Depression hurts. Other signs and symptoms may include: difficulty getting a good night sleep; loss of energy and fatigue; less motivation and interest in the things you once enjoyed; withdrawing from family and friends; and loss of confidence and self-esteem.

You may believe that things won’t change. You may be questioning or judging yourself critically for not being to figure out what’s wrong. The self-doubt and helplessness that set in may only add to your despair, which can become a part of a vicious cycle.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

This is what many of the psychotherapy clients who come to see me experience. Depression is a complex condition that can impact all areas of our lives. Why someone becomes depressed involves a mixture of brain chemistry, patterns of thinking, patterns of behaving, our childhood experiences, the effects of trauma and loss, how we handle emotions, and our genetic make-up. The relative strength of each factor varies from person to person.

The good news is that you have the ability to influence many, if not most, of the factors leading to depression to achieve greater well-being. In fact, recent neuroscience research shows that we can radically change our brain chemistry by becoming more mindful of our thoughts, feelings and behaviors, and experiencing deeply what we tend to avoid.

My counseling experience and training leads me to believe that we can learn to live differently and feel better in three primary ways, all of which are within our control: facing those things we fear; loosening our attachment to our distorted thoughts; and identifying and reversing certain ways of coping that may be hindering us.

At Annapolis Psychotherapy, I offer a focused and compassionate counseling style that mainly addresses these three areas. I’m aware that working toward change to live differently and feel better is not easy. It takes a lot of work but it can be done. One of the greatest benefits of counseling is moving from despair to hope – and then toward a path of lifelong healing.