Depression Counseling in East Haddam, CT.

Many people struggle with depression. Depression can strike the young and the aged. Depression is also one of the most debilitating and prevalent emotional issue in our society. There are many benefits to learning about how to better deal and live with depression. There are also many ways to better handle depression, rather than just treating with medicine.

Together we will explore the areas in your life that are contributing to your depressive feelings. Through CBT we will identify negative thought patterns and learn ways to break them, replacing them with positive self-talk and affirmations. You will learn Mindfulness skills to free you from depression in the moment. We will work together on achieving peace and serenity within yourself.

Depression is an area I have focused on for more than a decade. I help people to gain a deeper insight about themselves, thereby improving their ability to make better decisions and decrease their depression. I've recently heard a statistic that ~1/3 of American women have taken medication for it at some point in their lives. If true, that is an astounding figure. Unfortunately the medicine does not cure, but only supresses the symptoms. For long-term success, therapy is an essential component.

You did not choose to be depressed and it’s not something most people can simply “shake off.” Depression is real. It’s life altering and can trick you in to believing that you can never be happy again. I am here to help. I would be honored to walk with you as we challenge the narrative of your depression while acknowledging how incredibly hard and real it is. You are not alone, and hope can be the beginning to your own healing.

Depression looks like a great deal of things depending on the person. There are two major types of people who are depressed: Lethargic depression where there is generally a lack of energy and associated symptoms and anxious depression where it's hard to sleep and your mind is in 1,001 places. Depression is a hard "nut" to crack. However, with a motivated client, I have seen many populations not only overcome their depression, but thrive from their past experiences and utilizing those experiences to help others

I have found the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) model of therapy to be highly effective at helping people to overcome depression. Much of depression takes place when people have thoughts that result in powerful negative thinking. This negative thinking leads to negative feelings, which lead to negative behaviors that keep the person in a negative spiral. Consider how you might engage in this dynamic. If you do, something needs to and can be done to break that loop. I’ve broken the loop for people many times in the last decade and can do the same for you.

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.

Feelingings of depression can be organically or situationally based. Organic depression has a strong heritability factor, with everyday stressors exasperating it. Situational depression is triggered by transitions in people’s lives where their current coping mechanisms are not strong enough to create the resilience and ongoing fortitude required to counteract the mood shift. For 30+ years in clinical practice, I have assisted my clients in understanding how to embrace their mood states and build cognitive belief patterns and behavioral routines that allow them to feel that they are in charge of their life and that the depression does not own them.