Depression Therapy
Low Mood. Flatness. Exhaustion. Loss of Interest. Self-Criticism.
Depression lies. It tells you nothing will help, then takes the credit when you don’t reach for anything. Therapy is where that lie gets tested, steadily, with someone who has watched it lose the argument many times.
We treat the whole range: the can’t-get-out-of-bed kind and the fully-functional gray kind that nobody at work can see. In person in Long Beach or online across California.
Who it’s for
The flatness has outlasted whatever started it. Things you used to enjoy don’t land anymore. You’re doing everything right and feeling very little, or doing very little and drowning in self-criticism about it. High-functioning depression is still depression, and it responds to the same treatment.
How it works
The mix depends on your depression. For some people it’s behavioral activation and CBT: small, concrete moves that interrupt the spiral before you feel like making them. For others it’s deeper work on the self-critical voice, old losses, or trauma underneath. Progress tends to arrive quietly either way: one week you notice you wanted to do something.
Common questions
Is it depression or just a rough patch?
Time and reach are the useful tests. A rough patch tracks to something and lifts as that resolves; depression hangs on for weeks, spreads into sleep, appetite, focus, and interest, and stops responding to good news. If you’re unsure, that’s a fine thing to figure out in a first session.
I tried therapy before and it didn't help. Why would this be different?
Usually it’s fit. The approach, the therapist, or the timing. Tell us what didn’t work; that’s genuinely useful information, and matching you differently is exactly the kind of problem a group practice is built to solve.
Do I need medication?
Many people improve with therapy alone; for moderate to severe depression, research often favors therapy and medication together. We don’t prescribe, but we’ll give you a straight read on what we’re seeing and coordinate with a prescriber if that’s the right move.
How long does depression therapy take?
Most people notice movement within the first couple of months, and a typical course runs a few months to a year depending on how long the depression has been running. We review progress with you openly as we go.