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Depression Treatment in San Diego, CA


Depression can look and feel different from one person to the next — let our experts help.

What is Depression?

Depression can affect how you thinkfeel, and behave. Clinically elevated symptoms are often prolonged (2+ weeks), cause significant levels of distress, and greatly impact your ability to function in your everyday life. Here are some examples of some of the different ways we may feel depressed.

Thoughts

Depression can make it difficult for you to focus or concentrate, pessimistic in the way you interpret your experiences, and lead to thoughts of death or suicide.

Feelings

In addition to persistent feelings of sadness and/or a disinterest in previously enjoyed activities, depression can make you feel hopeless, worthless, alone, indifferent, ashamed, or unmotivated.

Behaviors

Depression can also impact your physical health or your ability to work, to take care of household responsibilities, or to develop and maintain meaningful relationships with those around you.

Am I Depressed?


Depression can appear different from one person to another and answering the question, “Am I depressed?” can be a difficult task. Causes of depression can also vary from person to person and although a diagnosis can only be made by working with a trained healthcare professional, knowing some of the more common symptoms can be useful to determine the appropriate next steps for you.

Common symptoms of depression are persistent feelings of low mood, sadness, or loss of interest or pleasure in things that used to make you feel good. It is important to note that clinical depression is unlike “normal” sadness that many of us experience throughout our everyday lives. Depressive symptoms are often prolonged and last at least 2 weeks, cause significant distress, and/or interfere with your ability to function in your daily life.
People with symptoms of depression can experience depressive thoughts, feelings, and/or behaviors that can work to sustain their low mood over time.

A proper diagnosis of depression made by a trained health professional can inform your individualized treatment plan to ultimately help you manage your symptoms. To learn more about depression and how therapy can help, please feel free to schedule an initial consultation with one of our experts.

What can a “depression quiz” tell me?


A “depression quiz” or test often contains a range of multiple choice questions that attempt to assess your presenting symptoms. The quizzes also aim to determine the severity and frequency of your symptoms over a specific period of time. Such tests or quizzes can be beneficial to help you understand your symptoms, however it is important to remember that an official diagnosis can only be made through working with a trained healthcare professional.

A common tool that is used to assess depression is the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Clinicians often use this evidence-based tool with their clients to quickly assess the clients symptoms and objectively determine symptom severity. The PHQ-9 cannot be the only basis for a diagnosis. Mental health professionals use their clinical judgement to analyze the results in addition to other data collected from the clinical interview and other records. By taking an integrative approach to determine a diagnosis, clinicians can devise an effective and individualized treatment plan.

If you decide to take a self-administered “depression quiz”, it is important to be aware that an accurate diagnosis can only be determined after an assessment executed by a health professional. Depression quizzes can be useful for a preliminary understanding of what might be causing your distress. However, reaching out to a licensed mental health professional for support and resources is highly recommended for those looking to learn more about their own unique symptoms and how therapy can help.


Get More Information

If you would like to access care and want more information about our anxiety and depression services at Coronado Psych, please contact us at 619-554-0120, info@coronadopsych.com, or click here to schedule an initial consultation.

Our Depression Treatments in San Diego


Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based treatment used to treat a range of mental health problems. CBT is particularly effective with those who are diagnosed with depression and anxiety.

Trained clinicians use the methods of CBT to evaluate how thoughts and behaviors work together to affect feelings. CBT can help us gain a sense of control by allowing us to increase our awareness of how we are thinking and acting in response to stressful events or experiences. Through CBT, we can learn how to mindfully and effectively exercise coping skills when we are faced with prominent stressors.

The “ABC’s” of CBT help us comprehend how our thoughts and behaviors affect our feelings. This framework was coined by Albert Ellis, who set the foundation for how modern CBT is practiced. The ABC’s is a primary aspect to CBT that can be highly useful in understanding a wide range of experiences.


“A” = Activating events, situations that lead to intense negative emotions.

“B” = Beliefs, automatic thoughts that come in response to the activating event.

C” = Consequences, emotions or behaviors that follow an activating event and are associated with our beliefs.

By learning how to see our experiences through the “ABC” framework, we can begin to better understand the patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that may, at times, keep us feeling stuck or contribute to our sense of overwhelm. Bringing the ABC’s to our awareness can help us to be more mindful of what we are thinking to be able to cope better with stressful situations. 

Identifying your ABC’s can be difficult to do on your own and can be overwhelming. Psychotherapists who are specifically trained in CBT have the ability to help us evaluate and understand your specific needs through understanding your ABC’s together.

For more information on the ABC’s of CBT, please see the video below:


Book A Free Initial Consultation

If you wish to get more information on CBT services at Coronado Psych, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Our Clinicians Who Can Help


Dr. Rika Tanaka

Founder/Licensed Clinical Psychologist

License #: PSY30925
Specialties: Anxiety, Depression, Chronic Illnesses, Life Transitions

Dr. Ryan Halquist

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

License #: PSY27221
Specialties: LGBTQ+ Life Experiences, Substance Abuse or Use

Dr. Sarah Tuberman-Green

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

License #: PSY32685
Specialties: Children, Adolescents, and Family

Dr. William Taboas, Ph.D.

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

License #: PSY32182
Specialties: Adult Anxiety, Mood Disorders

Learn More

If you would like more information about our services or fees, please contact us by phone (619-554-0120), email (info@coronadopsych.com) or schedule an initial complimentary consultation.