Adults experiencing depression may continue meeting responsibilities while feeling increasingly disconnected, exhausted, self-critical, or unable to enjoy life. Others may struggle to maintain routines, relationships, work, or basic self-care. Counseling provides a confidential setting to understand what is happening and begin working toward change.
Helyx Health serves adults in Palo Alto and nearby communities with individualized depression therapy.
Reasons adults seek depression counseling
Patients may seek help for persistent low mood, emotional numbness, withdrawal, loss of interest, irritability, fatigue, guilt, low self-worth, difficulty concentrating, or feeling stuck after a major change or loss.
Depression may also occur alongside anxiety, trauma, chronic health concerns, pain, insomnia, burnout, relationship conflict, caregiving responsibilities, professional stress, reproductive transitions, or questions about identity.
What happens in therapy?
Early sessions focus on symptoms, history, current stressors, strengths, relationships, and the changes you hope to make. The therapist and patient develop goals together and identify an approach suited to the concerns.
Therapy may involve increasing engagement in meaningful activities, examining patterns of thought and behavior, improving communication, processing difficult experiences, strengthening emotional-regulation skills, or developing a more compassionate relationship with yourself.
Approaches used by therapists
Helyx Health clinicians use varied approaches, which may include CBT, behavioral activation, ACT, interpersonal therapy, psychodynamic or relational therapy, mindfulness-based work, DBT-informed strategies, and trauma-focused methods.
The appropriate therapist depends on the patient’s primary concerns, preferences, identity, goals, and any co-occurring needs.
How counseling may support change
Counseling does not promise immediate or permanent relief. It can help patients build insight and practical skills, reduce avoidance, reconnect with valued parts of life, and create a plan for responding to future challenges.
If symptoms suggest that psychiatric evaluation may also be useful, the therapist and patient can discuss options for coordinated care.
Finding care near Palo Alto
Helyx Health serves patients near 518 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301 and surrounding Peninsula communities.
If you are in immediate danger or may act on suicidal thoughts, call 911, call or text 988, or seek emergency care.
