“If your compassion does not include yourself then it is incomplete” -Jack Kornfield

The word depression is often tossed around without a lot of thought or consideration to those who live with depression. Depression is often correlated with low self esteem. Many people walk around with a voice in their head telling them they are weak, stupid, bad, unlovable, or not good enough. However, many people who are living with depression have had their negative core beliefs constantly reinforced by circumstances and people in their lives. Depression is like living in a simulation where the rest of the world is moving on and living this grand life while you are stuck behind feeling hopeless, helpless, and worthless. Often times my clients will tell me that they compare their lives and themselves to others and feel they should be doing something different with their lives. Depression takes on many forms ranging from low mood, low energy, and trouble getting out of bed in the morning to wishing you would not wake up in the morning, to having suicidal thoughts. Depression progresses when it is not confronted.

When I ask a client who is living with depression what they want from life, 99% of the time they will answer me with “I just want to be happy”. A misconception of life is that you will be happy without feeling other emotions. That is not the case. Life is filled with all kinds of emotions which enhances the way we experience life. You are allowed to have negative emotions, and you are allowed to have positive emotions. You are also allowed to have mixed emotions. While working through depression we will find your negative core beliefs and how to restructure the negative thoughts that plague you. We will find the little person in you who experienced these negative beliefs for the first time and give them a voice to heal and live the life you have always deserved.