Depression can affect much more than your mood. You may feel exhausted, disconnected, overwhelmed, flat, or as though everyday things require far more effort than they used to. Sometimes there is a clear reason for feeling this way, while at other times depression can develop without an obvious explanation.
Depression can affect how you experience yourself, your relationships, your motivation and your sense of what is possible. It can also be experienced physically, through changes in sleep, energy, appetite, concentration or a sense of heaviness within the body.
Therapy provides a space to slow things down and begin to understand what may be happening for you. My approach considers both your emotional experience and what is happening within your body and nervous system.
I work with psychotherapy, somatic psychotherapy and, where appropriate, Craniosacral Therapy and SomatoEmotional Release (SER). Together, we can explore what you are experiencing and discover what may help you reconnect with yourself, regain a sense of possibility, and begin living more fully again. You don’t have to know exactly what is wrong before reaching out. We can start with where you are now.
Understanding Depression and Low Mood
Depression isn’t always experienced as sadness. Sometimes it feels more like losing your sense of colour, motivation or connection with life. Things that once felt enjoyable may become difficult to engage with, and even ordinary tasks can start to require an enormous amount of effort.
You might find yourself withdrawing from people, becoming harder on yourself, or feeling caught in thoughts that tell you things won’t change. For some people, there is a strong sense of heaviness or exhaustion; for others, depression can feel more like numbness or being disconnected from themselves.
Low mood can develop in response to difficult life circumstances, prolonged stress, loss, relationship difficulties or experiences that have taken a toll over time. Sometimes, however, it can seem to arrive without an obvious reason.
Understanding what is happening for you is an important starting point. Rather than reducing your experience to a label, we can explore the different factors that may be contributing to how you feel emotionally, physically, and within your relationships, and begin to consider what might help.
How Therapy for Depression and Low Mood May Help
When you're living with depression, it can feel as though life has become smaller. You may find yourself withdrawing from people, losing confidence in yourself, or struggling to connect with things that once mattered.
Therapy offers a space to understand what may be contributing to these experiences, rather than simply trying to push them away. Together, we can explore the emotional, relational and physical patterns that may be keeping you feeling stuck, while gently developing greater awareness, self-compassion and choice.
Because depression often affects both the mind and body, we also pay attention to your nervous system and physical experience. Over time, many people notice they feel more connected to themselves, more able to regulate difficult emotions, and better able to respond to life with greater flexibility rather than feeling trapped by familiar patterns.
The aim isn't to force yourself to think positively or become someone different. It's to help you reconnect with yourself, restore a sense of possibility, and gradually build a life that feels more meaningful and manageable..
How I Work with Depression and Low Mood
My approach is integrative and responsive to your individual needs, rather than following one fixed treatment pathway.
We begin by understanding what you are experiencing now and exploring the thoughts, beliefs, emotions, relationships and life experiences that may be influencing how you feel. We can look together at patterns of self-criticism, withdrawal, hopelessness or feeling disconnected from yourself or others. As these patterns become clearer, we can begin to explore what may be keeping you feeling stuck and what might help you respond differently.
Somatic psychotherapy recognises that depression is often experienced not only emotionally but physically. Many people notice feelings of heaviness, exhaustion, numbness or disconnection from their bodies. By gently paying attention to these experiences, we can begin to understand how your nervous system may have adapted over time and create opportunities for greater connection, regulation and vitality.
As the work unfolds, I draw on the therapeutic approaches and perspectives that best support what is emerging for you. This may include exploring beliefs, relational patterns, emotions or experiences through different psychological lenses, alongside working with the body and nervous system. The intention is to help you develop greater awareness and understanding, while creating opportunities for meaningful change and integration.
Where appropriate, Craniosacral Therapy and SomatoEmotional Release can provide another gentle way of working with the nervous system, particularly when words feel difficult or when your body seems to be carrying stress, tension or emotional holding that is difficult to access through talking alone.
Throughout our work, you remain involved in deciding what we explore and how we work. We don’t need to solve everything at once. We begin with what feels most important and manageable for you now, and allow the work to develop at a pace that supports greater understanding, integration, connection and choice.
Is therapy for depression and low mood right for me?
You don’t need to be at your lowest point to seek support. You might be considering therapy because you’ve been feeling flat, withdrawn, exhausted, or unlike yourself, or because things you once enjoyed no longer feel meaningful. You may be struggling with motivation, self-esteem, relationships, or simply getting through your day.
You may understand why you’re feeling this way, or you may have no idea where it has come from. Therapy can provide a space to make sense of your experience, reconnect with yourself, and explore what healing and change might look like for you.
Can therapy help if I don’t know why I’m feeling this way?
Yes. Sometimes low mood can be difficult to understand. You may know that something doesn’t feel right, but not be able to identify what has changed or where those feelings have come from. You don’t need to have an explanation before beginning therapy.
Together, we can explore what you’re experiencing and gently look at the thoughts, emotions, relationships, and experiences that may be contributing. Sometimes simply having space to slow down and make sense of what is happening can be an important place to begin.
What if I’ve been feeling like this for a long time?
It’s not too late to seek support. If you’ve been living with low mood or depression for a long time, you may have become used to feeling this way or wondered whether things can really be different.
Therapy can offer an opportunity to explore what you’ve been carrying, understand patterns that may have developed over time, and consider what might help you feel more connected to yourself and your life. Change doesn’t have to happen all at once.
What If I’ve lost motivation and don’t know where to start?
When you feel depressed, even small things can feel difficult, and knowing where to begin can feel overwhelming. You don’t need to arrive with a clear plan or know exactly what you need from therapy. We can begin with what is happening for you now and gently make sense of what has become difficult. From there, we can work together to identify what might help you begin to feel more connected, supported and able to take the next step.
Can therapy help me feel more like myself again?
Depression can sometimes leave you feeling disconnected from the person you used to be, or unsure of what you want from life. Therapy can provide space to understand what may have changed and what might be getting in the way of feeling connected to yourself. Rather than trying to return to exactly who you were before, we can explore what feels meaningful to you now and gradually create more space for connection, possibility and a sense of yourself.
What if talking about how I feel is difficult?
You don’t need to know exactly what to say when you begin therapy. Sometimes feelings are difficult to put into words, particularly when you have been carrying them for a long time. We can begin with whatever feels manageable and allow the work to unfold gradually. Sometimes talking is helpful, while at other times paying attention to what is happening in your body can provide another way into your experience. You remain in control of what you choose to explore and the pace at which we work.