Click here for your free 10-minute consultation

Click here for your

free 10-minute  consultation

Bring Hope Into Your Life, Despite Depression

You are better than you imagine and more than you hope. Be inspired to live the life you want.


Online Depression Therapy: Depression Counselor in California for Depression Treatment Online

Online Depression Therapy

Are you experiencing depression?

Are you experiencing a deep, persistent sadness? Have you lost interest in activities you once enjoyed? Do you cry often? Do you have lingering feelings of shame, guilt, hopelessness, worthlessness and anger? Do people often ask you if you're okay? Do you find yourself pondering the things you don't like about your life over and over?

If so, you could be suffering from depression. Long-lasting depression can become your normal way of living and be difficult to recognize. When you are in a depressed state it can feel like you've always been there. You can't see any other way of being. You're stuck.

Nothing may stand out to warn you that you are becoming more and more depressed. Others may recognize your depression and see how it is impacting your daily life before you do.

Feeling sad sometimes is normal, but feeling intensely sad for a long period of time is not. if your depression has progressed and you were unaware it was developing, you may have difficulty sleeping, getting out of bed or avoid eating. You may have given up on caring about things that have been important to you all your life. Perhaps you are avoiding social situations with friends or family because you don't want to spread you depression to others or make them endure your mood.

If you have been suffering from depression for more than 2 months, and it has interfered with your ability to function in your everyday life, it is time to get help. A depression counselor online is a good place to start. They can help you take the first steps to make positive changes in your life. You can mold your day-to-day experiences to find satisfaction and joy.

Learning to think differently about yourself and your life, can help you feel better and change things dramatically. It also helps to let others support you.

You can feel better. Your life doesn't have to be dampened by depression forever. Online depression therapy can help. Depression treatment online helps break down the barriers to treatment. It is more convenient, saves time and protects your privacy.

What is Depression?

Depression is a serious mental illness. It is a mood disorder that makes you feel down, listless, sad, hopeless, and unmotivated for an extended period of time. Depression can lead to many physical and emotional problems that can interfere with your ability to function normally. Anyone can experience depression, but it's more common in women than men. Depression can lead to suicidal thoughts, self-harm, and suicide attempts.

Depression is a significant problem in the United States. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 7.6 percent of adults in the U.S. had at least one major depressive episode in 2015. This number is even higher for women, with 11.5 percent of women reporting depression, as compared to 5.8 percent of men.

Working with a depression counselor in California can help you manage your mood and improve your life experience.

Suicidal Thoughts

Suicidal thoughts and feelings are about contemplating ending your life. Often, a great deal of stress can make it seem that there is no way out other than death. Suicidal thoughts can include wanting to disappear forever, ruminations about being a burden to those you love, reasons you don’t want to live anymore, and a plan to harm yourself to such a degree that you die.

Suicidal thoughts can be abstract or specific. They can happen at any time of day and different intervals. 

Thinking about suicide can be spurred by:

  • Feeling like a burden
  • Chronic illness or pain
  • Financial issues
  • Feeling inadequate
  • Relationship problems
  • Fear of failure
  • Trauma
  • Feeling like you’re trapped with no solutions to your problems
  • Feeling persecuted  
  • Bullying
  • Domestic violence, sexual assault, or other abuse
  • Divorce or a difficult breakup
  • The death of someone close to you
  • Losing someone to suicide
  • Loneliness
  • Isolation
  • Inability to fit in
  • Housing insecurity
  • Being forced into something you don’t want to do, like entering residential treatment or an arranged marriage
  • Addiction
  • Failing a class
  • Moving to a new town
  • Feeling like an outcast
  • Questioning sexual or gender identity
  • Mental health issues
  • Side effects of a medication

Everyone experiences suicidal feelings differently. You may feel like the life you’re living isn’t sustainable. You may want to die but not know why. You may be unable to cope with feelings weighing you down. You could be desperate for all your feelings and problems to stop.

