Depression is more than just feeling sad—it's a complex condition that affects how you think, feel, and function in daily life. It can make even simple tasks feel overwhelming and rob you of joy, energy, and hope. But with the right support, depression can be effectively treated.
At Hisparadise Therapy, we understand the complexities of depression and provide compassionate, evidence-based therapy to help you regain your emotional balance, rediscover meaning and pleasure in life, and develop the skills to prevent future episodes.
Whether you're experiencing mild persistent sadness or severe clinical depression, our approach is tailored to your unique needs and circumstances. We believe that healing from depression involves not just alleviating symptoms but addressing underlying causes and building resilience for lasting wellbeing.
At Hisparadise Therapy, we primarily use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for depression—widely recognized as one of the most effective treatments. CBT helps identify and change negative thought patterns that contribute to depressive feelings while developing healthier coping strategies.
We understand that depression affects each person differently, so we integrate multiple evidence-based approaches to create a treatment plan that addresses your specific symptoms, needs, and goals:
We also emphasize a holistic approach, considering lifestyle factors like sleep, nutrition, exercise, and social support that play crucial roles in managing depression.
We begin with a comprehensive assessment to understand your symptoms, history, triggers, and goals, allowing us to create a personalized treatment plan.
Together we identify negative thought patterns, emotional responses, and behaviors that maintain depression and impact your daily functioning.
You'll learn evidence-based techniques to challenge negative thoughts, manage emotions, increase pleasurable activities, and improve problem-solving.
We develop strategies to maintain improvements, recognize early warning signs, and prevent future depressive episodes by building lasting resilience.
Experience significant reduction in depression symptoms including low mood, fatigue, hopelessness, and difficulty concentrating.
Learn to identify and challenge negative thought patterns that fuel depression, replacing them with more balanced perspectives.
Develop skills to better understand and manage difficult emotions, reducing their intensity and impact on your life.
Improve communication and connection with others, rebuilding social support networks that are vital for mental health.
Gain tools to recognize early warning signs and prevent future depressive episodes, creating lasting resilience.
Rediscover meaning, values, and joy in life, helping you move from simply surviving to genuinely thriving.
Major depression (also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression) is characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, emptiness, or irritability, along with physical and cognitive changes that significantly affect daily functioning.
Common symptoms include:
Our approach to major depression typically involves a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy to address negative thought patterns, behavioral activation to increase engagement in pleasurable activities, and attention to lifestyle factors that support recovery.
Persistent depressive disorder is characterized by a depressed mood that occurs for most of the day, for more days than not, for at least two years. While the symptoms may not be as severe as major depression, their chronic nature can significantly impact quality of life.
Common symptoms include:
Our approach to persistent depressive disorder often includes cognitive behavioral therapy to address long-standing negative thought patterns, interpersonal therapy to improve relationships, and strategies to build consistent routines that support emotional wellbeing.
Situational depression, or adjustment disorder with depressed mood, develops in response to a specific stressful life event or situation, such as job loss, relationship breakdown, serious illness, or bereavement. Symptoms typically begin within three months of the triggering event.
Common symptoms include:
Our approach to situational depression focuses on processing the stressful event, developing coping strategies specific to the situation, building resilience, and strengthening social support networks to navigate the transition period.
Postpartum depression is a form of depression that affects people after childbirth. It involves feelings of extreme sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion that can make it difficult to carry out daily care activities for yourself or your baby.
Common symptoms include:
Our approach to postpartum depression includes a combination of interpersonal therapy to address role transitions and relationship challenges, cognitive behavioral techniques for negative thoughts, practical support strategies, and sometimes coordination with medical providers if medication is also needed.
This is a simplified version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), a widely used screening tool for depression. For each question, consider how often you've been bothered by the described problem over the last 2 weeks.
Note: This is not a diagnostic tool. Only a qualified healthcare professional can diagnose depression. If you're experiencing symptoms of depression, please consult with a mental health professional.
Dr. David Oluwaseun specializes in the treatment of depression and mood disorders. With over 12 years of experience, David brings empathy, expertise, and a personalized approach to help clients overcome depression and build lasting resilience.
A comprehensive workbook with exercises to understand depression, challenge negative thoughts, track mood patterns, and develop coping strategies.
Download PDFPractical worksheets to help identify, evaluate, and challenge negative thoughts that contribute to depression.
Download PDFA collection of guided meditations specifically designed to help manage depression symptoms and cultivate self-compassion.
Access Audio Files50-minute therapy session
5 sessions (10% discount)
10 sessions (20% discount)
* All packages can be paid in installments. Sliding scale fees may be available based on financial need.
It's normal to experience sadness in response to difficult life events or disappointments. The key differences between normal sadness and clinical depression include:
If you're experiencing persistent low mood along with other symptoms like loss of interest in activities, changes in sleep or appetite, low energy, difficulty concentrating, or thoughts of death, it's important to seek professional assessment. Only a qualified healthcare provider can diagnose depression.
The timeline for improvement varies based on several factors including:
Many people begin to notice some improvements within 4-6 weeks of beginning therapy, with more substantial changes typically occurring within 12-16 sessions. Some individuals with more severe or complex depression may benefit from longer treatment.
It's important to note that improvement isn't always linear—you might experience ups and downs along the way. We'll regularly assess your progress and adjust our approach as needed to ensure you're getting the most benefit from therapy.
Research consistently shows that a combination of psychotherapy and medication often provides the most effective treatment for depression, particularly for moderate to severe cases. That said, the best approach depends on your specific situation:
As therapists, we can't prescribe medication, but we can coordinate care with psychiatrists or primary care physicians if medication seems beneficial. We'll discuss the potential benefits and limitations of different treatment approaches based on your symptoms, preferences, and circumstances to help you make an informed decision.
Supporting someone with depression can be challenging, but your care can make a significant difference. Here are some helpful approaches:
We offer family support sessions to help loved ones understand depression and develop effective ways to provide support while maintaining healthy boundaries.
No, most people don't require therapy indefinitely. Our goal is to help you develop the skills and insights you need to manage your mental health independently. The length of therapy varies based on several factors:
Typical treatment lengths for depression include:
We'll regularly assess your progress and collaboratively discuss adjustments to your treatment plan, including when to reduce frequency or conclude therapy.
Depression is treatable, and healing is possible. Our compassionate, evidence-based approach can help you reclaim joy, meaning, and well-being. Take the first step today.