Depression Therapist Berkeley
![tree-icon](https://lynnwinstendoc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/tree-icon.png)
Therapy For Depression in Berkeley, CA
Do most days feel like they’re an endless cycle of getting up, going about your routine, and then returning home with only time for a quick break before starting over again?
Is there always something holding back any feelings from emerging in life – whether it be guilt on display as if someone was watching every move we make?
Do you experience fearfulness at taking risks because “What would happen?”
Our society places such emphasis upon perfectionism. However, this leads many people down dark paths where all happiness must come.
What is Depression?
Depression is a severe illness that can affect people of all ages and backgrounds. Feelings such as sadness, guilt, or anger may be signs of seeking help for your depression from a professional. Without proper treatment, these feelings could rapidly worsen in an already difficult situation.
According to the World Health Organization, depression has been called the “largest health problem” worldwide – but don’t lose hope!
Many people have experienced the same things as you. It may be time to talk with someone about your pain and suffering. We’ll work together to develop a treatment plan that works best for you.
Therapy for Depression and Grief in Berkeley
A good doctor listens closely without judgment; a great doctor will help you see and understand how deep your emotions run beneath the surface of everyday life. Your depression can be lengthy wounds festering beneath the skin.
When things are out of control, it’s time for professional help. You might think that your family and friends can give you the emotional support needed, but they won’t understand what is happening inside or know how best to work through every problem.
A therapist will be able to provide compassionate understanding, but they can also share strategies towards healing. Their experience with other patients in similar situations as yours also means they’ve seen some significant changes—and successes.
When you’re suffering from depression or anxiety, the first step is often talking through your problems with someone who has experience in this area. A therapist provides you a safe space where it’s okay not only to open up but also to process what’s going on for yourself without any judgment whatsoever.
A good psychotherapist will listen attentively and help set limits so they aren’t overstepping boundaries while still offering their assistance when necessary.
Do I have Depression? What are the Symptoms of Depression?
Did you know that depression can affect your ability to function normally in life? You might be experiencing mild symptoms, like feeling sad or hopeless most of the day. Or it could get worse and involve thoughts about hurting yourself or others.
Either way, having an occasional spell with “the blues” isn’t enough anymore; there are many factors which lead us down a slippery slope towards illness severity, including stress from relationships with people around us, feelings of low self worth, as well as loss of interest in life overall, preventing you from engaging in their normal activities.
Some of the symptoms of depression include:
● A hopeless outlook
● Loss of interest in what used to bring you enjoyment
● Increased fatigue
● Sleep problems
● Anxiety
● Irritability
● Changes in appetite or weight
● Uncontrollable emotions
● Suicide ideation
No one “inherits” depression from their mother or father, but there are a few genetic combinations that can predispose them to develop certain illnesses. It is believed children learn how to cope with the parent’s mental illness through witnessing it firsthand and developing poor coping skills based on what they see.
You may have questions like, “What if I were raised in an abusive environment? Would this mean my kids would grow up tough too (and just like me)?” No – it doesn’t quite work like that; every person has unique genes coming from both sets of parents which determines his/her individual inheritance pattern.
Depression is a difficult thing to deal with, especially when compounded with chronic conditions like major depressive disorder or bipolar. The symptoms can be caused by prolonged depression as well and will often include some side effects of mania such as collapsibility.
At times, it may seem overwhelming at times for someone suffering from volatile mood swings because their environment has been too much. This could lead them down an unhappy path towards persistent sadness, turning into clinical levels before enough time has passed since the last event where they felt hopeful again.
Berkeley Therapist for Depression and Grief
With over 30 years of experience, Dr. Lynn Winsten has found that successful treatment comes through a holistic approach, addressing and finding the connection among ongoing major issues, relationship problems, and difficulties with feelings and strong negative emotions.
Dr. Winsten is trained in Relational Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, which includes working with the factors of your life today to pinpoint how they are affecting you. We’ll use our professional relationship and past experiences for guidance during treatment sessions, so there’s no need to worry about feeling alone or abandoned along this journey toward healing.
In Relational Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, all the feelings and experiences you have had throughout your life are essential in your healing. We will work together and facilitate a deeper exploration of how these heavy emotions affect not just you but also other aspects such as perception for people who experience them more than others.
The goal is to not only provide relief from pain on an emotional level–though this would be enough!–but to foster external growth as well. Challenging times force us into exploring our limits by learning what we’re made of. Vulnerability becomes beauty once framed inside self-compassionate understanding instead.
From Dr. Lynn Winsten, Berkeley Therapist
In our first session, we’ll work together to determine better what matters in your life and create a plan for how I can help. We’ll start by getting clear about any emotional roadblocks, like depression or other challenges, which will then bring us to the current issue at hand. Perhaps it’s time we took some steps towards removing these obstacles?
The thing to remember is that we are all individuals. What works for one person may not work the same way as it does with others. Never give up on what could be a fantastic opportunity just because a few obstacles got thrown in front of your path during your journey ahead!
Useful Links