Suicidal thoughts don’t have to determine your fate. Ask for help. There is hope. You just need help to see it. A  depression counselor online can help you see things differently.

There are ways to get past the pain and find solutions. Online therapy for depression can help you find solutions that feel like a good fit for you.

If you’re unable to tell someone you know, call a helpline. Talking to a professional who doesn’t know you can be easier. They have training and know what to say. They won’t judge you. 

CALL 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Help is available 24 hours a day, every day.

Young woman with her hair up thinking about online depression counseling for her suicidal thoughts with a swirly black thought bubble above h left shoulder.

What are the causes of depression?


Depression is complicated. There is no single cause. Many factors, including genetics, childhood trauma, life experiences, and your environment, can contribute to it. A number of different medical conditions can cause depression and impact your quality of life. Drug and alcohol abuse often leads to depression.

It is often difficult to determine the exact cause of depression, as it is rarely just one thing that leads to this condition. A depression counselor in California who offers depression counseling online can help you without having to leave your house. We can work together to understand your experience with depression and find custom solutions that work for you.


Online depression counseling can make attending sessions more convenient. You can participate without leaving your house.

Common Causes of Depression

Here are some common causes of depression to help you understand what may be at the root of your depression symptoms:

Genetics

Depression can be genetic and run in families. Families of people with depression are more likely to have a child with depression. Biological differences get passed down. However, this is not always the case.

There are physical brain differences and functional differences. More research is needed to explain these differences.

Brain Function

Brain function is the way your brain processes information. Depression impacts the neurotransmitters that interact with neurocircuits that maintain mood stability.

The neural networks that support normal emotional behavior play a role in depression. Neuroimaging shows that those with mood disorders have evidence of neuropathological and lesion analysis studies. These networks involve many areas of your brain, including your prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus. There can also be alterations in the volume of your grey matter.

Biological Changes

Depression is often a symptom of a physical condition that causes an emotional response.

Biological Factors

Changes in your genes can cause depression. Your genetic makeup and its interaction with your environment can contribute to your depression.

Brain Chemicals

Studies in 2022 disproved the brain chemistry theory for depression (the monoamine hypothesis). No supporting evidence links depression to serotonin levels in the brain.

Medical professionals are not questioning antidepressants with the debunking of the theory. The chemical imbalance theory came from pharmaceutical companies explaining how their antidepressant products worked, but it never had any hard data to back it up. The theory grew from being repeated over and over until the general public just accepted it. Knowledgeable psychiatrists with a solid understanding of neurology were not so quick to believe there was a connection.

It is still not clear how antidepressants work. This is nothing new. Medications are often used "off label" for other conditions. Sometimes side effects of a medication for one condition are helpful for another illness. The first anxiety medications were antihistamines. Doctors used several common medications for decades without knowing exactly how they worked. Aspirin is one of them.

Some experts don't think there is enough difference between antidepressants and placebos. However, many people experience good results taking antidepressants. On the other side of the coin, some people report antidepressants are no help at all, while others report experiencing harmful effects.

Environmental Factors

Changes in your environment can cause depression. Stresses, toxicities, and unresolved pain can impact your mood and increase depression. Your learned responses and the development of self-talk are also environmental factors.

Psychological Factors

Negative thought patterns based on low self-esteem and self-worth, fear of failure, and feeling unworthy can lead to depression. Perfectionism is often at the root of depression. Adverse childhood experiences can also play a role in the development of depression. Children who experience trauma can carry their childhood trauma into adulthood.

Abuse

Abuse can lead to depression, and depression can lead to abuse. This cycle of pain and suffering is, unfortunately, quite common. Although people often think of abuse and depression as separate issues, a recent study shows a link between the two. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Toronto, looked at data from over 9,000 adults. The results showed that abused participants were more likely to be depressed than participants who had not been abused. After accounting for other factors such as age, sex, and income, the results still held.

Medications

Prescription medications can also cause depressive symptoms. If you are taking prescription medications and feeling depressed, look up the side effects of each one and talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Switching to a different medication can relieve depressive symptoms.

