Your mood changes depending on your environment, your level of stress, and how secure you feel. As a result, your emotions are constantly fluctuating. You’ve become used to ebbs and flows.
This can make it hard to recognize that when you’re down you may actually be experiencing Depression.
While it doesn’t matter what we call it, I want you to know two things:
One: There are others out there who have a similar sense of disappointment as you, and although you may feel shame and isolation, you are not alone.
Two: Your pain is something you can address and get help for. Feeling deeply content is possible.
YOU ARE EMPATHETIC, COMPASSIONATE, and creative. YOU ARE BRIGHT, thoughtful, AND HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR. YOU’RE HONEST, DRIVEN, AND LOVE TO LEARN.
Yet even with these strengths, you often feel not good enough. So much so that you’ve tried to be perfect. You’ve criticized yourself harshly. You’ve avoided yourself. Sometimes it’s hard to get through the day without feeling lonely, empty, and deflated.
Here you are: Afraid you’re never going to escape feeling less-than. Afraid you’re never going to live up to your own critical voice. Afraid you’re never going to feel content.
You’re not sure what your next steps are...
The truth is, you are more than your depression. Healing is about meeting yourself where you are, without blame or judgment. Healing is the courage to tread into the darkness because that is where the light lives.
I will help you let go of feeling not good enough, and accept yourself. In therapy with me, there is room for humor, pain, joy, anger, discomfort, awkwardness, vulnerability, strength, confidence, and power. You will tear through the self-doubt and know your value.
When You Seek Support for Depression with Melanie
You will transform loneliness into GREATER INTIMACY and CONNECTION
You will go from unmotivated, to INCREASED ENERGY AND EXCITEMENT
You will break free from heaviness, and MAKE ROOM FOR JOY
You will stop checking out and start TUNING IN to your emotional needs
You will break free from the shame and RECOGNIZE YOUR STRENGTH AND VALUE
The Therapy for Depression Process
Together, you and I will begin to unravel the tangle of emotions. We will transform what once was heavy and painful into something lighter, and easier to manage. Here’s how we get there:
Connection. We are in this together. An authentic, healing relationship is one that is full of compassion and presence. Presence is the ability to sit with what you bring without looking away and to hold it with the highest quality of attention.
Language. Giving voice to what has been seated inside of you but has been invisible or not spoken, can be incredibly relieving. Once you name it, it is manageable, it loses the power it once had to bring so much pain and you begin to relax.
The body. We bring attention to the sensations that make up emotions. You will experience the soft, raw parts underneath the protection of your defenses.
Self compassion. I will help you to practice being gentle with yourself through your growing, and to forgive yourself for mistakes you’ve made and ways you may have harmed yourself.
Joy. We will also bring attention to beauty in the ordinary and unexpected, and to the joy, or an inner sense of contentment, that underlies life's constant ebbs and flows.
Embracing imperfection. We will help you to accept your truest self, which is full of beauty, as well as pain. You will come to see your core self more clearly: as someone with immense light, who is deeply good and perfectly imperfect.
Here's what to expect:
FIRST CONTACT: Free phone consult
Prior to beginning treatment, I offer a free 15-minute initial phone consult to learn more about you and your current circumstances to determine if I am a good fit for your needs. If we are a good match we will schedule an intake session. I will also send you a link to complete my intake paperwork online, and you can submit that to me electronically before your first session.
WEEKS ONE through THREE: Intake
These initial sessions will give us a chance to get to know each other. I will gather information about your current struggles and your history, and you will get a chance to see how I work. We also will identify how you want to feel, what you want your life to look like, and establish goals which guide our way in moving forward.
WEEK FOUR and Beyond: Depression Therapy Sessions for Adults
At this point, you will attend regular therapy sessions. A typical course of treatment calls for meeting weekly for at least a year. However, we may alter this course, depending on the transformation you are looking to achieve. You and I will work through struggles in your life through the integration of techniques from psychodynamic therapy, mindfulness-based therapy, and experiential therapy.
Ending: The Final Sessions
We’ll work together for a minimum of one year, with some exceptions.
