Depression Counseling in Upper Brookville, NY.

Depression can range from sad to debilitating. It can come as a reaction to a trauma or painful event or creep up on you from a buildup of years of unhappiness. When given attention, depression can help you learn about what may be missing in your life, what you want to achieve, pain that needs healing, or how to become more empowered. Depression can be used for strength and positive. Experience how!

Depression is a feeling that can feel incredibly heavy to hold. Sometimes we experience challenging life events that leave us feeling much sadness, grief, inner pain and lack of joy, which interfere with our daily functioning. That is called depression. With Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (challenging unhelpful thoughts) and psychodynamic modalities, I can help you work through that sadness, heaviness and pain, so that you may begin the journey of healing work. This is the first step towards holding the sadness, addressing yourself in a safe space so we can slowly help you process and shift to start feeling lighter and start seeing the sunshine and tasting the small joys in everyday life.

My approach to depression therapy begins with helping clients understand it is a treatable illness. I assess their symptoms (sleep, eating problems, lack of focus, irritability, anxiety, sadness) to determine their condition (major depression, situational depression, dysphoria). I also determine whether medication (administered under the supervision of a medical professional) may be necessary in addition to talk therapy. I employ compassionate listening to understand each client's issues and the root causes of their condition and develop a tailored treatment plan.

Depression can present itself in many ways, together we identify symptoms that are specific to you, identify and explore what factors are contributing to the symptoms, we talk about how you can begin to improve these symptoms so that you can be on your way to a happier healthier life. For some talk therapy is enough and for others they may need linkage to other specialists.

Sometimes it feels as though your sadness is a heavy weight on your shoulders. We can help you lift that weight and feel more peace and joy in your life. We use a safe and collaborative approach to helping you explore the roots of your sadness while learning evidence-based interventions to alleviate feelings of sadness, loneliness and being overwhelmed.

If you have a pulse and a heart, you have been sad. Using the science of happiness rather than standard interventions for depression we focus on increasing positive emotion, engagement, and meaning rather than directly targeting depressive symptoms. In using these interventions with clients I have noted the effects of these interventions in a variety of settings. In informal and clinical settings these interventions have commonly been reported to me and referred to as “life-changing.”

In my approach to depression counseling and treatment, I provide a compassionate and holistic perspective, tailoring my interventions to the unique needs of each client. Drawing upon my 8 years of experience as a Board-Certified adult psychiatrist and specialization in Reproductive Psychiatry and Integrative Women's Mental Health, I offer evidence-based therapies and medication management.

Our enriched, multi-modal approach is effective for clients who consult us regarding depression and mood-modulation issues. Often the combination of cognitive-behavioral, supportive and psychodynamic-ego-enhancing approaches help moderately depressed clients within a relatively short time--usually within a few months. Our approachability, empathic listening skills and pragmatic conflict-resolution expertise are most useful for clients suffering from the debilitating effects of depression. We also stress a holistic approaches that integrate medical and nutritional needs, as well as incorporating stress reduction, physical exercise and meditation work. Our clients often benefit greatly.

I aim to create a supportive and non-judgmental space that encourages you to feel that you can safely open up and explore your emotions. In sessions, you can learn coping skills to manage negative thoughts, help identify and challenge distorted thinking patterns, and develop healthier routine. Together, we can set realistic goals, address negative thought patterns, and improve your daily functioning.

Depression can range from being draining to being completely debilitating. Wherever you land on that spectrum, so much of depression involves negative thinking of oneself, others, and the world. Talk therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy are research-backed successful tools in providing support for those experiencing depression. I use talk therapy to provide a space for clients to share their feelings and things that either lead to or are affected by their feelings of depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps identify and shift negative thinking patterns as well as behaviors, which ultimately creates a more positive cycle in ones life and decreases symptoms of depression.