Depression Isn’t Just in Your Mind—It’s in Your Whole Being
Depression can be heavy, consuming, and confusing. It can feel like a collapse from within—robbing you of energy, motivation, pleasure, and even hope.
From an attachment-based psychodynamic lens, depression is often not a “disease” in the simplistic sense. It’s a complex and deeply personal signal—rooted in early emotional environments, accumulated relational wounds, internalized losses, and often, silent stories of
disconnection.
But depression is also multifaceted. It can have biological, autoimmune, hormonal, and lifestyle influences. As a therapist, I honour both the psychological depth of depression and the reality of its physical dimensions.
A Depth-Oriented Understanding of Depression
In childhood and early life, we internalize how we are met emotionally—whether our needs are acknowledged, attuned to, or neglected. When emotional needs go unmet over time, a kind of emotional constriction can take root: grief that has nowhere to go, anger that was never allowed, longings that were buried for the sake of survival.
Over time, these defenses, though initially adaptive, can lead to a pervasive sense of hopelessness, numbness, or self-reproach—the hallmarks of depression.
You might recognize yourself in patterns like:
- Emotional shutdown or withdrawal
- Self-criticism or internalized shame
- Chronic guilt or sense of worthlessness
- Feeling disconnected from others, even when surrounded by them
- A painful sense of emptiness or meaninglessness
These experiences are not signs of weakness. They are echoes of relational survival strategies—strategies that once protected you, but now quietly suffocate you.
Depression’s Many Dimensions: Mind, Body, and Context
While my focus is psychological, I approach depression with an open mind to its full complexity.
- Some individuals experience depression linked to organic factors, including inflammation, autoimmune issues, hormonal imbalances, and genetic vulnerabilities.
- Lifestyle factors—sleep disruption, nutrition, lack of movement, substance use—also play important roles.
- Supplementation and integrative approaches, including research on omega-3 fatty acids, creatine, vitamin D, and gut health, are emerging areas that I stay informed about.
- Importantly, depression often arises contextually—in response to trauma, loss, attachment injuries, and chronic relational stress.
This is why a one-size-fits-all explanation doesn’t do justice to the lived reality of depression.
Healing Depression: A Psychodynamic, Relational Approach
In our work together, I offer therapy that addresses depression both psychologically and practically.
You can expect:
- A space where your full experience—grief, anger, fear, hope—can be felt and explored safely
- Work with unconscious patterns that keep you stuck in cycles of despair or self-criticism
- Gentle attention to the emotional meanings behind your symptoms
- Development of healthier internal attachments: learning to relate to yourself with more compassion and vitality
- Practical tools for emotional regulation, reconnecting with meaningful experiences, and supporting somatic well-being
The therapeutic relationship itself becomes a place where new patterns of connection, trust, and hope can emerge—at your pace, in your timing.
A Nuanced Approach to Medication
The role of medication in treating depression is complex and evolving.
While early theories framed depression simplistically—such as the idea of a “serotonin imbalance”—recent critical research (including the important reflections of psychiatrists like Awais Aftab and discussions with David Pud. There is no clear evidence that a simple serotonin deficit causes depression. However, this does not mean that the serotonin system, and other
neurobiological systems, are not implicated in meaningful ways.
In short: the brain is involved—but not in the simple ways we were once taught.
I stay current with the latest research, and I recognize that for some people, medication can be an essential and life-saving part of recovery. For others, therapy alone is sufficient.
If appropriate, I can help you explore psychiatric support thoughtfully—referring you to psychiatrists who respect an integrative, person-centered approach.
Any decision around medication is made collaboratively, respectfully, and always with attention to your unique story, symptoms, and values.
You Are Not “Broken”—Your Pain Makes Sense
Depression often speaks of places inside that were unseen, unmet, or overwhelmed for too long. It reflects not personal failure, but personal history—history that can be honored, explored, and ultimately healed.
Healing from depression isn’t about forcing yourself to “be happy.” It’s about reclaiming your emotional vitality, building new inner structures of safety and meaning, and allowing new possibilities for connection, creativity, and joy to emerge.
You don’t have to do this alone.
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to find out if this work could be right for you.