As you get closer to your therapy goals, we will develop a plan for transitioning you into a life without weekly therapy. We will set a time for which to end treatment, and review the work we have done, and the changes you have made. We will also anticipate challenges that may come up once you end treatment and discuss how you might successfully weather these. Our goal is for you to integrate what you have gained in therapy into your everyday life.
More About Me:
MELANIE EISNER COUNSELING IS A PLACE FOR SENSITIVE PEOPLE WHO OFTEN DOUBT THEMSELVES. PEOPLE WHO FAIL TO SEE THEIR INCREDIBLE VALUE. PEOPLE WHO TEND TO OTHERS BEFORE THEMSELVES. I HELP YOU MEET YOURSELF IN YOUR MESSY AND BEAUTIFUL IMPERFECTION, BUILD COMPASSION FOR YOURSELF, AND RECOGNIZE THE GIFTS THAT YOU INNATELY POSSESS.
As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker I create a space for you to find a sense of calm amidst the noise of a demanding world. Through a blend of mindfulness, psychodynamic, and experiential therapy, I help you to connect to your emotions and physical body and appreciate the twists, turns, and depths of your own story without self-criticism. Ultimately I support you as you begin to live your life with more fullness, clarity and joy.
I BELIEVE THAT SHOWING KINDNESS TO OUR MOST VULNERABLE, BURIED SPACES IS CENTRAL TO FINDING PEACE WITHIN OURSELVES.
MY MISSION IS TO SUPPORT YOU AS YOU DIVE INTO THOSE FEARFUL SPACES, ON YOUR PATH TO LIVING WITH MORE CONNECTION, SATISFACTION, AND MEANING.
I AM DEDICATED TO SERVING YOU WITH DEPTH, AUTHENTICITY, AND PRESENCE.
You can read more about my training and specialties here.
Who Benefits Most from Therapy for Depression?
Therapy for depression is best for those who desire a deeper level of healing and want to bring about lasting change in their lives.
You will benefit from Therapy for Depression sessions if:
You currently lack the skills you need to manage your strong emotions
You feel lonely and disconnected from people in your life
You struggle to explain why you feel sad, guilty, a lack of energy, or checked out all the time
You aren’t aware of your value and you sometimes want to shut down or hide
You are ready to address the root causes of your distress within yourself and your relationships
But if the following better describes you, please see the Therapy for Anxiety page:
You are tired of feeling paralyzed by worry, or having racing thoughts
You worry about social interactions or are in your head when you’re with people
You are a perfectionist, hard on yourself, or sometimes feel like a “fraud” or an “imposter”
You tend to care for others before yourself, and you’d like to learn to set healthy boundaries
You are ready to address the root causes of insecurity within yourself and your relationships
Learn more about Therapy for Depression
What Does Therapy for Depression Cost?
$200 per 50 minute session
Cash, Check, Credit Cards, and HSA/FSA cards are accepted.
Do you take insurance?
I am not in-network with any insurance companies. I am considered an out-of-network provider. I will provide you with a superbill after every appointment which contains all of the information your insurance company will need to reimburse you. To find out your out-of-network benefits for psychotherapy, contact your insurance company.
Where and When Can I Schedule Therapy for Depression?
All appointments are held at my office in Bethesda, in a building that is close to the metro (red line) and offers free parking. I also offer video sessions for clients who reside within Maryland and Washington, D.C. My office is open from 10AM-7PM from Monday through Thursday. Please contact me at 443.971.1836 or melanie@melanieeisner.com to set up your initial phone consultation.
Your Next Steps:
It is possible to be kinder to yourself and experience more joy in your life. In therapy you will be able to put words to your pain, connect to and accept yourself, and feel lighter. You will also see that you can come to know yourself and your needs better, ultimately taking better care of yourself and strengthening your relationships.
Right now, feeling excited about life might seem a long way off, but you can start by taking the first small step on the path to healing your depression.
And the support of a caring professional is integral as a guide for you in this journey. By working together we will help you to cultivate curiosity about yourself -- including your emotions, beliefs, and life story. You’ll be able to feel more present and engaged in your life, and even be spontaneous and take risks. Ultimately you’ll move past a deep sense of feeling not good enough and start seeing that you are valuable and lovable just as you are.
To schedule an appointment for Therapy for Depression call 443.971.1836 today.