“Healing doesn’t mean the damage never existed. It means the damage no longer controls our lives.” ~ Unknown Indigenous Elder
What is Depression?
Depression is more than just a feeling of sadness; it alters how people think, feel, and handle daily activities, and its impact extends beyond temporary emotional distress. Individuals with depression often experience a deep and persistent sense of sadness that doesn’t easily lift. This sadness often feels overwhelming and can lead to a pervasive sense of hopelessness or despair. Some people describe depression as feeling emotionally numb or disconnected from their feelings. This numbness can make it difficult to experience joy or pleasure in activities once enjoyed. Depression often involves pervasive negative thinking patterns. Individuals may have distorted beliefs about themselves, their abilities, and their future, leading to self-criticism and feelings of worthlessness.
Effects of Depression
Depression can have profound and wide-ranging effects on an individual’s emotional, psychological, physical, and social well-being including:
Persistent feeling of sadness that doesn’t seem to lift.
Anxiety, leading to constant worry and tension.
Activities that were once enjoyable may no longer bring pleasure or interest.
Negative self-views and feelings of inadequacy and blaming oneself for things beyond one’s control.
Problems focusing on tasks or making decisions, and trouble remembering details or events, Difficulty falling or staying asleep and/or excessive sleeping or staying in bed for long periods.
Reduced interest in food, leading to weight loss or comfort eating, leading to weight gain.
Feeling tired despite adequate rest.
Unexplained physical pain and discomfort.
Problems like stomachaches or nausea.
Difficulty expressing feelings and needs.
Reduced attention to personal hygiene and health.
Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors
Our Approach
We approach depression by exploring the unconscious mind and its influence on conscious behavior and experiences. This approach to depression focuses on understanding the deeper, often hidden, causes of depressive symptoms, including unresolved conflicts, repressed emotions, and archetypal influences. This process involves addressing the emotional, psychological, and spiritual wounds caused by these experiences and it integrates mindfulness, meditation, and spiritual practices to address and heal the soul. This approach emphasizes present-moment awareness, compassion, and the exploration of spiritual, cultural, and existential concerns.
Healing and Integration
We support individuals in transforming their depression through mindfulness, exploration of the unconscious, acknowledgment, honoring, and integration. Through therapeutic processes we explore dreams and archetypal images, engage in active imagination, and delve into shadow work.
Engaging in Mindfulness
Understanding that mental health is deeply connected to physical, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being.
Practicing mindful breathing to reduce stress and increase emotional regulation.
Bringing awareness to different parts of the body to release tension, promote relaxation, and increase tolerance of discomfort.
Engaging in practices that foster self-compassion and reduce self-criticism.
Returning to Nature
Viewing the land as a source of healing and strength.
Engaging in activities that connect individuals to the land and cycles of life.
Emphasizing the need for balance within oneself and with the natural world.
Engaging with nature to promote mental and emotional well-being.
Storytelling and Personal Narrative
Using traditional stories to impart wisdom and coping strategies.
Sharing personal experiences to foster connection and understanding.
Exploring the Unconscious
Exploring dreams to uncover symbols and themes related to self-aggression.
Using symbols and imagery to explore and integrate unconscious aspects of depression.
Using Imagination and Creativity
Dialoguing with Inner Figures and engaging in conversations with different aspects of the unconscious, including archetypes.
Creative Expression using art, music, writing, dance, and storytelling to process and transform depression.
Working with Archetypes and Symbols
Identifying Archetypal Patterns by recognizing recurring symbols and themes that point to underlying grief.
Transformation through Myth by engaging with mythology and personal narratives to reframe and understand personal and collective experiences.
Engaging with Shadow
Identifying the Shadow, acknowledging shame, grief, guilt, and other repressed aspects of the psyche and engage them with care.
Integrating the Shadow by accepting and incorporating these aspects into conscious awareness.
Rituals and Symbolic Acts
Incorporating spiritual beliefs and practices into the healing process.
Healing Ceremonies by engaging in rituals that honor and release grief.