Do You Feel Unheard Or Stuck In Place?
- Have daily challenges left you annoyed, angry, or overwhelmed?
- Are you caught in a funk at work or at home?
- Does it seem like no one understands what you’re going through or what you need to feel better?
- Are you doing well in life but feel like something is missing?
Perhaps you’ve reached out to friends, family, and coworkers for support, but they kept focusing on the problems instead of talking about practical steps that would help you pursue your goals. Or maybe they responded with well-meaning statements like “Just give it time” or “You need to think happy thoughts” that left you blaming yourself and feeling even worse.
Alternately, you might be too self-conscious to express your needs openly and honestly for fear you will be judged or seen as incapable of keeping up with demands at work and home. In an effort to escape fear and self-doubt, you may have started withdrawing from relationships and activities you used to enjoy. But that has only left you feeling more isolated and misunderstood.
You know you’re capable of keeping up with daily obligations and responsibilities, but the journey has left you so exhausted and full of self-doubt that it can be a struggle just to get out of bed in the morning. And while you may have an idea of what’s holding you back and where you want to go in life, you aren’t sure what practical steps you can take to achieve your goals.
Maybe you’ve attended counseling sessions for depression in the past but didn’t feel like it was really helping. Or perhaps you’re considering starting therapy, but a part of you still feels like you should be able to handle the difficulties on your own.
Do you wish you knew how to improve your confidence, advance your career, and feel understood and valued in your relationships? Depression therapy can offer a safe space and practical strategies you can use to find relief, grow your voice, and build a more satisfying, meaningful life.
We All Experience Stress And Sadness At Times
Most of us will go through a major challenge or life transition at some point in our lives. Whether it is an illness, a breakup, the loss of a loved one, or a setback at work, it’s normal to feel inundated by worry, sadness, and self-doubt. Even positive changes—like moving, getting a promotion, or having a new baby—can quickly leave you reeling.
The truth is that many of us weren’t taught how to manage life’s difficulties. From a young age, we were told we should be able to handle personal and professional issues on our own. But when fear and stress become overwhelming, they can quickly lead to anxiety and depression symptoms that impact every aspect of our lives. And because no two people experience anxiety or depression in the exact same way, it can be hard to know if we really need help or if we are just going through a difficult period in our lives.
Things become even more difficult in big cities like NYC, where the cost of living, the stress of commuting, and a demanding work environment can all increase feelings of overwhelm. And while you’ve achieved a lot of your goals, the ongoing stress and uncertainty may have left you feeling isolated and wondering just how long you can keep up in your career, relationships, and personal obligations.
While more than 56 million U.S. adults experience anxiety, depression, or a combination of symptoms every year, fewer than 37 percent will receive the help and support they need.* And 1 of every 5 adults continues to live with psychological challenges that leave them feeling trapped or unfulfilled.
There has to be a better way.
Thankfully, with the guidance and support of a depression therapist, you can reconnect with your hopes and dreams and foster a renewed sense of options and possibilities.
Call 212-631-8010 or click here and send an email at scott@scottshapiromd.com for a 15-minute phone consultation at no charge to learn more about depression therapy and medication treatment.
Depression Therapy Can Help You Live Your Best Life
You’ve come to where you are now by trying new things and continuing to grow. And you know you need a comprehensive, active approach to treating depression that goes beyond talk therapy.
When you first enter my office (or start online therapy), I take the time to get to know you: your life story, challenges, goals, and strengths. Many of my clients have told me that no one has taken the time to ask them so many questions and understand the full context of their situation and their needs as an individual. And having a safe space to share your story without judgment or criticism is an important first step toward finding relief.
We’ll then complete an initial evaluation, discuss strategies, and create a personalized road map for a way forward. This collaborative approach allows me to tailor each session to your unique situation and needs, so you get hands-on support from the very first time we meet.
How does the assessment work?
By completing this comprehensive initial assessment, we can understand all of the factors that may be affecting your current mood. We’ll assess what’s going on at work and in your personal life, explore past events that may be influencing your thoughts or behaviors, and identify any medical issues or biological factors that could be contributing to the difficulties you’re experiencing. For example, a thyroid or sleep disorder may have caused or contributed to feelings of anxiety or depression.
Upon completing the assessment, I will tailor a treatment strategy for your specific goals and needs. Finally, before we schedule ongoing sessions, we’ll again make sure you feel this is the right approach and that I am the right therapist for you.
