Depression therapy offers a clinically grounded, compassionate approach for individuals experiencing emotional heaviness, disconnection, or a loss of vitality. I provide depression therapy for adults in Hawai'i and Florida who may appear high-functioning on the outside but feel exhausted, numb, or weighed down internally. Depression is not a personal failure or a lack of gratitude. It is often a response to prolonged stress, unresolved trauma, grief, or the need to conserve energy after carrying too much for too long. Therapy creates space to gently restore connection, meaning, and aliveness.
Clinically, depression is described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as a mood disorder characterized by persistent changes in mood, motivation, cognition, and physical functioning. Major Depressive Disorder and related depressive conditions involve symptoms such as low mood, diminished interest or pleasure, changes in sleep or appetite, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt, and in some cases thoughts of death or hopelessness.
From a trauma-informed perspective, depression is not simply a chemical imbalance or a problem to be corrected. It is often a response to chronic stress, loss, trauma, or unmet emotional needs. When the body has been required to stay alert, responsible, or emotionally contained for extended periods, depression can emerge as a form of shutdown or conservation.
Depression can coexist with anxiety, trauma, grief, or medical conditions, and it may look different from person to person. Effective treatment respects both the clinical presentation and the underlying emotional and physiological context.
In everyday terms, depression often feels like life has gone quiet or heavy. You may still function: working, caregiving, and achieving while feeling disconnected from joy, creativity, or meaning. Things that once felt easy may require enormous effort. Emotions may feel muted, distant, or overwhelming without a clear reason.
Depression is not laziness or weakness. It is often the body and mind signaling a need for care, rest, reconnection, or redirection. Therapy focuses on understanding what you has been carrying and gently supporting movement back toward vitality and presence.
Depression therapy may be helpful for individuals experiencing:
Individual depression therapy offers a consistent, supportive space to explore your internal experience at a pace that feels good to you. Sessions are collaborative and attuned, focusing on both emotional understanding and regulation. My approach integrates evidence-based therapy with trauma-informed and holistic principles. Rather than pushing for positivity or productivity, therapy supports gentle reconnection and redirection with emotions, values, relationships, and self.
Individual depression therapy may be a good fit if you are seeking:
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