Therapy for Depression in Oakland, CA and Online
In the fog of depression, therapy can help you find your way back.
Making sense of yourself, your choices, and your path forward.
Drifting, Numb, or Lost in the Fog
You’re getting through the day, but something feels off.
Maybe you wouldn’t call it depression, but the joy isn’t there. You feel unmotivated, disconnected, or just… stuck. Life feels like something you’re moving through rather than truly experiencing.
Or maybe the heaviness runs deeper—a fog that makes everything feel distant, an exhaustion that rest doesn’t fix. Even when things seem fine on the outside, something inside feels missing.
Therapy isn’t about forcing yourself to feel better. It’s about making sense of what this pain is trying to tell you—so that, in time, you can find your way back to yourself.
A Path Toward Feeling Like Yourself Again
Imagine moving through life with more ease, less self-doubt, and a sense of connection that feels real. Therapy can be a place where you don’t have to hold everything alone—a space to be met in your experience, to feel understood, and to explore what’s beneath the surface with curiosity and care.
In therapy, we explore:
- Where the numbness comes from and why emotions feel inescapable
- How past experiences and unconscious patterns may still be shaping you
- What depression might be signaling—not just how to manage it, but how to listen to it
You don’t have to force yourself to feel better. Together, we’ll approach these deeper layers at a pace that feels right—so that, over time, you can reconnect with yourself in a way that feels real, lasting, and possible.
Therapy is a Space to Understand, Uncover, and Reconnect
Hi, I’m Dr. Elizabeth Stuart—you can call me Elizabeth. I’m a psychoanalyst and psychiatrist, based in Oakland, offering insightful, depth-oriented therapy for those struggling with depression, emptiness, and emotional disconnection.
I help people who feel:
- Lost in the heaviness of depression, unsure how to move forward.
- Stuck in patterns of shame, guilt, or self-criticism.
- Uncertainty about whether medication is right for them
If this resonates, therapy can offer a space to explore what’s beneath your depression and find your way back to yourself.
Finding Yourself Through the Fog
Depression can make it feel like you’ve lost touch with who you are. The version of you that once felt alive, motivated, or connected seems distant—like something you can’t quite reach.
You might notice:
- A sense that you’re disconnected from the person you used to be.
- An endless cycle of self-blame—wondering why you can’t just “snap out of it.”
- A fear that this emptiness will never change.
Therapy isn’t about forcing yourself forward. It’s about making space for the parts of you that feel lost—so that, in time, you can find your way back.
Breaking Free from Shame, Self-Doubt, and the Inner Critic
Depression often carries an invisible weight: the harsh, relentless voice that tells you this is your fault. Maybe you feel like you’re failing at something, but you’re not even sure what. Maybe you carry guilt that isn’t entirely yours to bear.
This might show up as:
- Perfectionism—believing you have to be more, do more, just to feel okay.
- Fear of being a burden—keeping your pain to yourself, even when you need support.
- A deep sense of unworthiness—feeling like nothing you do is ever enough.
- A critical inner voice that makes it hard to offer yourself kindness.
These patterns don’t mean you’re broken. They often come from old messages, unmet needs, or survival strategies that no longer serve you.
Therapy offers a place to understand where these beliefs come from—not to erase them, but to loosen their hold, so you can move through life with more ease.
Is Medication the Right Choice for You?
Medication can be an important tool in managing depression, but it’s not a decision to rush. If you’re wondering whether medication might be right for you—or whether the one you’re taking is the best fit—we can take the time to explore this carefully.
In therapy, we consider medication within the broader context of your emotional world, rather than seeing it as a quick fix. If we work together in therapy, this is part of our process. If you’re seeing another therapist and want a consultation.
How Can I Support You?
In our work together, we’ll create a space where all of your emotions—no matter how overwhelming or distant—are met with care and understanding. You don’t have to force yourself to be “better” or push past what feels unbearable. Instead, we’ll gently explore what’s been buried beneath the surface, making room for the parts of you that have felt lost or unheard.
Over time, as you feel more understood—both by me and by yourself—what once felt impossible may begin to shift. The heaviness can loosen, the numbness can soften, and new ways of feeling and engaging with life can begin to emerge.
If you’re ready to take the next step, I’d love to talk. Let’s explore whether this approach feels right for you.
You Don’t Have to Stay Stuck in This
Depression can make you feel isolated, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. If you’d like to explore what’s beneath your depression, I’d love to hear from you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Depression isn’t just about low mood—it’s often rooted in deeper emotional patterns, past wounds, and unconscious conflicts. Therapy helps you recognize and understand these patterns, rather than just managing symptoms. A psychoanalytic approach explores how past experiences shape your depression, allowing for lasting transformation rather than temporary relief.
Emotional numbness or disconnection often develops as a protective response—something in you may have learned that it was safer not to feel. Therapy offers a way to gently reconnect with what’s been buried, at a pace that feels right for you.
Guilt and shame are often tied to deep-seated fears of not being enough—whether shaped by past relationships, cultural messages, or internalized expectations. Therapy can help you untangle these feelings, so they don’t have to define your sense of self.
Short-term therapy can provide coping skills to manage symptoms, but deeper therapy helps uncover the root causes of depression—understanding how past wounds, unmet needs, and unconscious beliefs shape your emotional world. A psychoanalytic approach allows for profound and lasting change.
Healing is not linear, and everyone’s process is different. Some people begin to feel shifts in a few months, while others engage in longer-term therapy to deeply understand and transform lifelong patterns. The goal isn’t just symptom relief, but a more connected, meaningful way of living.
Medication can help some people, but it’s not the only path. In therapy, we take the time to explore whether medication feels right for you rather than rushing the decision. If you’re already on medication and wondering if it’s the right fit, we can explore that, too. Read more about my approach to medication here.
