Long Island
Depression Therapy
What is
Depression?
- Have you been feeling sad, empty, hopeless, or worthless?
- Do you experience periods of anger, irritability, or restlessness?
- Have you lost interest or pleasure in tasks/activities that you used to enjoy?
- Do you feel tired, sluggish, or unmotivated? Does it feel like basic tasks take extra effort and energy?
Depression is a common mental health condition. It is a mood disorder that causes a person to feel some combination of downtrodden, low, sad, or worthless. There are different types of depression, each with their own symptoms. In order to treat the condition, we first try to discover which type you may be struggling with. Possibilities include:
Depression causes a variety of symptoms that are emotionally and physically devastating, and yet may not always seem like a mental health problem at first glance. Depression isn’t “sadness” necessarily. It is better described as a feeling of being low, with symptoms that may include:
- Chronic feelings of sadness, emptiness, or the inability to feel happiness
- Lost pleasure and interest in activities that were once enjoyable
- Excessive sleep or fatigue, often with a decrease in any positive energy
- Difficulty with memory, concentration, and decision making
- Obsessive thoughts of guilt, hopelessness, pessimism or worthlessness
- Feelings of irritability or restlessness
- Appetite loss, weight changes (gain or loss), overeating
Some types of depression come with symptoms of “mania” (periods of excessive energy and elation that often lead to unwanted, overly productive behaviors), some types of depression come as a result of an event, while others are a constant chemical change in the mind leading to pervasive sadness. If you think you may have depression, or you’d like to get help now, call our Long Island Psychologists today at 516-732-0273.
The Depression Toolbox
How Do We
Help You?
At Long Island Psychology, we recognize that depressive symptoms may make it difficult to get started with treatment. Our goal is to help you lift the fog and join you in your journey towards improved happiness, productivity, and fulfillment.
In the process of treatment, we work to:
- Understand how various life roles, relationships, and experiences have shaped and contribute to your depression
- Assess current coping mechanisms and replace them with more effective ones
- Identify your typical patterns of thinking and explore how they affect your depressive mood and behaviors
- Support you in your efforts to achieve tasks and goals that will enhance mood and self-esteem
- Challenge and change self-defeating messages, thoughts, and behaviors that sustain your depressive state
- Improve your ability to tolerate stress, regulate emotions, and navigate interpersonal relationships
Treatment
May Include
- Techniques from various therapeutic modalities, such as CBT, Mindfulness/ACT, Psychodynamic Therapy and Positive Psychology
- The incorporation of mindfulness strategies, behavioral activation, and healthy lifestyle changes
- Psychological and/or psychopharmacological treatments (medication) – Both are accessible for alleviating depressive symptoms, however a combination of the two is often most effective. If medication is indicated, we will refer our clients to a qualified psychiatrist for an evaluation.
- Recommendations that will vary depending on one’s age, form of depression, severity of symptoms, readiness for treatment, and influence of other physical, medical, or mental disorders
What Benefits Can
Therapy Offer You?
Depression is a highly treatable condition. But because depression can lead to negative thinking, one of the hardest challenges for those with depression on Long Island is committing to long-term treatment. It is not uncommon for some of our patients to wait for months or even years before they seek out help, simply because they were not aware that what they were feeling was wrong or that it could change with depression therapy.
Benefits of therapy include:
- Heightened awareness of the underlying factors contributing to your depression
- Reduced feelings of sadness, hopelessness, worthlessness, irritability, and fatigue
- Improved mood, motivation, and sense of self
- More energy, optimism, and enjoyment of life experiences
- Better ability to interrupt your negative self-talk, restructure your thoughts, and treat yourself with love and respect
- Progress towards achievement of tasks and goals that have previously been too overwhelming
- Improved quality of relationships with self and others
YOUR ROLE IN
The Process
- Readiness to own the responsibility for change rather than simply expecting change to come from other sources
- Openness to exploring unresolved emotions and conflicts from the past
- Willingness to notice, document and challenge thoughts, emotions, and behaviors
- Willingness to incorporate lifestyle changes related to physical activity, sleep, nutrition, and social engagement
- Patience and commitment to the treatment process
Get Started
Contact us today to schedule an appointment or learn more about how Long Island Psychology can help you.
Specific Types of
Depression
Click below to learn how Long Island Psychology can help.
Our practice at Long Island Psychology is designed to help you develop the skills you need to overcome your depression and start experiencing joy and happiness again. The road to recovering from depression can be difficult, but the belief that you "cannot be treated" is a symptom of the depression. You can get the help you need through depression therapy, and we want to help you get there.
With offices in Rockville Centre, Roslyn Heights, and Garden City, NY we service the Greater Long Island region, including Merrick, Levittown, Oceanside, Floral Park, Lawrence, and much more. We also have remote therapy available for anyone living with depression in NY.
We are happy to meet with you, discuss our approach with you, and start working with you to develop a customized depression treatment that meets your experiences and symptoms. Call us today at (516) 732-0273, and let's schedule your appointment as soon as possible.
DEPRESSION THERAPY
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does Therapy Typically Take?
It depends on the type of depression and therapeutic approach, as well as if depression is the only condition that is being treated and how well the patient responds to treatment. It may be 6 weeks, it may be much longer. Many of our patients continue to see us regularly even after their treatment has ended in order to keep the depression away.
Do You Accept Insurance?
We may be considered an out of network provider for private health insurance, but we are not currently under any specific plans. Please contact your insurance carrier to find out if you have “out-of-network” benefits.
I Don’t Know if I Have Depression But I Want to Feel Better – Can You Help?
Yes. You do not have to have depression to benefit from therapy, and we are available to talk to you about what your struggles are and what can be done to solve them.
Will Depression Treatment Work?
Depression is a treatable condition. If a patient feels rapport with the therapist and takes the advice and actions seriously, many people will start the process of overcoming it, especially if combined with antidepressant medications.
Do You Prescribe Medication?
No. We are a talk therapy practice only. However, if you are already taking an anti-depressant, we can work with your psychiatrist or doctor to make sure that the medications have been effective, and what can be done to maximize your emotional wellbeing. We can also refer you to a psychiatrist if we believe medication will be useful in treating your symptoms.
