Specialties: Anxiety, Depression, Grief & Loss, Coping Skills, Life Transitions, Mindfulness,Marital and Pre-marital counseling, Relationship Issues, Sexual Abuse, Spirituality, Stress Management, Trauma/PSTD, for Individuals, Couples, and Families
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​If you have been experiencing some of the following signs and symptoms most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks, you may be suffering from depression:

• Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
• Feelings of hopelessness, or pessimism
• Irritability
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
• Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities
• Decreased energy or fatigue
• Moving or talking more slowly
• Feeling restless or having trouble sitting still
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
• Difficulty sleeping, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
• Appetite and/or weight changes
• Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts
• Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems without a clear physical cause and/or that do not ease even with treatment

I know that what I’m about to address does not represent a scientific treatise.  It’s strictly anecdotal, but it begs examination.  Namely, the frequency of people – prospective clients – who seek out a therapist but subsequently bail out after one or two…… or no sessions, often without a word or behind somewhat transparent explanations.  What scares people away from a potentially positive growth experience?  (No, it’s not me.  It happens to my colleagues as well.)  We in the field are well aware that there exist different “stages” of readiness to change, to examine oneself.  The most prominent model describes 6 Stages of Change ranging from Precontemplation to Contemplation to Preparation to Action to Maintenance (Prochaska & DiClementi, 1977).  The decision to change, more specifically, to find a professional to help you pursue change can be daunting.  It often involves a dance – a series of approach / withdraw actions which eventually leads to picking up the phone and making the call.  There is also a burgeoning body of research literature on early termination.  Countless studies look at the whys and wherefores of clients pulling out of an ongoing therapy regimen before goals have been reached.  Reasons abound from ethnic and cultural issues to breaches of the therapeutic alliance to financial issues.  So we, as professionals, are provided reams of research woven into our training which explain how to raise our awareness of the various factors that drive clients away from therapy.