Depression Therapy

Man sitting on a boulder looking into the distance. Concept of hope

Do You Feel Lost, Alone, Or Unfulfilled With Life?

Depression can make it feel like you’re sleepwalking through life without any real sense of purpose or direction. You either avoid social situations altogether (even though you crave connection) or you simply can’t have fun when you do go out.

The thrill of doing new things and bulldogging your way toward goals has likely been replaced by apathy and a numbness that robs you of any sense of joy.

And you’re probably tired of always criticizing yourself, comparing yourself to others, or just feeling like you’re not “good enough, so you’re finally considering depression counseling.

Depression Is A Complex Issue That Can Manifest In Tricky Ways

If you’re considering therapy for depression, there’s a good chance you’re dealing with a lot of sadness, self-doubt, guilt, or even hopelessness. However, depression can show up in less conspicuous ways. For instance, perhaps your life looks good on paper—you’ve got a nice home, a good job, a happy family—but you feel stuck, even unfulfilled, as if you’re not yet where you’re supposed to be.

On the other hand, maybe you’re still looking for love and laying the groundwork for your life, but nothing’s quite worked out like you expected. Despite the sense that you know what you should be doing, you still can’t make anything happen. You just feel lost, alone, and disconnected.

Whether you’re coping with overwhelming sadness, self-sabotaging cycles of avoidance, or a general lack of fulfillment, depression treatment can give you the clarity and support needed to live your best life.

Contact

Our Society Is Primed For Depression

Although certain biological factors, such as genetics and brain chemistry, can play a role in depression, we’re often at the mercy of myriad social and cultural forces that contribute to the issue. Technology gives us 24-hour access to all the stimulation we crave, so we often find ourselves doomscrolling through the worst news, feeding a sense of hopelessness and despair.

Social media and job networking sites promote this fear of falling behind or not being good enough, so we’re always pushing ourselves to do more. As the stress, loneliness, and self-doubt build, the way we think and feel about ourselves, other people, and life in general can start to suffer.

Why Does Healing From Depression Often Necessitate Counseling?

Many clients come into therapy thinking that depression is a problem that needs solving. So, they attempt to rationalize and strategize their way toward healing, only to get frustrated and ashamed when they’re unable to course-correct on their own.

For men, in particular, managing heavy emotions can be incredibly difficult because we’re often taught—either implicitly or explicitly—to mask every feeling but anger. We’re also expected to have all the answers and always be strong and stoic, so there’s a natural tendency to go at things alone.

The reality is, very few people possess the skills for navigating the entire spectrum of human emotion, and that’s why depression therapy is so empowering. Working with a depression therapist equips you with the skills and insight needed to manage difficult feelings, stop the critical self-talk, and discover what truly makes you happy.

Free Consultation Contact Me

Depression Therapy Can Help Lay The Groundwork For Your Best Life

When you’re coping with depression, it can seem as if you’re watching life just pass you by. You’re probably checking out of relationships, struggling with anger and irritability issues, or avoiding healthy risks, like seeking a promotion, because you worry about failing or not being good enough.
My holistic approach to depression therapy deals with all of these challenges, from intrusive thoughts and feelings of despair to avoidance behaviors and low self-worth. I want to help you discover where you get your vitality from, what adds richness and value to your life, and how you can utilize that insight to get to where you want to be.

man sitting on bench with eyes closed looking happy

What Is It Like Being In Depression Therapy?

To get started, I want to get a better understanding of who you are and where you’re coming from by looking at your life through three different lenses.

First, we’ll create a history of your challenges, focusing on where certain behaviors and difficulties originate from. Next, we’ll take a snapshot of your current life situation, looking at areas where you feel content and where things could use improvement. Finally, you and I can explore what brings value and meaning to your life while finding ways to build a future that aligns with those qualities.

My goal is to help you recognize patterns and habits that may be working against you, while deepening your awareness of what’s happening inside—your thoughts, emotions, and physical responses. By bringing these automatic behaviors into conscious view, you can start making intentional choices that serve you better.

Over time, you’ll gain practical, yet effective strategies for maintaining a fulfilling, balanced life long after our work together comes to a close.

Some Of The Tools I Use In Depression Counseling Sessions

In our work together, we’ll combine traditional talk therapy with targeted, action-oriented strategies for helping you spark real and meaningful change. Whether you’re struggling with clinical depression, a major depressive episode after a loss, or a sense of being stuck and unfulfilled, I’ll draw from several therapy models to create a treatment plan that’s informed by your unique personality, life experiences, and goals for counseling:

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps reduce the instinct to push away difficult thoughts and feelings by shifting how you relate to them. Instead of avoidance, we focus on meeting these internal experiences with greater psychological flexibility and openness.
Experiential Work—including mindfulness techniques, role-play scenarios, and creative exercises—gives you opportunities during sessions to practice new ways of thinking and responding to stressors. These strategies can help reconnect you to your core values and refine your vision of the life you want to create. Additionally, I often suggest optional take-home exercises or experiments that allow you to apply what you learn in session out in the real world.
Attachment Theory examines how early relationships and family dynamics may have shaped unhelpful behavior patterns, particularly in the way you connect with others. Together, we’ll develop strategies for breaking these cycles and responding in healthier, more intentional ways.

There Is A Way To Revitalize Your Life

Even though you may feel stuck, unfulfilled, or downright hopeless, working with a depression counselor can give you concrete ways of making real changes. From eliminating self-doubt and healing old wounds to cultivating new hope, improving relationships, and building a life of purpose and meaning, therapy for depression truly can make a difference.

Free Consultation Contact Me

Still Have Questions/Concerns About Depression Counseling?

That’s okay. Having a definite starting point isn’t always necessary. In fact, we can start there: clarifying the things that aren’t working and building a foundation for the things that will. I have been practicing as a therapist since 2007, and while I may not know the exact starting point for addressing your unique experience with depression, I have some good ideas and strategies for figuring it out.

While discussion and exploration are common elements of depression therapy, we don’t have to spend the whole session talking about your thoughts and emotions. Any time we do spend talking about your feelings will be with the intent of helping you better understand yourself and those internal experiences while using that information to make meaningful changes in your life. You also have my word that I will strive my hardest to avoid cliched therapy talk like “and how does that make you feel?”

I would argue that avoiding those things that cause us pain or suffering is what makes depression worse because it causes us to check out of life. Discussion and exploration also give us direction and allow us to identify what kind of changes are needed to “move the needle.”
Plus, depression treatment involves more than just talking about problems; it’s a way for you to be active in building new relationships with—and responses to—difficult thoughts and emotions, ultimately helping you feel better instead of worse.

Let’s Expand Your World Of Possibilities

If depression has sidelined your career, relationships, or personal goals—or if you’re just feeling stuck and unfulfilled, but don’t know why, Robert Allison Counseling is here for you. To set up your free, 20-minute consultation, I invite you to call (720) 285-3115, or you can use my scheduling calendar, or click on the contact button.

Robert Allison Counseling offers in-person and online therapy for depression in Denver, Highlands, Sloan’s Lake, Jefferson Park, and throughout Colorado.

Free Consultation Contact Me