Hormones

There is increasing evidence that hormones may play a role in the development of depression. Women are more likely to experience depression around the time of their menstrual periods and during pregnancy or after giving birth. An increase in depression during this time suggests fluctuations in hormone levels may be associated with mood changes in some people.


Menopause is another time in life when depression can show up. Women are at higher risk for depression during perimenopause as well. The transition phase when your reproductive hormones are making the change from fertility to the postmenopausal stage can involve several mood changes that can seem to come from nowhere. 


As your menstrual cycle becomes shorter, lighter and irregular hormonal changes are taking place. Serotonin, the happiness brain chemical drops and just this change alone can cause sadness, crankiness, anxiety and irritability. There are so many things going on in your body during "the change" it's no wonder why is can be such a tumultuous time. It can feel like you're on a wild ride at an amusement park being thrown this way and that.


Women are twice as likely as men to struggle with depression. All the stags of life women go through have hormonal changes that lay the foundation for emotional changes. Monthly menstruation changes increase the likelihood of depression too.  Research on the role of hormones in depression is ongoing, and it's still unclear exactly how they contribute.

Depression Counseling Online

- when you feel too depleted to leave home


When hormones are making you feel depressed, you can feel like you're sick  with the flu and want to stay curled up in bed or on the couch. Counseling sessions online allow you to nurture yourself and get mental health help at the same time. 

You don't need to use the little energy you have available to get dressed and ready to go out and then battle traffic in order to get professional support. Depression counseling online brings your therapist to you.

What are the signs and symptoms of depression? 

Depression is a mood disorder that causes you to feel sad, hopeless, and unimportant. It can be mild or severe and last for weeks, months, or years. Depression affects everyone differently, so there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. 

Some of the most common signs and symptoms of depression include: 

  • feeling sad or down most of the time
  • losing interest in things you used to enjoy
  • feeling hopeless or helpless 
  • feeling guilty or ashamed for no reason 
  • having problems concentrating or making decisions
  • experiencing changes in appetite or weight
  • sleeping too much or not enough 
  • feeling tired all the time
  • having difficulties with relationships

If you have been experiencing any of these symptoms for more than two weeks, it is essential to talk to a depression therapist, your doctor, or a psychiatrist about getting help.

If you live a busy lifestyle, online depression therapy can help you fit therapy sessions into your schedule. Depression treatment online opens up opportunities for treatment.

Getting help doesn't need to be inconvenient. You can fit professional help in you day wherever you are. All you need is your phone and reliable cell service. You can connect to get support from your car while waiting for school to get out. You can go for a walk in nature if there's cell service there. You can even sit in your car in your driveway for privacy. You get to choose where you feel comfortable with depression counseling online.

How do I know if I have depression?

You will probably notice some warning signs that you might be depressed:

  • Feeling sad, hopeless, or discouraged for long periods of time for no apparent reason.
  • Difficulty with everyday tasks
  • Feeling tired and having trouble sleeping
  • Sleeping too much
  • Confiding in others more than you usually do
  • Feeling hopeless about the future, even with therapy
  • Feeling worthless or guilty because of things that happened in your past. Getting sick often
  • Having no energy
  • Crying or tearing up easily
  • Angry outbursts
  • Avoiding social contact
  • Reactions that are out of proportion to the situation
  • Being slowed down in thoughts and movements
  • Difficulty thinking and following conversations
  • Irritability
  • Difficulty making decisions
  • Memory issues
  • Feeling unworthy
  • Low self-esteem
  • Thoughts of death, suicide, self-harm, or just not being here
  • Suicide attempts
  • Increased use of drugs and alcohol
  • Inability to concentrate on work or school.
  • Having a lack of interest in things you used to enjoy
  • Weight loss from a lack of interest in foods.
  • Weight gain from craving unhealthy foods.

