Mike Keaveny, Psy.D.
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Therapy for Depression
Mike Keaveny Psy.D.
Depression can feel like being trapped in a hole you can’t climb out of. You want to do things, but you can’t find the motivation. Life feels heavy, meaningless, and stuck. Maybe you sleep too much or can’t sleep at all. Maybe you feel guilty, ashamed, or numb. Some days, just getting through the basics feels impossible.
Depression takes many forms: low energy, loss of interest, emptiness, confusion, hopelessness, even self-injury. Sometimes it’s tied to childhood experiences, trauma, or loss. Other times it’s stress from work, relationships, or feeling directionless. Whatever the cause, the experience is painful—and it can leave you feeling like nothing will change.
But you deserve better. Even if you’ve been depressed for years, or can’t remember what it feels like to live without it, healing is possible. You don’t have to stay stuck.
An ACT Approach to Healing
My approach is grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which focuses on creating flexibility with thoughts and feelings while taking steps toward a meaningful life. In depression treatment, we’ll use ACT’s six processes in ways that directly apply to what you’re going through:
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Values – Depression makes it hard to connect with what matters. We’ll identify your values and use them as a compass for change, even when motivation is low.
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Acceptance – Fighting feelings of sadness, emptiness, or shame often makes them stronger. We’ll work on making room for these emotions without letting them dictate your life.
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Present Moment Awareness – Depression pulls you into the past or future. Mindfulness helps bring you back into the moment, where you can notice small sources of connection and meaning.
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Cognitive Defusion (Thought Distancing) – Thoughts like “I’m worthless” or “nothing matters” can feel absolute. We’ll practice noticing these thoughts as mental events, not truths, so they lose their control.
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Self-as-Context (Identity) – Depression can make you feel like you are your thoughts or feelings. We’ll build your ability to see yourself as bigger than those experiences—someone who has depression, not someone who is depression.
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Committed Action – The antidote to paralysis is movement. We’ll start small—taking manageable steps toward activity, connection, and purpose—and build momentum over time.
What to Expect in Session
Therapy with me is a balance of exploration and action. We’ll spend time making sense of what’s weighing you down and exploring the thoughts and emotions behind it. You’ll have space to process deeply—whether it’s meaning, identity, or the heaviness of daily life—while I help you stay grounded and not get lost in those spirals.
At the same time, depression often requires behavioral activation: taking small, intentional steps toward activity and engagement. Sometimes this means scheduling basic routines, other times trying new activities that reconnect you to life. My role is to walk with you through this process, helping you build momentum and keeping you accountable so progress doesn’t slip away.
Sessions are warm and collaborative. I may bring in humor when it helps lighten the weight of the work, but I always take your pain seriously. We’ll look at patterns of avoidance, explore big questions (even philosophical ones about meaning and purpose), and find ways to keep moving forward.
Building a Life Worth Living
Depression can convince you that nothing will ever change—but that’s part of the trap. Therapy offers a way to break free: to slowly rebuild energy, rediscover meaning, and reconnect with the people and activities that matter to you.
You don’t have to climb out of the hole alone. With the right support, you can step back into life, regain a sense of direction, and create a future that feels lighter, freer, and more authentically your own.