Depression can be so dark. Lonely. Heavy. Debilitating. Endless. When you’re really in the thick of depression everything can feel like it’s too much while also convincing you that this feeling and experience will last forever. Depression is not a final destination, despite what it tells you during the visit. You are lovable. You are invaluable. You are safe to take this time of rest and recuperation to tend to what your body truly needs. You don’t have to focus on what is NOT getting done because we will be starting with what you need. You are not a human doing. You are a human being. And together, during this time, we can just be. This is a safe space. There is love here. When you’re ready, we will explore how we got here and how to nourish and love your way out.

I’m going to get so much done today! First I’m going to start by cleaning the kitchen. I’ll just run these hair ties to the bathroom really quickly. Ugh. These dirty clothes need to go into the basket… Before we know it, we’ve effectively run amok and accomplished no things. What about when you sit down to do the thing you’ve been avoiding and you suddenly find yourself scrolling good ole IG? Silly ADHD. Why can’t you just let us get things done? ADHD is largely impacted by subconscious parts who are wanting you to stay busy and distracted. What do we not feel safe/calm doing and how do we shift the behavior?

Are you doing enough? Did you handle that right? What if the thing doesn’t get done and everything gets ruined? Whew! Anxiety is a quick one. It likes to race. First it’s one worry and it quickly turns into a spiral of worst-case-scenarios. What if all the worst things actually happen today? What would happen if you didn’t carry the weight of the world on your shoulders? Surely, nothing would get done and life would go off the rails. I bet a snack might help.. Maybe shopping? What about a movie or some Netflix.. We have effectively just described a “fun” journey into the sympathetic nervous system. THEN we dipped into our fun coping skill of dissociation, also known as “freeze”. A sense of safety and calm are possible when we find our center and understand our nervous system. One step at a time. Deep breath.

How we define trauma has changed so much even over the past few years. For our body and mind to experience a trauma, we no longer have to suffer a big “boom” event. Instead, consistent unhealthy relationships, lack of love, rejection, abandonment, and overall chronic hurt now equates to what we call complex trauma. Attachment styles are wrapped up in this topic which basically tells you how you were taught to think about and interact with the world around you. If you’re consistently struggling to feel fulfilled with a partner, work, friendships, and family, we can start here and find the root of the problem. What did the world teach you and what do you believe? How do we take control of the narrative and decide for ourselves what life gets to look like? This is what we learn in this space of therapy.