If you have questions about your symptoms or are unsure about what you are experiencing, a depression counselor in California can help you sort out your feelings and find solutions to whatever you are experiencing that is keeping you from living the life you want. Depression treatment online makes attending therapy sessions easier when you're dealing with overwhelm. If you don't feel comfortable leaving your home to get help, you can meet with a depression counselor online.

Types of Depression

Depression is a mental illness that causes people to feel sad, hopeless, and unmotivated for an extended period of time. There are different types of depression, each with its own symptoms. Major depressive disorder is the most severe type, followed by dysthymia, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder. Each type of depression requires different treatment methods.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

Major depressive disorder is a mental illness that causes feelings of sadness and hopelessness that can last for weeks, months, or even years. It is the most severe form of depression. It is also known as clinical depression of major depression. MDD affects how you feel, think, and behave and can lead to various emotional and physical problems.


Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder (BPD) is a mental illness that causes extreme mood swings from depression to mania and back again. The mood swings are so severe that they interfere with daily functioning. They can last for days, weeks, months, or years. Living with BPD can be extremely difficult.


Postpartum Depression (PPD)

Postpartum Depression develops after giving birth. Many women experience it within four to six weeks and up to a few months after giving birth. Symptoms include crying spells, mood swings, anxiety and sleep issues.


Postpartum depression is not a weakness and doesn't reflect your compentency as a mother. It's common after giving birth giving birth. If you have PPD, treatment can help you cope so you can bond with your baby.


Postpartum Depression is commonly called the "baby blues."

Treatment-resistant Depression (TRD)

Of the approximately 16 million adults in the United States who suffer from depression, about one-third do not respond well to standard treatments such as medication and talk therapy. Being told you have a serious mental illness that is resistant to treatment on top of being depressed can profoundly affect your ability to function in daily life.


Some doctors question the label of treatment-resistant depression. They argue that not responding to several rounds of antidepressant medication treatments is not enough to consider someone resistant to treatment. Most people who acquire the diagnostic label of TRD haven't received the proper treatment mix that works for their specific type of depression. Part of the problem is not all medical professionals who prescribe treatment are aware of how many options and combinations are currently available to treat MDD and bipolar depression. They take the traditional route of prescribing a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) followed by a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) if the SSRI doesn't work. If there is still no improvement, they start thinking about TRD. Treatment of depression is the process of trial and error. Two or three or even more tries don't mean all options have been exhausted.


There are many possible reasons why someone may not respond to a particular treatment for depression. In some cases, the underlying cause of depression may differ from typical causes. There might be additional barriers to treatment that need a creative approach. Some people may not be able to take traditional antidepressants due to side effects or other medical conditions.

Dysthymia

Dysthymia is a less severe form of depression that causes a person to feel sad, lose interest in life, feel hopeless, and unmotivated for an extended period of time. Dysthymia leads to a lack of lack productivity and energy. People with dysthymia tend to have low self-esteem, engage in self-criticism or feel incapable. Other terms for dysthymia are chronic depression and persistent depressive disorder.


Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Seasonal Affective Disorder is wintertime's most severe form of depression. It impacts just about everyone, but it's more common in women. SAD can cause weight gain, fatigue, and a lack of interest in food and sex. It's also called winter depression.


Situational Depression 

Situational depression is a type of depression triggered by a particular event, situation, or change in your life circumstances. You can experience it after a traumatic event such as the death of a loved one, miscarriage, a divorce, or losing your job.


Positive changes like getting married, having a baby, moving, or starting a new job can also cause situational depression. Any significant change in your life can cause situational depression.

Online Depression Therapy:

Asking for help

Asking for help is hard. Strangely, there's been a stigma in society that asking for help is a weakness. It's not. It's a strength. Society accepts other things that are difficult to do as demonstrations of strength. There's no reason asking for help should be any different.

Deciding to ask for help can be a daunting task. There are many ways people talk themselves out of starting treatment. The most common one I hear from clients is they thought it would go away if they were patient and waited long enough. If you've been waiting for more than two weeks and depressive symptoms are interfering with your ability to do daily tasks, the time has come to get some professional support.

