Depression is one of the most frequent reasons that people decide to go into therapy.   The pain and suffering of depression negatively impacts most aspects of life, making it imperative that you seek treatment.  Here are some examples of typical courses of treatment with me for depression:

Columbus Circle businessman depressed about home and work

A businessman came to see me, because his wife was very close to ending their marriage. He was very depressed, although very successful in his work.

He rarely spent quality time with his three children or wife. Most of his time was spent with work, where he felt very capable, a feeling he rarely had at home. The more time he spent away from home, the more his wife became upset and the more he withdrew.

We realized that his marriage was only a symptom of an overall pattern in his life. He felt comfortable and empowered at work, but uncomfortable in the home setting. He did not feel qualified to make decisions concerning his household or  children, and so deferred to his wife, but then felt excluded and resentful.  He had trouble communicating this to her.

We worked together to help him take an increasingly active role at home. He and his wife worked on improving their communication, and came to a much better understanding of one another. The children responded very quickly to his efforts and established a closer relationship with him.  He realized how much he got out of being a father and his role in creating a relationship with them.

As he became better at communicating his wants and needs at home, he very naturally employed these same skills at work. Both his supervisor and his employees responded to him better, and he felt both happier and more effective at work.

Therapy for Montclair woman dealing with depression

A woman came to see me because she was very depressed and having difficulty raising her children. She felt that she was inadequate as a mother.

When we looked at her family of origin, it was clear that many of the issues came from her childhood. When growing up, her parents were very critical and judgmental.  She could do nothing right. She began to feel that they were right: She was worthless. Now, unfortunately, she was doing the same thing to her children.

We slowly built up her self-esteem by having her recognize how her parents had altered her thoughts about her abilities. She was able to translate these positive thoughts into her treatment of her own children.