Depression has a way of shrinking your life. You may pull back from people, stop doing things you once enjoyed, lose momentum, and become more critical of yourself. The less engaged you feel, the harder it becomes to do the very things that could help you feel better.

Depression therapy helps interrupt that cycle.

Our Fort Lauderdale depression therapists start by understanding what is keeping your depression going. That may include withdrawal and avoidance, harsh self-criticism, unhelpful beliefs, relationship stress, grief, perfectionism, burnout, major life changes, or patterns that have been building for years.

From there, therapy becomes an active, personalized process. Depending on what you need, your therapist may help you:

• Re-engage with relationships, routines, and experiences that give your life meaning
• Recognize thought patterns that make hopelessness, guilt, or self-criticism feel more convincing
• Change behaviors that unintentionally reinforce isolation and low mood
• Work through experiences or relationships contributing to how you feel
• Build more effective ways of responding when depression begins pulling you back into old patterns

Our therapists draw from evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and other behavioral and skills-based therapies, while tailoring treatment to the person in front of them.

Feeling less depressed matters, but successful therapy is not simply about reducing symptoms.

The bigger goal is helping you become more engaged in your own life again. That may mean having energy for people you care about, enjoying things instead of simply completing them, trusting yourself more, handling difficult periods without disappearing into them, and feeling like your life belongs to you again.

There is no single formula for getting there. What works depends on your symptoms, history, relationships, strengths, and goals. Your depression therapist will work with you to determine what needs to change and build treatment around that.

1. The first step is to give us a call: (954) 488-2933
2. Our practice offers complimentary 15-minute phone consultations. During this consultation we will learn more about your needs and goals. You'll be matched with one of our expert therapists
3. Next, you'll meet with your depression therapist for an initial session. There, they will get a very thorough understanding of your unique background, history and what you'd like to accomplish. They'll share ideas for an action plan and collaboratively, you'll both decide next steps
4. Treatment for depression typically includes other team members as appropriate. You might be recommended to visit a general physician, psychiatrist and/or dietician as part of your treatment team to address both mind and body
5. How long does depression therapy last? The duration of treatment depends on many individual factors (e.g., the severity of symptoms, co-occurring conditions, your attendance in therapy, etc.). Generally speaking, some folks reach their goals as quickly as ten sessions whereas others may find it helpful to continue therapy sessions for several months. The course of treatment will be collaboratively decided between you and your therapist.

Some studies suggest that one out of every five people struggle with depression. Often referred to as “the common cold of mental disorders,” depression should be taken seriously and addressed as early as possible.

Bipolar Disorder (previously known as Manic-Depression) is characterized by instability of mood, coupled with poor impulse control, and excessive energy. Read more to review signs and symptoms of two mood disorders.

A signature symptom of depression is anhedonia--the loss of pleasure in activities you once enjoyed. It can be experienced socially or physically. Social anhedonia is a lack of interest in engaging with others and the feeling that social interactions are less enjoyable than they used to be. Physical anhedonia is an inability to feel sensory pleasures such as physical touch, eating, or sex.

Although anhedonia is a hallmark symptom of Major Depression, it doesn't necessarily indicate you meet diagnostic criteria for depression. Aside from a mood disorder, anhedonia can be caused by abusing drugs or alcohol, excessive stress, a recent trauma, or another psychological condition.