Depression therapy at Seattle Trauma Counseling is for adults whose low mood, numbness or exhaustion has roots in trauma, shame or years of strain, and for people whose depression has not lifted with the help they have already tried. You can see a therapist for depression at our Edmonds or Kirkland office, or online anywhere in Washington State, and every therapist offers a free consultation.
Every clinician here is a trauma specialist, so rather than only managing symptoms we look at what is holding the depression in place. We do not prescribe medication. If you take antidepressants or need a medication review, we work alongside your doctor or psychiatrist.
The best therapist for depression is a licensed clinician trained in an evidence-based approach that fits the cause of your depression. If it followed trauma, abuse, loss or long-term stress, look for a trauma-informed therapist who works with the body and nervous system as well as your thoughts, not only with symptom management.
When stress has gone on too long or felt inescapable, the nervous system can shift into a shutdown state, the collapse response Stephen Porges describes in his polyvagal theory. From the inside, that shutdown can feel like depression: flatness, heaviness, no energy, and a sense that nothing you do will make a difference.
Shame often travels with it. People who grew up being criticized, neglected or controlled can carry an inner voice that turns every setback into proof that they are the problem, and that voice keeps depression going. We have written more about how internalized shame from trauma can lead to depression.
Your depression may have trauma underneath it if:
High-functioning depression describes people who keep going to work, meeting deadlines and looking after others while feeling empty, joyless or worn down inside. It is not a formal diagnosis, but it is a common experience, especially for people who learned early that staying busy and capable was the safest way to cope. Because nothing looks wrong from the outside, it often goes untreated for years.
If you have already tried therapy or medication and the depression has not shifted, that is not a personal failure. Sometimes it means the work has focused on thoughts while the trauma underneath, held in the body and nervous system, has not been addressed. Doctors use the term treatment-resistant depression when two or more antidepressants have not helped; therapy that reaches the underlying trauma is one of the routes worth trying with your doctor's input.
We explain why cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can fall short for trauma, and what somatic therapy, which works with body sensations and the nervous system, adds.
Our work is phase-based. We start by building enough stability, through sleep, routine, grounding and a reliable relationship with your therapist, that deeper work does not knock you further down.
Depending on what we find, that can mean EMDR therapy or Brainspotting for traumatic memories, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy for the shutdown held in the body, Internal Family Systems (IFS) for the inner critic and the parts of you that have given up, or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help you act on what matters while your mood is still low.
Most clients meet weekly. We review progress together, so you are never guessing whether the therapy is helping.
Many people with mild to moderate depression improve with psychotherapy alone, and for moderate to severe depression a combination of therapy and medication is often recommended. That choice belongs to you and your prescriber. Never stop or change medication without medical advice; your therapist can work alongside whatever you and your doctor decide.
You can see us at our Edmonds office (8923 240th St SW, Edmonds, WA 98026) or our Kirkland office (10512 NE 68th St, Suite 202, Kirkland, WA 98033), by appointment, or by secure video anywhere in Washington State. Online sessions can make it easier to keep going on the weeks when getting out of the house feels like too much.
We are a private-pay practice. Each therapist's fee is discussed in the free consultation, with no obligation, and every therapist provides a superbill so you can claim out-of-network reimbursement if your plan includes it. Our practice details page covers how that works.
Every therapist at Seattle Trauma Counseling is licensed in Washington State, and you can verify any license through the Washington State Department of Health. In the free consultation we match you with the therapist best suited to what you describe, and tell you honestly if someone outside our practice would fit better.
The simple "chemical imbalance" explanation is now considered too narrow by many researchers. Depression is understood to come from a mix of biology, life experience, stress and relationships, with trauma a significant factor for many people. Medication still helps many people, and therapy addresses the experiences that biology alone does not explain.
Yes. Anxiety and depression often come from the same overwhelmed nervous system, swinging between high alert and shutdown, so we usually treat them together rather than as two separate problems. Our page on anxiety and panic attacks covers the anxiety side in more detail.
Yes. If you live anywhere in Washington State, you can see the same therapists by secure video. Many clients start online and move to in-person sessions later, or mix the two.
It depends on how long the depression has been present and what is underneath it. Some people notice change within a few months, while depression rooted in long-standing trauma usually takes longer. We review progress with you regularly so the length is decided together.