Depression therapy · San Diego
Depression isn’t just feeling sad. And it’s not a character flaw.
Depression looks different for different people. High-functioning and exhausted. Withdrawn. Low-grade and persistent. Here’s what therapy for depression does.
What depression therapy looks like with me
I use CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), behavioral activation, and ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy) for depression. The approach depends on what’s going on for you specifically.
Behavioral activation is often underrated: when you’re depressed, everything feels like too much effort, so you do less, and doing less makes the depression worse. Breaking that cycle is often where meaningful change starts. Not by thinking your way out, but by doing — even when nothing feels worth doing.
CBT helps identify the thought patterns that fuel depression and find more accurate, workable ways of seeing things. ACT helps you change your relationship to difficult thoughts and emotions instead of fighting them.
By session two or three, you’ll have a treatment plan. Goals. A direction. Therapy should feel like it’s going somewhere.
The approach
Insight alone doesn’t lift depression.
Most people who come in with depression already know something about why they feel the way they feel. Knowing hasn’t fixed it. What changes things is behavior change, skill-building, and a different relationship to the thoughts that keep the cycle going.
That’s what we work on. Goals, structure, and an honest account of what’s going to help.
Common questions
What does depression therapy look like?
Depression therapy typically combines CBT (identifying thought patterns that fuel depression), behavioral activation (breaking the cycle of withdrawal), and ACT (changing your relationship to difficult thoughts and emotions). The specific mix depends on what’s going on for you.
How long does therapy for depression take?
Focused depression treatment can show meaningful improvement in 12–20 sessions. Longer-standing patterns, or depression complicated by trauma or anxiety, take more time. You’ll have a treatment plan and concrete goals by session three.
Do you see clients in person or online?
Both. I see clients in person at my Mission Valley office in San Diego, and via telehealth throughout California.
Let’s talk.
Reach out. I’ll answer your questions and we’ll figure out whether this is the right fit.
Request a consultation