Depression Counseling in Merrifield, VA.

Life can present you with difficult situations which are hard to process and move past. These challenges are not on your timeline and affect everything. Having worked in many healthcare settings, I am familiar navigating life-changing events and grief. I understand the territory of encountering loss, coping with trauma, the complexity of the medical system and living with illness. These issues can have ripple effects on your relationships, sense of self and perceptions of the world. I know how complex things can get, and I will support you during this process.

Depression is a signal that your life is not in balance; it is also an opportunity and call to action for a better life. I provide a holistic and educational approach to help you: • Examine triggers of depression; • Identify and transform thoughts, behaviors and feeling tendencies that lead to depression; • Promote physical wellness; • Learn skills to resolve conflicts and improve relationships; • Adapt mindfulness skills for calmness, acceptance and compassion; • Enhance the body-mind connection; • Define values, create a life-vision plan, and pursue a life that is worth living. My approach is based upon a belief in everyone's lovability and personal worth.

Everyone experiences sadness, but depression is a heavier and more stagnant emotion that can isolate a person from life. Talk therapy is often not enough, and I use imagery, brainspotting and biofield tuning to help move the heaviness out of the body. There are ogifts in depression, and an essential part of the work is to discover those gifts.

Depression is sometimes referred to as the "common cold" of mental health. At its root depression is about loss and loss always in some way has to do with love. In depression we lose a sense of connection to ourselves, to our relationships, to our tasks and even to God. In therapy, I provide a safe environment where you can face your sadness and loss, talk about it and reconnect in a caring place. Healing comes as deep pain is brought into loving and compassionate connection.

Simply finding the energy to search out options for a therapist shows your desire to get better. And that is something to hold on to as tightly as you can. In this day and age where we seem to only communicate through text messages and phone apps it becomes more difficult to allow ourselves to feel as well as heal. Working together we can process the challenges that are holding you down as well as work towards goals that can get you past these hurdles.

Robyn E. Brickel, M.A., LMFT, LLC treats depression and all mood disorders in her practice. By applying complementary therapy approaches and techniques, we will unearth long-standing behavior patterns or negative perceptions that may be holding you back from experiencing a more fulfilling and meaningful life. Robyn provides a supportive environment, as well as a safe place in the clients' life to facilitate changes.

We all experience ups and downs in life. This is normal and pat of living life. However, depression is characterized by feelings that are much more intense, let longer, and interfere more intensely with day-to-day functioning and interaction with other people. It is a serious condition that can impact every aspect of your life. It can affect your family relationships, work relationship, and impact negatively on your sense of self worth. Depression is very treatable. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is our primary approach to treating depression and it has been proven to be effective for most forms of depression and even to prevent the occurrence of future depressive episodes.

My approach with clients who suffer from depression is a combination of talk therapy, lifestyle changes (such as diet, exercise, and sleep habits), and coordination of care with other medical professionals who may prescribe medication if appropriate. We work together to process your feelings, we problem solve how depression gets in your way of wholehearted living, and heal relationships that have changed. I believe that feeling joyful again is possible, but my optimism and hope will never negate your experience of sadness.

“The Impossible Task”…if you’ve ever struggled with depression you get it. Something that ought to be so easy; sending that email, taking a shower, making the kids lunch, or walking the dog feels as if it’s insurmountable. Well-meaning friends and family aren’t very helpful when they suggest things like, “Just get dressed and exercise. It’ll make you feel better.” I get it. Calling a therapist might be the hardest thing you ever do. If you can take this one step, we’ll walk the rest of the way together.

Depression frequently comes from feeling overwhelmed by the issues life presents to you--sometimes work, sometimes family, sometimes both. The stresses lead to negative thoughts which become hard to handle. In therapy we work to turn those negative thoughts into positive statements, and find the strategies to work through, or around, the problems which gave rise to the depression.

Depression can be a difficult topic to admit to, much less come to therapy for, but the courage it takes to make that call is your first step out of the darkness. Depression would like you to believe that no one can help you and that you're all alone, but it's not true - feeling that way is actually a symptom of depression itself! That's one reason why depression can be particularly insidious - it can make you feel like something is wrong with you at your core, and so make it hard for you to reach out for help. The truth is that depression is a condition that responds to proper therapy treatment, not a character flaw. Believe that and reach out for the help you deserve.

Depression can vary from a vague sense of unhappiness and disquiet to crippling experiences of hopelessness that feel as though they will swallow you completely. Regardless of how your depression is manifesting, you cannot work through it alone. I would be honored to help you grow and heal such that you experience hope, joy and peace again (or perhaps for the first time). You do not have to be stuck in the darkness of depression--our brains are built with the ability to heal, and I would love to help you experience that.

Depression is a suffering that takes the joy out of life and seems endless and hopeless. It drains your self-esteem. It is a sign of a problem but it makes solving problems more difficult. Sometimes medication can help, but psychotherapy is more effective. There are several approaches to getting out of depression and I would use all of them. We can work to notice and challenge depressing thoughts. We can work with underlying trauma or loss where you may have begun to feel depressed. I can also support you to take the kind of actions that lift your mood. You will learn ways of being more nourished and fulfilled.

Depression is an emotional issue where a person feels down in mood for two or more weeks. Down mood includes: feelings of worthlessness, guilt, irritability, tearfulness, lack of interest, and lack of pleasure from usually enjoyable activities. Depression often involves repetitive negative thoughts about the self and may also include the loss of or increase in appetite as well as either excessive sleep or difficulty falling and staying asleep. Therapy can help you both manage and resolve issues that may be causing depression or Dysthymia.