Return to Center | Depression Treatment Santa Monica
When Everything Feels Heavy
If you’re feeling far from your own center lately, depression can make it seem like everything in your life has shifted off balance. You may be quietly weighing different treatment options or wondering if what you’re going through is “serious enough” to ask for help. Depression doesn’t always look like a dramatic crisis; often it’s a steady heaviness—fatigue, loss of interest, self-doubt, or moving through your day on autopilot. However it shows up for you, your experience is real, and you deserve care that meets you where you are.
How Depression Shapes Daily Life
Depression can quietly influence almost every part of daily life—not just how you feel, but how you think, move, and relate to others. You might notice changes in sleep, appetite, energy, or focus. Tasks that once felt simple can start to feel draining or overwhelming. Common experiences include things like:
Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping much more than usual
Shifts in appetite or digestion, including more cravings or less interest in food
Feeling physically slowed down, drained, or restless
Struggling to keep up with work, school, or home responsibilities
Emotionally, you might feel hopeless, guilty, or like a burden. Some people notice they’ve lost interest in things they used to enjoy, feel detached from loved ones, or catch themselves thinking, “What’s the point?” Over time, this can lead to more isolation and self-criticism, even if part of you wants to feel better. Naming these patterns is an important first step—not to judge yourself, but to understand what needs support.
Looking Beneath the Surface of Depression
Instead of viewing depression as “just in your head,” we look at the full context of your life—your emotional world, nervous system, body, relationships, and environment. Together, we consider not only how you’re feeling now, but also what may be contributing beneath the surface, such as trauma or loss, chronic stress, sleep issues, hormonal shifts, inflammation, nutritional factors, or other medical conditions.
Seen through this lens, depression becomes a dynamic interplay of biological, psychological, and environmental factors rather than a personal failing. This helps us address both immediate symptoms and deeper contributors, with room for your story, your values, and your own definition of what it would mean to feel more like yourself again.
Ways We Can Support Your Healing
Care is collaborative and tailored to you. Depending on your needs, we might integrate evidence-based psychotherapy, mindfulness and nervous system regulation tools, gentle lifestyle shifts (such as sleep routines, movement, and nutrition support), and, when appropriate, medication to help lift mood and restore energy. For some people, our work also includes trauma-informed therapy, grief support, or looking at how perfectionism and self-criticism have developed over time.
My goal is to help you move from survival mode toward a life that feels more grounded, meaningful, and connected—to yourself and to others. Depression is common, but your story and your healing path are uniquely yours. With the right support, it is possible to experience more ease, presence, and a steadier sense of who you are.