Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly ~ Proverb

It has been estimated that over 25% of Australians will experience depression at some point in their lives. Depression hurts and impacts many areas of our lives. Signs and symptoms may include:

• often having a low mood
• difficulty getting a good nights sleep
• loss of energy and fatigue
• less motivation and interest in the things you once enjoyed
• loss of confidence and self-esteem.

You may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities and sometimes you may even feel as if life isn’t worth living.

What causes depression is still not completely understood, but there are many ideas and theories. It is commonly understood that depression is caused by a combination of biochemical, genetic, social and psychological factors. Which factors play the strongest role depends on who you talk to. So, you should consider your source when reviewing information.

Do you find yourself withdrawing from family and friends? Do you have persistent feelings of anger, sadness or regret? Do you sometimes feel like life is just not worth living?

There is a strong tendency to view depression as a biochemical imbalance in the brain that primarily needs to be corrected with anti-depressant medications. While this may be the case in some cases, this view is grossly over-simplified. And, the recent scientific evidence clearly suggests that these medicines are not the answer long term. We have known for years now that social, environmental and psychological factors have a strong impact on brain health.

Most of us intuitively know that our lifestyle can have a major effect on how we feel. Being physically active, eating well, getting a good nights sleep, being outdoors, having strong social connections and enjoying staying active with worthwhile activities can make us feel better. Unfortunately, many people who are depressed are too depressed to engage in such activities. So, helping people break out of the negative vicious cycle, so common in depression, is key.

We also know that people who have had early life traumatic experiences are more likely to experience depression as adults. These early life experiences put us on a path of ways of thinking, behaving and dealing with our emotions that do not serve us well. People who consistently engage in negative self-talk will over time become depressed. When we consistently avoid or push our feelings away we can become depressed over time. From my experience, the idea that depression is anger directed inward holds strong merit. Fortunately, overwhelming evidence now shows us that the brain is not static as once believed, but amenable to change through neuro-plasticity throughout life.

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

If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Depression has much to teach you and it can be overcome if you are willing to do the work, you will heal, change and grow. My process helps you to become resilient, so any future events that may have previously triggered that depression again, simply don’t stand a chance. That’s the key to good therapy – Long-lasting results, actually changing your neural pathways and connections.

Through psychotherapy and hypnosis you can begin to address the factors that play a role in that depression and begin to reverse your ways of thinking, behaving and dealing with your emotions.

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I am always open about my thought process and the approaches I use because I consider the work to be collaboration.

Here are some of the issues I work with:

• Emerging from depression
• Becoming less anxious, more relaxed, more confident
• Healing traumatic memories that may be inhibiting or upsetting you in the present
• Improving your relationship with yourself
• Improving your relationship with others
• Taming a harsh inner critic
• Mastering panic attacks
• Overcoming phobias
• Grieving in a healthy way
• And many other issues as well…

Regardless of the issues, my overall goal is to provide a place that is welcoming, compassionate and confidential where you can engage with a skilled therapist to create positive changes in your life.