Though anxiety and depression are two distinct diagnoses, they often work in tandem. Anxiety can lead to burnout, and burnout can begin to look like depression: depletion, loss of interest, lack of energy, and feelings of worthlessness. The fallout from depression can then make anxiety even stronger. It can be incredibly difficult to interrupt this cycle without help.

Coping skills are important, but without deeper work, things like deep breathing and distraction can start to feel like ways to white-knuckle your way through life. Therapy can help you understand what your anxiety and depression are asking you to examine. What needs attention in your life? Is there a change you need to make but have tried to ignore? Are you in the midst of a major life transition and need support? Anxiety and depression can often call upon us to make sure that the life we are living is ours.  

When working with people with anxiety and depression, I make sure our work together is is both practical and existential. We will work on practicing distress tolerance skills, interpersonal effectiveness skills, mindfulness skills, and other tools from DBT and ACT. Our work will also include values identification, self-compassion work, EMDR, and deeper exploration of the messages and experiences that have impacted you.