Overcoming depression can be hard to do on your own, and the strategies that work for one person may not work for you. My goal is to help you increase self-awareness and learn practical steps you can take to move things forward and achieve the change you want in your life. This includes ways you can take action to continue growing and healing between sessions.
What does ongoing depression therapy look like?
Each session will start with an agenda and an intentional outcome: goals we set together that are most effective for you. Whereas traditional talk therapy can jump from topic to topic, our work will be focused on specific goals and scientifically-supported approaches to help you achieve them.
We will continually monitor your progress while working together to ensure we are on the right track. At the end of each session, we’ll talk about steps we’ve taken and I’ll ask for your feedback so we have a clear plan for the next time we meet and can continue maximizing progress moving forward. I don’t see you as a client who needs treatment. Rather, we are a team working together to help you feel and function better.
As you learn to manage symptoms and reduce feelings of distress, we can discuss possibly reducing or stopping therapy. And my door is always open if you ever wish to come back for a one-off session or to resume weekly sessions.
Throughout our work together, I will draw from a variety of research-based treatments and strategies to help you manage symptoms, address challenges, and achieve your goals.
Cognitive Therapy. This collaborative treatment approach can help you recognize harmful or distorted thinking that may be keeping you stuck in place. You can learn new skills to identify and address challenges before they begin to affect work performance, relationships, and other aspects of your life.
Schema therapy. We all have certain patterns in our lives that dictate how we respond to stress and change. When you are able to better understand why these patterns formed and how they affect your actions, you can make practical changes that increase satisfaction at work and at home.
Medication Management. In addition to learning new skills and strategies, we can discuss the role medication can play in treatment. As a licensed psychiatrist, I can prescribe medication as well as provide depression counseling, so you can get the complete support you need without having to see multiple healthcare professionals. And if you need to see a specialist for endocrine or other biological issues, I can provide a medical referral.
Productivity coaching. Overcoming depression and anxiety requires more than just talking about the challenges: you need specific solutions and practical guidance tailored to your situation and goals. During sessions, we can discuss work performance, communication with your boss or subordinates, tips to be a better parent, and how you can express your needs openly and honestly with your partner or others. If biological factors are affecting your mood, we can discuss concrete steps you can take to find relief, like how to start an exercise program or quit smoking.
Call 212-631-8010 or email scott@scottshapiromd.com for a 15-minute phone consultation at no charge to learn more about depression therapy and medication treatment.
You May Still Have Questions About Depression Therapy…
I don’t have time to attend weekly counseling sessions for depression.
I understand how busy life can get, and I take a flexible approach to ensure we move at a pace that is comfortable and accessible for you. Because the sooner you start, the easier it will be to understand and manage the physical and mental symptoms that are keeping you stuck in place.
If your schedule or location has made it difficult to commit to depression treatment, I offer online therapy as a convenient alternative to in-person sessions. We can meet almost entirely online, or we can use a combination of in-person and online sessions to best accommodate your availability without adding extra stress to your week. That may mean we meet every other week instead of weekly at first. And as you continue to make progress, we can further reduce how often we meet.
Isn’t therapy expensive? I’m not sure I can afford it.
Therapy represents an unexpected expense for many of my clients, and it’s normal to have questions about whether it is worth the cost. This is especially true if your insurance provider only covers a limited number of sessions or if their network doesn’t include any depression specialists in your area. But the sooner you seek support, the sooner you can get back to feeling your best.
Just like seeing a doctor when you are sick or injured, seeing a therapist is an investment in your well-being that can pay off in greater life satisfaction and earning potential. Many of my clients who were initially concerned about the costs actually ended up going further in their career after meeting with a depression therapist. And if you don’t feel like our work together is helping you after our first few sessions, I can help you find another therapist who may be a better fit for your unique needs and goals.
If friends and family couldn’t help me with my depression when they know me so well, how will working with a therapist be any different?
If you wanted to improve your tennis game, you wouldn’t ask your friend—you would get a qualified coach. The same principle applies to depression therapy. While I don’t know you as well as the other people in your life, I am an expert in treating depression. I understand the unique challenges depression presents, and I can help you gain the awareness, resources, and practical skills you need to find relief and healing.
Bring Greater Joy And Confidence Into Your Life
You don’t have to work toward relief and healing on your own. Receiving help now can help you get through sad or anxious feelings that are holding you back by teaching you new strategies and tools to build confidence, cope with uncertainty, and feel a greater sense of control in your life.
Contact me to schedule a free, 15-minute phone consultation to discuss any questions you may have about depression therapy and learn how I can help you heal and grow either in-person or online.
* https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics