Depression Therapist NYC
Takeaway: Depression can cast a shadow over your life, leading to patterns that hinder your overall well-being. These may manifest as isolation, self-doubt, and challenges in finding motivation. However, there is hope for transformation. Working with a dedicated depression therapist in NYC can guide you toward rediscovering light, purpose, and connection. Begin your journey of healing today.
It is normal to feel sad from time to time. Relationships ending, issues among families, thinking about the state of the world, and experiencing difficult life experiences, are all incredibly common to the human experience. We learn to cope in the best way we know how and usually react to our own feelings of sadness in the way we were taught to react toward our own emotions growing up.
When sad can become depression... When the sad feelings persist and do not lift for a prolonged period of time impacting negatively the quality of our relationships, our work, and our interests. Feeling hopeless, isolated from friends, family, or loved ones, and even starting to think that life is not worth living; these signs and symptoms if left untreated can worsen and potentially snowball into a major depressive disorder.
There is help. You don't have to go at it alone and talk therapy has been proven to be a very effective treatment to manage symptoms.
When you start to notice that something is off, or you are not really yourself, seeking support early can help prevent symptoms from worsening.
Does this sound like you?
Feeling disconnected from life and your environment
Isolating from your loved ones
Withdrawing from activities you once enjoyed
Feeling persistent helplessness or hopelessness
Suddenly experiencing changes in eating (increase or decrease in food intake), sleeping (oversleeping or insomnia)
Feeling irritable, not tolerating praise or rewards
Feeling worthless or self-loathing
Experiencing suicidal thoughts with or without a plan
Noticing an uptake in alcohol use or drugs
Starting to self harm
If so, you might be struggling with depression.
Experiencing any or a combination of the symptoms mentioned above can be disconcerting and confusing; it can also point to a diagnosis of depression. It is important to seek the help of a qualified licensed therapist and/or a psychiatrist to be assessed for depression as symptoms are different for everyone. Some symptoms may be a sign of another disorder or medical condition; which is why it's important to get an accurate diagnosis.
Depression varies from person to person and the symptoms can be mild, moderate, or severe.
Therapy for depression with a licensed mental health counselor you feel comfortable with can lead to a lift in mood and an increase in positive changes. Many studies suggest that psychotherapy treatment for people who suffer from depression can offer long-term stability and stop depression from returning.
Chronic and recurring depression are also often treated with both medication and psychotherapy.
Understanding a depression diagnosis
Depression is a mood disorder that causes feelings of sadness and other symptoms that won't go away. Unfortunately, in our society, there is stigma around depression. Depression isn't a weakness or a character flaw. It's not about being in a bad mood, and if you are experiencing depression, you can't just snap out of it. Depression is a common, serious, and treatable condition. If you're experiencing depression, you're not alone.
Depression affects people of all ages, ethnicities, cultures, biological sexes, income levels, and educational backgrounds. Statistical data from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) says that an estimated 21.0 million adults in the United States had at least one major depressive episode. This number represented 8.3% of all U.S. adults.
There are many types of symptoms that make up depression.
Emotionally, you may feel sad or down, irritable, and unmotivated. Physically, your body slows down (lethargy), you may feel tired almost every day. Your sleep is frequently disrupted. It's challenging to get yourself motivated. Your thinking also changes. It can be hard to concentrate. Your thoughts tend to be much more negative. You can become really hard on yourself and feel hopeless and helpless about your situation. And in some cases, have thoughts of not wanting to live.
Behaviorally, you will notice that you want to pull back and withdraw from others, activities, and day-to-day responsibilities' socializing becomes excessively burdensome. These symptoms all work together to keep a state of depression going. Symptoms of depression are different for everyone. Some symptoms may be a sign of another disorder or medical condition. That's why it's important to get an accurate diagnosis.
This experience mentioned above is different than just feeling sad. Depression persists and feels like it won't lift, impacting every aspect of your life. The way that you cope with these feelings can also vary, some may avoid and resort to substance misuse, increasing your vulnerability to depression.
Common depression symptoms
Some common symptoms are further explained below.
Feeling disconnected from life and your environment
It may suddenly feel as though you are missing purpose in life or that you no longer feel a sense of belonging and interconnectedness, asking yourself how you got here.
Isolating from your loved ones
You might have started to pull away from those around you and being around other people may feel incredibly burdensome, leaving you exhausted and often irritable, soon starting to avoid these connections altogether.
Withdrawing from activities you once enjoyed
Things or activities that once caused joy, now have a greyish tone to them, you might not feel the same level of joy you once felt by taking part in these activities or feel unmotivated by them.
Feeling persistent helplessness or hopelessness
You might believe that you are unable to control or change the situation, so think, why try? Reaching out for help seems futile and you do not see a light at the end of the tunnel.
Experiencing changes in eating (increase or decrease in food intake)
You might stop eating as often or altogether, food does not taste the same or you might experience a sense of disgust when eating. On the opposite end, you might start to overeat and not feel satiated or full. You or those near you will notice a significant change in weight.
Changes in sleep (oversleeping or insomnia)
You may feel that you don't want to wake up and stay in bed, persistent fatigue, and sleeping longer hours. You may also experience not wanting to go to bed or sleep. Anxiety around bedtimes may start to surface.
Feeling irritable, not tolerating praise or rewards
You might feel that your emotions are not your own, feeling irritable often and rejecting nice things said about you or to you.
Feeling worthless or self-loathing
You may start to believe that your life compared to others is not worth much. Negative thoughts about you and your experience will be persistent in your mind. Even feeling overwhelming guilt for taking up space.
Starting to self harm
Experiencing a disconnect from yourself, your experience, or your emotions is related to depression. Often people who self-injure may feel temporary relief from feeling disconnected as they feel physical pain.
Experiencing suicidal thoughts with or without a plan
Negative feelings and emotions when felt persistently can have a debilitating effect on your mind and body, not wanting to experience this any longer and not seeing an end to the suffering can open up the option of death or dying. You may gravitate toward thinking that not waking up at all might be better for you or those around you. You may start to contemplate suicide as an option and even go as far as to plan for your death.
If you are experiencing these thoughts and behaviors, it is important to seek help immediately, if you are in imminent danger, please call 911. If you are having thoughts of suicide, death, or dying, you can call 988, where individuals are on call 24 hours a day equipped to handle behavioral health emergencies.
Noticing an uptake in alcohol use or drugs
You might notice an increased use of drugs or alcohol in order to feel better.
Talk therapy for depression can pave the road to a healthier life. There is hope and you are not alone.
Meet Karina Diaz | NYC Depression Therapist
Depression treated, can start to create an overall sense of well-being and hope.
I have extensive training and experience in the treatment of depression. I have been in practice for over twenty years. In my past experience, I was a director of a mental health clinic and implemented a program focusing on suicide prevention, along with opening a crisis-receiving center focusing on lowering suicide rates and stabilizing crises. In my private practice, I harness these experiences to tailor a comprehensive wellness plan that includes the relationships that matter most to you, when needed.
Aside from educational, experiential, and practicing expertise, I have lived experience in dealing with depression. I understand in a personal and professional manner what it is like to live with depression. Although, it has been more than two decades since I lived through and recovered from a diagnosis of depression; This experience has afforded me a humanizing way to treat depression and has deepened my awareness of the obstacles that people going through depression face.
In therapy sessions with my clients, I use cognitive behavior therapy, and art therapy (psychodynamic therapy using creative interventions to access emotion and to make connections to your internal world). These modalities can bring relief and a renewed sense of awareness and connectedness to your experience.
My approach to treating depression in New York City
Below is a brief explanation of the modalities I use in therapy sessions with my clients.
Art Therapy is a branch of psychotherapy that can be very empowering. It provides us with an additional source of communication. It can not only help us to feel seen but to feel proud. It can be used as a means to express ourselves and be used with many modalities, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, internal family systems, and family work.
In a systemic review finding, with the aim of identifying and evaluating empirical evidence of the effectiveness of art therapy for trauma treatment; comparative studies on art therapy for trauma in adult patients were found. Findings reported a significant decrease in psychological trauma symptoms and a significant decrease in depression.
Schouten, K. A., de Niet, G. J., Knipscheer, J. W., Kleber, R. J., & Hutschemaekers, G. J. M. (2015). The Effectiveness of Art Therapy in the Treatment of Traumatized Adults: A Systematic Review on Art Therapy and Trauma. Trauma, Violence & Abuse, 16(2), 220–228.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT)
CBT treatment is a widely used evidence-based treatment proven to reduce symptoms of many mental health conditions, primarily depression and anxiety disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most effective means of treatment for depression, substance abuse and co-occurring mental health disorders.
TF-CBT is an evidence-based treatment that helps children, adolescents, and emerging adults address the negative effects of trauma, including processing traumatic memories or a single traumatic event and developing effective coping and interpersonal skills.
Internal Family Systems is an evidence-based psychotherapy, that supports you in accessing and healing the inner protective and wounded parts of yourself, creating inner and outer connectedness and helping you come to understand yourself in a deeper more meaningful way promoting healing. I use art therapy interventions to aid in this process.
Who can benefit from my therapy for depression
I work with individuals, couples, and families. I work with all age groups, for children younger than 18 years of age I include family members or loved ones for some or all of the sessions depending on the need and availability. I work will all genders and am keenly interested in interventions that are culturally and gender affirming.
FAQs about Depression Therapy in NYC
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In NYC there are different licensed professionals, a list below. It is important to ask your provider if they have experience assessing and treating depression. Any of the licenses stated below can treat depression with psychotherapy. Psychiatrists, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners or medical doctors can diagnose, assess, and treat depression with medication as well.
LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists
LMHC: Licensed Mental Health Counselors
LMSW: Licensed Master Social Work
LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker
LCAT: Licensed Creative Arts Therapists, this license includes drama, dance, music, and art therapists.
Psychoanalysts and Ph.D., Clinical Psychologists all have licenses in the State of NY to practice psychotherapy.
Psychiatrists, Nurse Practitioners, and medical doctors can assess for and diagnose depression.
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Search online directories and read websites.
Look for therapists who offer at least a 15-minute free consultation either online or telephonically; this will help you learn if style, fit, and scheduling will work for you.
Talk to your primary care provider.
You may want to start this conversation with your primary care provider. Your doctor will likely be able to provide you with a referral to treatment.
Contact your health insurance.
Your insurance company should be able to help you find a provider that is in your insurance network. Calling the number on the back of your insurance card may be a good place to start.
Employee Assistant Programs (EAP)
If your health care is provided by your employer, you may have an employee assistance program. Consult with your HR department, which can help get you connected to your EAP program. EAP works by offering a screening over the phone and then providing a referral to mental health services.
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There are a variety of treatment options for individuals struggling with depression. They include mood-stabilizing medications and psychotherapy for symptom management. Psychotherapy alone can be advantageous for mild depression, while antidepressants may be more effective for severe symptoms. Combining these treatments often leads to the best outcomes. Gain a better understanding by exploring this comprehensive overview of evidence-based depression treatments.
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Evidence-based practice means the therapist takes important things into consideration: their own expertise, the patient’s preferences and values, and scientific evidence to guide which treatments to use. These treatments have research showing they are effective. Evidence-based treatments for major depression include:
Medication
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Interpersonal Therapy
Problem-Solving Therapy
Family Psychoeducation
Assertive Community Treatment (ACT)
In therapy sessions with my clients, I use cognitive behavior therapy, and art therapy (psychodynamic therapy using creative interventions to access emotion and to make connections to your internal world). These modalities can bring relief and a renewed sense of awareness and connectedness to your experience.
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Psychotherapy treatments have been found to be effective in the treatment of depression.
Although cognitive behavior therapy is by far the best-studied type of therapy for depression, several other types have also been found to be potentially effective, including interpersonal psychotherapy, problem‐solving therapy, and behavioral activation.
Cuijpers, P., Karyotaki, E., Ciharova, M., Miguel, C., Noma, H., & Furukawa, T. A. (2021). The effects of psychotherapies for depression on response, remission, reliable change, and deterioration: A meta‐analysis. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 144(3), 288-299.
Everyone is different and treatment is not a one-size-fits-all. It is an ongoing assessment and conversation in treatment as well as finding resources and practices outside of therapy to help target all aspects of your human experience.
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Remember, a good therapist will allow room for your questions, will welcome them, and will not avoid answering, or make you feel in the wrong for your inquiries. If you feel that you are being demeaned or condescended to, do not second guess yourself and make an appointment with a different therapist. You will find the right fit for you and your needs.
It's never too late to take action.
Find the support you need in fighting depression with therapy in New York City.
As a therapist, it is important for me to get to know you, learn what is important to you, and discover your personal language.
I would like to hear about your therapy goals and how you relate to the world around you. I will create a safe space to process and support you in making choices that feel meaningful to you.
In our initial consultation, and assessment we can discuss what approach you feel more comfortable with and I will tailor a plan specific to meet your needs and goals. I will help, support, and guide you to ultimately achieve feeling better and obtain a stronger sense of self-worth, belief in yourself, and a renewed empowered stance toward achieving your goals.
You and I can have conversations about how often and how long you feel you need my level of support and track your progress in sessions. Therapy can be brief and solution-focused or be used as a long-term supportive therapy.