles. One strategy is using CBT strategies to help you manage some of your symptoms. I also use EMDR, attachment based psychotherapy, and body / nervous system informed strategies to help you transform some of the underlying brain mis-wiring that is there from your past. Don't find somebody that just stares at you and lets you continue to be depressed. Let's do something about this!

When you are waking up sad or feeling heaviness, or irritable much of the time you might benefit from some help with this. Therapy or counseling can make a difference. It may take you out of being by yourself and thinking blue thoughts or feeling less power than you really have to allow interest in feeling good again. I want to be present for you to give you ways to lighten the leaden or deeply sad feelings and restore a sense of hope. Your mind/body can respond to ways to clear what is stuck and gain a sense of strength and caring for yourself, which is what I am right here to provide guidance through. With some solid professional assistance, brightening can happen for you: really!

I use several methods for helping you overcome depression. I support you in maintaining safety. Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, I help you to identify unhelpful thoughts and learn how to restructure your thoughts. I help you identify root causes of your depression and find ways to reduce their impact by replacing them with activities and relationships that support you in increased positive mood and personal responsibility. Depression can be comorbid with other issues you may be struggling with and I take a holistic approach to help you address what is needed in order to become a more fulfilled, and satisfied individual.

Grey Matters International, Inc. and the work of Kevin J. Fleming, Ph.D. handles depression and other emotional disorders in a very unique way. Most of therapy or counseling processes utilize validation, unconditional positive regard, and reframing as common techniques to get someone to heal from their depression. Though this can be helpful, it rarely fixes the core problem behind it and for tough cases we then refer them usually to a psychiatrist for medication which can have tons of side effects. Instead, why not try a natural and arguably more effective way to not just change your mind, but change the brain--where the depression is rooted. Contact us at kevin@kevinflemingphd.com.