The longer you wait, the more time and effort it will take to resolve your symptoms. You can get easy access to help with a depression counselor online. You can meet wherever is private and convenient for you. Many people find it easier to talk to a therapist virtually.

The second most common reason I hear is people don't want to take medication. The truth is that you can start talk therapy without taking a prescription medication. You can address many depressive symptoms without going the pharmaceutical route. I've seen quite a number of clients manage their depression with exercise.

Another common reason for putting off getting help is the fear of being embarrassed and not wanting to tell a therapist about painful life experiences. First, getting help for depression is nothing to be embarrassed about. Depression is extremely common. Virtually everyone has experienced depression at some time in their life.

Depression is a medical condition requiring treatment just the same as a thyroid condition, diabetes, pain, or high cholesterol. With treatment to address your symptoms, your life can be better.

It is not necessary to revisit all the painful events of your life to treat your depression. If you feel it will be helpful, we can, but it isn't a requirement to delve deeply into your darkest moments. You don't have to go there if you don't want to. There are alternatives.

Find a depression counselor in California you feel comfortable with and ask questions about their process. You will get an idea of what therapy will be like with them just spending a little time with them.

Ultimately, what you talk about in session is entirely up to you. Your depression therapist cannot force you to do or say anything you don't want to discuss.

What is the difference between anxiety and depression? 

Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mental illnesses in the United States. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness, affecting 40 million adults in the U.S. every year. Depression is also very common, with an estimated 16 million adults in the U.S. experiencing at least one major depressive episode yearly.

Anxiety brings feelings of worry, fear, and apprehension that are persistent and excessive. You may experience panic attacks with sudden periods of intense fear or terror, including heart palpitations, chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, or abdominal discomfort. Anxiety can include other symptoms such as headaches, nausea, diarrhea, or insomnia.

Depression causes feelings of intense sadness, emptiness, and hopelessness. You may be irritable, have difficulty concentrating or remembering things, experience physical symptoms such as fatigue or headaches, or have thoughts of suicide.

Anxiety and depression often come together. They can play off each other, and each one can make the other worse. Anxiety can be a symptom of depression, and you can also have depression triggered by anxiety. Many people with anxiety also have depression. And many people with depression also have anxiety. It is common to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and clinical depression. A depression counselor in California can help you with both conditions simultaneously.

A simple way to think about the difference between depression and anxiety is looking at Brenner's definitions:

Depression is having an overall feeling something bad has happened

On the other hand, anxiety is present if someone feels something bad is going to happen.

Online Treatment for Depression 

Depression can be debilitating and is not something to take lightly. It can lead to a general feeling of sadness, emptiness, and hopelessness. You may experience a loss of interest in activities that were once a big part of your life, difficulty concentrating, insomnia, and changes in weight or appetite. Depression can also cause physical symptoms such as headaches, pain, and digestive problems.

While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to treating depression, many effective treatments are available. Treatment may include therapy, medication, or a combination of the two. A depression counselor in California can help you find solutions that fit with your issues, lifestyle and your personality. Depression treatment online provides an extra layer of privacy during treatment. When you work with depression counselor online there is no need for anyone to know you are in treatment. There will be no evidence of you traveling to and from a counseling office.

Talk therapy is the most common form of treatment for depression. It can help you identify and understand your feelings about life and find solutions that fit your goals. You can create a new version of yourself who can cope with issues and enjoy life. Therapy can help you explore different perspectives and develop healthy thought patterns and ways of interacting with others. Online depression therapy can increase your ability to attend sessions regularly so you can make progress even if you are feeling too tired to leave the house.

Depression Therapist in California

Depression is a serious mental illness that can cause long-term problems in your life if left untreated. If you are experiencing symptoms of depression, it is vital to seek help from a therapist who specializes in depression. A depression counselor in California can help you understand your condition, support you and help you feel better.

