"I want to talk with you a bit about depression—what it is, why it feels the way it does, and how we can work with it together."

First, depression isn't a personal failure or a sign of weakness. It's a real, legitimate condition that affects how you feel, think, and function. Many people experience it at some point in their lives. What you're feeling makes sense given what you've been carrying.

Depression often shows up as:

• Persistent sadness or heaviness

• Loss of interest in things you used to enjoy

• Low energy or fatigue

• Changes in sleep or appetite

• Feeling disconnected, numb, or hopeless

• Harsh self-criticism or guilt

• Difficulty concentrating or making decisions

None of these symptoms mean you're "broken"—they're your mind and body signaling that something needs support.

How we work with depression

1. Understanding your experience
We'll explore what your depression looks like specifically—its patterns, its triggers, and the stories it tells you. When you understand the shape of it, it becomes less overwhelming and more manageable.

2. Challenging the depressive voice
Depression often speaks in a critical, discouraging way. Together, we'll gently question those thoughts and create space for more balanced, compassionate ones.

3. Building supportive habits
Small, consistent actions—like a predictable sleep routine, regular movement, or scheduling even tiny moments of pleasure or connection—can slowly lift your baseline over time. We'll build these in a way that feels realistic, not pressured.

4. Processing underlying emotions
Depression can be a sign of grief, stress, trauma, exhaustion, or unmet needs. Therapy helps bring those emotions into the light, so you don't have to carry them alone.

5. Strengthening connection
Depression often isolates. A big part of healing is reconnecting—with yourself, with others, and with things that bring meaning. Even small steps matter.

6. Medication (if appropriate)
For some people, medication can help restore balance and make emotional work more accessible. It's not required, but it's an option we can discuss with a doctor if you're open to it.

Most importantly: You're not alone.

Depression can make your world feel small and heavy, but you don't have to navigate that heaviness by yourself. We'll take this one step at a time, at a pace that feels right for you. Healing isn't linear, and that's okay. What matters is that you're here, and that you're not giving up on yourself.