Depression is often seen only as sadness or lack of motivation. From a constructivist perspective, which I use in my work, it’s more than that—it’s a signal that the personal “maps” you’ve been using to make sense of life no longer fit.
Some sadness and withdrawal are normal. After loss or change, low mood can be a protective pause, giving you space to reflect and reorient. But when heaviness lingers and life feels flat, depression may stop serving you and instead limit your possibilities.
The good news: depression can also be a messenger. It points to places where growth is needed. In therapy, I help people listen to what their depression is saying and create new, more life-giving ways of understanding themselves and the world.
Depression doesn’t have to define you. With new perspectives, even small steps can begin to shift life from numbness toward aliveness.