Working with a depression counselor online

If you have been diagnosed with depression, it is essential to work with a professional who can help you develop solutions to get you on track to living the life you want. You deserve to live life on your terms without depression running the show. Online depression counseling can help you get started without disrupting your routine by adding another place to go to your list. 

Depending on the cause of your depression, you may have limited energy. You can stay home and relax in your favorite chair and get the help you need. Studies show that depression counseling online is equal in effectiveness to meeting with a mental health professional in their office. The most important component to effective psychotherapy is the professional relationship you have with your therapist. 



Long Live Online Therapy!

Black man with laptop in an online therapy session.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I moved my practice entirely online. You know what? 

I think online therapy (also known as teletherapy) is great. 

We can do teletherapy together from anywhere in California.

I started offering online therapy about 3 1/2 years prior to the pandemic. Before COVID, about one quarter of my clients were out of my area and seeing me online. Now, my entire practice is online. Teletherapy makes therapy more accessible. There are so many benefits for my clients and I. 

For instance, I can work with you from anywhere in California. Online depression therapy promotes your independence and saves you time, money, and your precious personal energy.

As a parent, you'll love online therapy. Online therapy doesn’t require a sitter for your kids. Working with a depression therapist in California online is a time-saver -- you don't to travel to and from your appointment and waste time sitting in traffic both directions. Many parents schedule therapy on their lunch hour. You can sit in your private office or in your car and log in on your phone. As a couple, you can even do therapy at lunch from different locations.

Depression treatment online offers a deeper level of privacy than meeting at a mental health office. You can choose a therapist who lives out of your area. You will never bump into your provider at your local grocery store. I have worked with lots of clients in Southern California, which is over 8 hours away form where I live. I know I won't ever see them in person. My local clients see me around town occasionally. I follow ethics rules and never initiate conversation. Sometimes they initiate a conversation. Some like me to continue on without acknowledging them. With long distance teletherapy, that awkward moment never presents itself.

While teletherapy isn't for everyone, I think it's fantastic. I recommend that you give it a try.

Online depression therapy can be just as effective as face-to-face sessions in an office setting. In fact, many people struggling with depression prefer to work online. It can be difficult to get going to leave the house when you’re depressed. Perhaps you don’t want to get dressed.

A woman with red hair talking to a depression counselor in california online using her laptop.

That’s okay.

If you’re more comfortable at home than anywhere else, you can get help online in the comfort of your own home. Visiting a new place and meeting a new person all at the same time can be overwhelming and take extra energy. You may also feel stressed traveling to an unfamiliar location. Teletherapy does away with all those things when you attend your sessions online with a depression therapist in California.

When you work with a therapist for depression virtually, you choose your location. Some clients like to be outside during their session. Others choose the privacy of their room. Some prefer the privacy of their car parked in the driveway to be out of earshot of family members. You get to be wherever you’re most comfortable.

Online depression treatment can help you overcome barriers that previously kept you from seeking help. All you have to do is click a link on your device to get the help you need.

You can find a depression counselor in California by searching for a provider throughout the state instead of using "depression counseling near me" as your search term. When you take advantage of online therapy, you aren't restricted to your local providers. You can work with a therapist anywhere in California who specializes in online depression therapy. 

a different kind of therapy.

a different kind of therapist.

Therapy with Me is About You Living the Life You Want.

You probably think therapy is getting advice from your therapist about how to live your life better. And you probably think the process is going to be lengthy and emotionally painful. Oh, and expensive.

I don't practice that kind of therapy.

It would be terribly arrogant for me to think that I know how to live your life better than you do. No one knows that better than you.

In our sessions, we will explore your best hopes for our work together and how you can reach your hopes. We will focus on building the future you want, not spend time re-traumatizing you with difficult things from your past.

I believe that you know how to build your brightest future. By very carefully listening to you, I will be able to ask you the right questions that will lead you to your own answers for your life.

If all of this sounds good to you, then I might be the therapist for you.

Click here for your free 15-minute consultation

Recent Articles From My Blog

>