DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DEPRESSED?
Are you not sleeping well?
Procrastinating?
Not succeeding at work or school?
Do you feel like a failure?
Are you overwhelmed, lonely, anxious?
SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE …
It is possible to begin to know and like yourself again, develop a path and a plan to stabilize, and feel increasingly connected and alive.
People with depression usually benefit from support and education so that they do not feel so alone and frustrated. With proper support, the depression can be better managed and people can succeed at school and work as well as improve relationships.
But what if….
I’ve been to therapy and it doesn’t help?
Many people report that they gain insight but don’t feel less depressed when they participate in traditional psychotherapy.
The work I do is different from traditional psychotherapy. My work is focused on:
- Lifestyle
- Working on negative thought patterns that accompany depression
- And helping clients to expand and infuse their lives with what is meaningful to them
I am worried that it will cost too much.
Most of my clients report significant changes in their day to day functioning that make them less financially dependent on others. Most consider it an investment for a lifetime of feeling better able to handle their mood changes and living the life they want.
I don’t have much energy. I am overwhelmed. I am afraid this will just be more to add to my to-do list.
That’s certainly a wise and legitimate concern. Gently working step by step is the focus. I agree that further overwhelm is not helpful.
Much of the work is based on learning the terrain of depression and skills to bring greater ease to the journey. In session we might work on routine and rhythm of the week. Or we might identify negative thought patterns that are getting in the way of life.
I am embarrassed that I need this kind of help. It seems like I should be able to do all of this on my own.
It seems like it but it is often not so. Folks suffering from depression are affected on so many levels. Truly their brains are not working optimally. You might feel irritable, overwhelmed, forgetful, unmotivated, exhausted. In this state it is very hard to organize oneself and to manage the negative thoughts that are the hallmark of depression.
Good, knowledgeable help can be transformative. Connecting with another human being and cutting the isolation is usually a huge first step. The concern about embarrassment is most often replaced with a profound sense of relief at being seen and understood.
CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT SOMEONE YOU’VE WORKED WITH?
(Any identifying details have been changed. Please note: If you choose to work with me, nothing you share will ever be used by me without your express permission, and never in a way that would compromise your confidentiality.)
At 23, Arthur wasn’t making it. He couldn’t get to sleep until 2 or 3am. He couldn’t get up in the morning. He dreaded work and school. He either could not concentrate or would get overly focused on an activity, like video games, as an escape. His mind was constantly churning with negative thoughts and self criticism. Arthur procrastinated in almost every aspect of his life. He felt like a mess and didn’t see how to change that. Worst of all, he felt like no one understood how much he was struggling.
Arthur, at his family’s request, went to see a psychiatrist who diagnosed him as being depressed. He was started on medication to stabilize his mood and we began our work together to stabilize his life.
We reestablished rhythm in his schedule, starting with being asleep at night and awake during the day. We unraveled the negative thoughts and distortions in Arthur’s thinking. He became more self-aware and was able to catch these thoughts and see them as a symptom of his depression rather than a true reflection of reality. We broke tasks into steps that didn’t feel so scary so that Arthur was able to grocery shop, pay his bills, and prepare meals at home.
Video games became less compelling as Arthur felt better. Arthur began to appreciate how hard he had worked for a very long time simply to survive.
Today Arthur is in college, and is enjoying school for the first time in his life. He has a job, lives with a friend, plays music, and works out at the gym. He has moved from being entirely financially dependent on his family to being about 80% self sufficient. He is discovering that he can have a good and meaningful life on his own terms. Relationships have deepened. Arthur has learned skills that will last a lifetime, perhaps most importantly self awareness that helps him recognize and manage mood changes.
WHO IS KATHY NAMAN?
I have more than 25 years experience working with people with depression, traumatic brain injury, bipolar disorders, pain and physical disability issues and numerous aspects of life transitions. For me, the following quote captures the beauty of joining clients in working with the stuff of everyday life. 
“I am done with great things and big plans, great institutions and big successes. I am for those tiny invisible loving human forces that work from individual to individual, creeping through the crannies of the world like so many rootlets, or like the capillary oozing of water, yet which, if given time will rend the hardest monuments of human pride.”
William James
WANT TO LEARN MORE ?
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Kathleen Naman, MA, LPC
1503 Yarmouth Ave 
Boulder CO 80304
303.473.4447
Information on this website is for educational purposes only. It should not substitute for a comprehensive evaluation by a licensed mental health professional.