Depression therapy
Depression is more than a symptom to be managed. It is a language, one that psychodynamic therapy is designed to learn how to read.
Schedule a free consultation →Depression is more than low mood. It is a way the psyche speaks. When chronic sadness, fatigue, emptiness, loss of pleasure, or a flattening of the entire felt sense of life have taken hold, something underneath is asking to be heard. Psychodynamic therapy attends to that something. Rather than treating depression primarily as a symptom to be eliminated, the work involves understanding what it is expressing, what has been lost, what is being withheld from the self, what old relational patterns are keeping you constrained or small.
This approach is fundamentally different from cognitive-behavioral or symptom-management models, not because those models are wrong, but because they operate at a different level. Skills for managing depressive symptoms can be genuinely useful. But they do not change the conditions that created the symptoms. Psychodynamic work goes to those conditions, the accumulated relational wounds, the internalized critical voices, the grief that has not been named, the self that has been suppressed for reasons that once made sense but no longer serve. This kind of change is slower, but it tends to last.
Work here covers both acute and chronic depression, including persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia), seasonal depression, and depression that is intertwined with grief, trauma, or identity struggles. Dr. Claney also works collaboratively with psychiatrists when medication is part of the clinical picture, medication and psychotherapy together are often more effective than either alone, and there is no ideological commitment here to one approach over the other.
Explore individual therapy →What people ask about this work
How is psychodynamic therapy for depression different from CBT?
CBT focuses on identifying and changing specific thought patterns and behaviors that maintain depression. Psychodynamic therapy focuses on the deeper unconscious material, the relational patterns, suppressed emotions, and unresolved conflicts, that produced those patterns in the first place. Both can be effective; they address different levels of the problem. Psychodynamic work tends to take longer and produce change that is more generalized and durable.
I don't feel sad, I just feel empty or numb. Is that depression?
Yes, and this is actually one of the most common presentations of depression in adults. The cultural image of depression as crying and sadness is only part of the picture. Many people with significant depression describe it primarily as flatness, numbness, loss of interest, a sense of going through the motions, or a disconnection from their own life. These experiences are just as valid and just as treatable.
Should I also try medication?
That is a decision best made with a psychiatrist or your primary care physician, not a psychologist. Dr. Claney does not prescribe medication but is happy to discuss the evidence and can refer you to a trusted psychiatrist if you want to explore that option. Research consistently shows that the combination of therapy and medication is more effective than either alone for moderate to severe depression.
How long does depression therapy take?
It depends significantly on the nature and history of the depression. Situational depression tied to a specific circumstance can sometimes shift meaningfully in 3–6 months. Chronic, long-standing depression that is rooted in relational history typically requires longer-term work. After an initial consultation, Dr. Claney will share her honest sense of what the work is likely to involve.
If this resonated, let’s talk.
A free 15-minute consultation is the first step. It’s a chance to ask questions, share what you’re carrying, and see whether this practice feels like the right fit.
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