Understanding Depression
Depression looks different for everyone. Some people feel persistently sad, hopeless, or numb. Others may feel anxious, irritable, or emotionally flat. Many people find that things they once enjoyed no longer bring them pleasure or energy. Every day tasks can feel overwhelming.
Some common experiences include fatigue or a sense of being “slowed down,” difficulty concentrating or making decisions, feelings of guilt or shame, disrupted sleep or appetite, physical symptoms like headaches or stomach pain, or thoughts about death or wanting to escape emotional pain.
No two people experience depression the same way, which is why I take the time to understand how it shows up for you—emotionally, physically, and in your relationships. Together, we can identify patterns that keep you stuck and build pathways back to connection, vitality, and purpose.
What Contributes to Depression?
There is no single cause of depression. For some, it begins in the aftermath of loss, trauma, or prolonged stress. For others, it emerges without a clear trigger. Depression often involves a complex interaction between genetics, brain chemistry, life history, and the ways we learn to cope with pain.
Research shows that brain systems involved in mood, motivation, and regulation may function differently in those experiencing depression. Our internal narratives and how we relate to difficult thoughts and emotions also play a powerful role. Rumination, self-criticism, and emotional suppression can contribute to a cycle that becomes hard to break.
Importantly, depression is not a weakness or a personal failure. It’s a real condition—and it’s treatable.
How I Treat Depression
I approach depression with a blend of evidence-based treatments and a deep understanding of trauma, physiology, and the mind-body connection. I integrate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Compassion-Focused and Emotion-Focused therapies, depending on your needs.
Together, we work to untangle the patterns that contribute to suffering and identify what supports healing. For some, this means shifting distorted thought patterns and reconnecting with a sense of agency. For others, it means learning to stay present with difficult emotions or building new ways to relate to yourself with more compassion and acceptance.
As a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, I also incorporate body-based tools informed by polyvagal theory to help regulate the nervous system and support recovery on both a cognitive and biological level.
Medication can be an important part of treatment for some individuals. When appropriate, I collaborate with psychiatrists to ensure a well-rounded, integrated approach to care.
Understanding Anxiety
Anxiety is part of being human. It’s our body’s built-in alarm system, meant to protect us and signal when something matters. But when that system becomes overactive, anxiety can interfere with your ability to feel calm, make decisions, or fully engage with your life.
Anxiety can look like constant worry, physical tension, restlessness, racing thoughts, difficulty sleeping, or feeling on edge. It might show up as avoidance, perfectionism, panic attacks, or compulsive behaviors. Sometimes it’s tied to past trauma or early environments that taught you to stay on high alert.
Anxiety can also coexist with depression and often stems from a combination of genetics, early learning, and overactive threat detection systems in the brain. In people with anxiety disorders, the amygdala—our brain’s fear center—can become hypersensitive, creating a sense of danger even in safe situations.
How I Treat Anxiety
Effective treatment begins with understanding your experience of anxiety—how it shows up in your body and mind, what triggers it, and what values it may be protecting.
While I incorporate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), my approach to anxiety is more often grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT helps you develop a new relationship with anxious thoughts and feelings—one where you can acknowledge them without letting them control your actions.
Together, we work to identify what matters to you and move toward it, even when anxiety is present. Exposure work is often a key part of this process. Not as a way to eliminate anxiety, but as a powerful tool for facing fears in the service of values-driven action. Exposure is done gradually and with support, helping you reclaim the parts of life that anxiety has narrowed.
For clients whose anxiety is rooted in trauma or nervous system dysregulation, I incorporate body-based techniques drawn from polyvagal theory to help restore a felt sense of safety and internal regulation.
If you're struggling with depression or anxiety, you're not alone—and you don't have to face it without support. Reaching out is a powerful first step toward feeling more grounded, more connected, and more in control of your life. Therapy can help you understand yourself more deeply and move forward in a way that feels aligned with who you are and what you care about.
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