Are You Struggling To Find A Sense Of Meaning And Purpose?
Despite everything that’s going well in your life—from academics or your career to your relationships with family members and friends—do you feel weighed down by a heavy gloom? Do you wonder if true, lasting happiness is beyond your grasp or if it exists at all? Perhaps you can’t understand why you still feel so empty, even after you’ve reached so many goals and achieved so many external markers of success. When other people compliment your character or work, you might feel like an imposter or wonder why you can’t feel connected to your own life. Are you struggling with a deep sense of hopelessness? Do you wish you could find some way to bring true joy and meaning into your life?
If you’re feeling depressed, it may seem as though you’re moving through the world on autopilot. Perhaps your life is very structured, so you get up in the morning and go through the motions, driven by your schedule. You may feel a sense of responsibility to your loved ones, colleagues or to society in general, but lack any passion for what you do. So, you move forward just to provide and play your part. Even when you smile and crack jokes, you may never feel internal excitement or engagement with the world. Instead, you might feel lost, fearful of what would happen if you didn’t have this structure to keep you moving through the day. And even then, as time goes on, it might be increasingly difficult to see the point.
Depression Is More Common Than Many Realize
Although depression can feel profoundly isolating, in truth, many people struggle with depression symptoms. For some people, the gloom has been present for as long as they can remember. For others, the sadness and hopelessness come on suddenly, only to disappear after a few days or weeks, like a cloud passing overhead. Although these periods might follow distressing events, such as breakups or career transitions, they can also arise for seemingly no reason at all, making it difficult to trust that happiness can last.
Regardless of your particular experience of depression, you may feel frustrated and confused, certain that you “should” feel happy and grateful for all you have. Like many others, you might blame yourself, as though sadness is evidence of some deep flaw that you can continue to conceal with greater achievements. You may doubt that you deserve to be happy.
Although it may be difficult to believe right now, you are not broken, and the way you feel is not your fault. More importantly, you don’t have to go through life feeling depressed and alone. With help, you can find relief from these symptoms, reconnect with your life, and rediscover a sense of hope.
Depression Therapy Can Help You Find A Sense Of Meaning And Possibility
Research indicates that therapy can be highly effective for a wide range of depressive disorders. In a supportive space, you can address what’s wrong, discover ways to find immediate relief, and explore deeper questions that fuel ongoing doubt. In other words, you can find lasting healing at every level, improving the way you navigate the world and how you feel about your place in it.
In sessions, we will adapt our approach and tools to meet your needs and work at your pace. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), in particular, is an effective treatment for overcoming depression, as it provides practical tools for positively changing behavior and shifting perceptions. If you do not already have a daily routine in place, we can collaboratively create a schedule that integrates purpose into your days, whatever that looks like for you. With real-world actions to improve mood and create a new routine, you can start feeling more resilient and uplifted.
Then, we can begin investigating any deeply held beliefs that are shaping your negative self-perception. We offer a nonjudgmental place for you to express how you feel about yourself and your life, without any pressure to apologize for your emotions. Once we identify your core beliefs and trace them to their roots, we can begin challenging them, shifting your perspective so you can view yourself with greater clarity and self-compassion.
Depression therapy can also be a safe, nurturing space for you to examine all of the questions you might have about your life and its purpose. We invite conversations about anything and everything, whether you wish to focus on the personal or the existential. We welcome the big “whys.” We don’t pretend to have all the answers, but we will actively engage with your questions and fears, offer validation, and assist you in gaining insights about these symptoms and yourself. We are dedicated to helping you feel heard and accepted, and to remind you that you are not alone.
Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of helping many people find relief and move forward with a new sense of meaning. With help and the right treatment tools, overcoming depression is possible. It’s time to begin enjoying your life.
You may have questions or concerns about depression treatment…
This pain is always here. Therapy will just make me dwell on it.
If your emotions seem dark and heavy, it makes sense that you don’t want to talk about them. But, ignoring despair doesn’t help it go away. While talking about it might seem difficult at first, therapy can lead to lasting relief. You can learn how to recover from depression so that you don’t feel this way forever. No matter what you’re going through, life can feel better.
I’ve struggled with suicidal thoughts before. If I get close to this major depression again, I’m afraid I won’t survive it.
We understand how frightening it can be to feel close to ending your life. But, you have survived, and you are more resilient than you know. As we work together, we will respect your needs and work at a pace that feels comfortable to you. If you feel yourself falling to the bottom of that well again, we will be there with you. We will bring all the knowledge, skills, and tools we have to help you build a ladder that can serve you now and through the future. With help, you can climb out of the depths of depression and find a route to the light.
I know I need help with my depression, but it feels selfish to dedicate time to myself.
One of the main symptoms of depression is a low sense of self-worth. When you doubt your own value, it can seem like you have to keep doing things for others to justify your existence in the world. But, if you are on this page, you likely feel exhausted and drained. You likely know that you can’t keep going on this way—no one can.
With help, you can acknowledge the realities of stress and despair and figure out how to manage them. You can stop swimming upstream and realize that you have choices. You get to decide how to go through the rest of your life.
Life Can Change For The Better
We are ready to help. Please click “Contact” so we can find out if we can be of assistance to you. You can ask any questions you may have about depression therapy and our practice in Beverly Hills, CA.