Do you feel "not good enough" or "broken," even though people see you as competent, attractive, happy?
Do you often feel exhausted, irritable or unmotivated to do what you have to do?
Do you suspect your childhood is still haunting you in relationships, or habits you want to stop repeating?
Women need a therapist who understands the psychology of women. One who can offer you the safety of another woman who gets how hard you can be on yourself. Let's figure out together what's not working and how to change it. Get beyond the sabotaging influence of past (especially childhood) relationships and develop the self-acceptance and self-confidence to become the woman you were meant to be. Find out how much better you can feel!
I have been doing therapy as a licensed MFT since 1987. I specialize in women and depression, including the self-esteem issues, grieving/losses and traumas that often come with depression. My clients are mostly women, 20 to 70 years old; about half identify as lesbian, bi-sexual or queer; about a quarter are women of color. I am also fully trained in EMDR.
If you would like to have my brief thoughts on a variety of topics delivered to your email?
Such as:
How to prevent and relieve depression and anxiety on your own;
Where self-esteem comes from, what destroys it, and what builds it;
How to tell if your childhood is still affecting you;
How EMDR or talk therapy may be able to help you;
What's in the way of finding the love of your life;
How to keep up with your life
and more...!
If so, put your email address in the box below. I promise not to share your information, and I don't have time to swamp your inbox myself. I would just like to share ideas that I think might be helpful or interesting to you. Of course, you can always unsubscribe.
Sign up now and you will instantly receive my article on 15 Ways to Become a Happier Person!
"Depression is very different from sadness. Two of the clearest differences are the self-attack and pessimism that accompany depression. Sadness, alone, doesn’t cause us to hate ourselves or blame ourselves. Nor does it cause us to interpret our past, present and future as terrible and hopeless.
Depression, however, comes with a classic pattern that basically gets down to: “I’m bad; I’ve always been bad; I’ll always be bad;” and/or “my life is bad; it’s always been bad; it’ll always be bad.” Obviously people don’t usually think in these exact words, but it is experienced as a pervasive sense of being unforgivable, or of failure, defectiveness, lack of lovability, hopelessness, or powerlessness."
If you want nothing to do with any particular religion, but still want some kind of spiritual life, this book will teach you many ways to develop a spiritual life that is just right for you.
"I just wanted to let you know it was a very insightful and thought-provoking read. Thank you for writing it."
"I think this book needs to be available to the many people out there who are struggling with this very issue; how to find a HP in these troubled and ever-changing times."
"I think this material could go really far and change people's lives."
Exciting News! I've been working on this project for the past six months or so, and it is finally here! It's a hardcover anthology of amazing women writing about the profound changes women are making in leadership. I wrote a chapter about "Transforming Depression into Empowerment." Take a look at who my co-authors are:
Maya Angelou, Michelle Obama, Suze Orman, Helen Mirren, Barbara Walters, Oprah Winfrey, JK Rowling, Jane Fonda, Sonia Gandhi, Whoopi Goldberg, Venus and Serena Williams, Elaine Pagels, Starhawk, Azar Nafisi, Jean Shinoda Bolen, Zsuzsanna Budapest, Judy Chicago, Riane Eisler, Eve Ensler, Renée Fleming, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Angelina Jolie, Madonna, Sue Monk Kidd, Aung San Suu Kyi, Barbara Lee, Shirley MacLaine, Madonna, Joan Marler, Olympia Dukakas....
These women write to inspire other women from political, spiritual, medical, business and personal points of view. Few women could read this book without feeling energized and uplifted.
You can buy it directly from me now! If you want to buy one, just go to the My Books page. The book's list price is $29.95, but you can get it from me for $24.95. Order your copy of this inspiring, gorgeous, hardcover book from me and I'll even sign it for you, if you request! All royalties will be donated to these nonprofit organizations dedicated to improving the lives of girls and young women around the world:
The Global Fund for Women
Promotes women’s economic security, health, education, and leadership
Capacitar
(Spanish for "To Empower")
Teaching simple wellness practices in communities affected by violence, poverty and trauma
Tostan
Community-led development
Want a free, anonymous consultation with me? Write into the forums. Write what you are struggling with or confused about emotionally or in relationships and I will respond personally.
Anna's Blog is a fictional open diary of a woman in therapy. Read the whole story in three years worth of entries!
Also,
Want to register your opinion? The Questions for You polls ask you about what workshops or presentations you'd like me to do, your feelings about the economy, your favorite t-shirt slogans and more. See what other people think, and add your opinion to the mix!
Also,
There is now a video on the sex page of a doctor talking about women's sexual functioning and dysfunctions over the lifespan. Her point of view counters the traditional way of viewing women's sexuality in the medical field.
News stories about depression and other psychological topics now have their own page. See the Psychology News button on the left of this page or click here to see them.
For 25 years, compassionately helping women heal from depression, and it's
destructive criticism, losses and traumas, while building self-acceptance and confidence.