Depression: CBT & ACT for Getting Unstuck

When the world feels heavy

You can’t quite put your finger on it, but something doesn’t feel right. It’s not just the low mood, or the lack of enjoyment from things you used to like. It’s not just the effort it takes to respond to texts, let alone go out and socialize. What was once bright and exciting feels dim and uninteresting, and it’s hard to believe you ever cared in the first place.

Depression takes on many forms, and it doesn’t always look like sadness. For some people, it shows up as numbness, irritation, or just going through the motions. It’s tempting to put on a smile, show up for friends, family, and work, and go about your day, but that takes its toll.

Symptoms of depression include:

  • Persistent low mood and loss of interest

  • Low energy, motivation, and difficulties starting tasks

  • Self-criticism, guilt, and feelings of worthlessness

  • Withdrawal from the world around you (relationships, hobbies, self-care)

  • Changes in sleep, eating habits, and activity levels

Others don’t even realize they’re depressed - getting so accustomed to feeling down and disinterested that it becomes their new normal. Depression is real, and it is painful, but it also treatable, and you do not wait until it gets worse to start seeking support.

The Vicious Cycle

Though different theories explain the genetic, biological, or environmental causes of depression, the cycle looks the same. Low energy and low mood mean spending less time doing things that provide a sense of pleasure or mastery. We stop feeling good about ourselves or how we’re spending our time, and start to fixate on what we’re missing out on, how tired we feel, how we don’t seem to be getting anything done, and how difficult everything seems. At the same time, harsh self-criticism and a constant stream of negative thoughts are filling the airwaves, making everything feel more hopeless. The good news is, you break any aspect of the cycle, and the cycle itself falls apart. Whether it be through cognitive work, behavioral activation, value exploration , or other techniques, treatment works by replacing the vicious cycle with a virtuous one.

Cognitive work: Noticing and tracking self-criticism and negative thinking patterns, examining the thoughts for accuracy and learning how to respond to them differently

Behavioral activation: Introducing some movement and routine that bring a sense of enjoyment and accomplishment through small, realistic steps

Acceptance and values: Building resilience to difficult feelings instead of fighting them, and reconnecting you with matters most to you, so that decisions are guided by you, not your mood.

What Therapy Looks Like

We start by establishing a timeline - when depression first started showing up, how it’s keeping you stuck, and what you want to move towards. From there, we start taking steps that feel uncomfortable, but doable, even when energy and motivation are at their lowest, and start to track how our mood responses. Meanwhile, we’ll start examining thoughts, our assumptions and beliefs about ourselves, the world, and our future, to see how they play a role in our day to day. It’s less “think positive,” and more “think different and see what happens.”

You choose how fast or slow we go - I’ll be by your side, providing guidance and tools to help you get unstuck.