Depression and Anxiety Therapy
These two travel together more often than not. A lot of people come in certain they have one and find out they’ve been carrying both.
What depression can look like
Not always sadness.
Often it’s flatness. Things that used to matter not landing anymore. Waking early and dreading the day. Sleeping too much or not at all. Everything taking more effort than it should: the dishes, the shower, the reply to a text you’ve been staring at for three days. Being harder on yourself than you’d ever be on a friend.
It can also look like getting everything done. Plenty of people function at a high level while feeling hollow underneath, and assume that because they’re managing, it doesn’t count.
What anxiety can look like
A mind that won’t stop scanning.
Replaying a conversation from Tuesday. Rehearsing a conversation that may never happen. The physical side: chest tight, stomach unsettled, shoulders somewhere near your ears. Avoiding things and then feeling worse for avoiding them. Trouble falling asleep because that’s when it gets loud.
Anxiety is exhausting in a way that’s hard to explain to people who haven’t had it. It’s a full time job that pays nothing.
How we work with it
Therapy for depression and anxiety is practical work. We look at what’s actually happening: the patterns of thought, the things you’ve stopped doing, the sleep, the pressure you’re under. Then we work on them in an order that makes sense for you.
For anxiety
Understanding what your alarm system is responding to, and gradually widening what feels manageable.
For depression
Starting with small changes to activity and routine, because motivation tends to follow action rather than the other way around.
Not positive thinking
None of this is about positive thinking. It’s about changing what’s actually happening in your week.
Does medication help?
Sometimes, and you decide.
For some people the combination of therapy and medication works better than either alone. We don’t prescribe; we’re therapists. But we work with a nurse practitioner and can refer you. The psychiatrist wait in this area often runs around three months; our referral route is usually much faster.
You are never obligated to go that way. Many people do well with therapy alone.
About your therapists
Two people who do this work every week.
Eric Devers brings nearly thirty years of experience to this work, with depression and mood disorders among the most common concerns [he/she] treats.
[REBECCA NAME] also sees clients for depression and anxiety, alongside her focus on substance use. [CLIENT: 1 to 2 sentences]
In person or online
Start from wherever is easiest.
Office visits at 102 North Mulberry in Elizabethtown, or telehealth anywhere in Kentucky. For anxiety in particular, some people find it easier to start from home. That’s a completely reasonable place to begin.
Common questions
How do I know if it’s depression or just a rough patch?
If it’s lasted more than a couple of weeks and it’s affecting your sleep, your work, or the people around you, it’s worth a conversation. You don’t need to be sure before you come in. That’s what the first appointment is for.
I’ve tried therapy before and it didn’t help. Why would this be different?
Fit matters enormously, and so does timing. A different therapist, or the same person at a different point in their life, can produce a completely different result. It’s a fair question to ask us directly at the first session.
Can therapy help if my situation genuinely is hard?
Yes. Therapy doesn’t pretend circumstances aren’t real. It works on what you can influence and on how you carry what you can’t.
How soon will I feel better?
Most people notice something within the first several weeks, often sleep or the intensity of the worst moments. Bigger change takes longer.
Getting started
When you’re ready, we’re here.
Use the scheduling link that matches your coverage: private insurance and self-pay, or Medicaid and Medicare.