--- title: Depression Therapy | Somatic & EMDR | TX & WA | Heiser Counseling description: Somatic and EMDR-informed depression therapy for persistent low mood and high-functioning depression. Telehealth in Texas & Washington. Private pay. Free consult. url: https://heisercounseling.com/services/depression-low-mood canonical: https://heisercounseling.com/services/depression-low-mood author: Destany Schadder, LPC, R-DMT, MA credentials: Destany Schadder, LPC, R-DMT, MA location: Texas (telehealth) · Washington State (telehealth) practice: Heiser Counseling — 800 S. FM 1626, Suite 102, Buda, TX 78610 contact: destany@heisercounseling.com | 512-937-3991 --- # Depression Therapy | Somatic & EMDR | TX & WA | Heiser Counseling > Depression lies. It tells you nothing will help, nothing matters, and you're too far gone. That's the illness talking — not the truth. **Provider:** Destany Schadder, LPC, R-DMT, MA **Location:** Texas (telehealth) · Washington State (telehealth) **Contact:** [destany@heisercounseling.com](mailto:destany@heisercounseling.com) | [512-937-3991](tel:5129373991) **Book:** [Request a free consult](https://heisercounseling.com/connect) --- ## Depression that lives below the surface Some depression announces itself. Other times it's quieter — a slow erosion of colour from life, a growing flatness, the gradual disappearance of the person you used to be. High-functioning depression is particularly common in people who are still meeting their obligations — still working, still parenting, still showing up — while quietly barely holding on inside. It often goes unaddressed for years because the sufferer doesn't feel 'bad enough' to seek help. Depression responds well to somatic therapy, which works with the body's withdrawal and shutdown patterns, and to EMDR, which can reach the experiences and beliefs underlying the depression. > "The fact that you're looking for help is the most important thing you can do right now." — Destany Schadder, LPC, R-DMT, MA --- ## Signs & Symptoms of Depression & Low Mood - Persistent low mood or emptiness - Loss of interest in things you used to love - Fatigue that sleep doesn't fix - Isolation and withdrawal - Difficulty making decisions - The sense that you're just going through the motions **A note on medication:** Destany is a therapist, not a psychiatrist — she cannot prescribe medication. If medication may be helpful, she'll support you in accessing that alongside therapy. Many clients do both. --- ## Therapeutic Approaches for Depression & Low Mood ### Somatic Activation Work with the body's withdrawal and shutdown patterns — gently creating more aliveness from the inside out. ### EMDR Identify and reprocess the experiences and beliefs underlying the depression. ### Meaning & Values Reconnect with what matters to you — beneath the depression's insistence that nothing does. --- ## What to Expect from Depression & Low Mood Therapy **01 — Free Consult** A low-pressure first conversation about what you're experiencing and what support might help. **02 — Assessment** Understanding how depression is showing up for you specifically — its patterns, its roots, its physical signature. **03 — Building Capacity** Before going deep, we build the inner resources needed to do the deeper work. **04 — Sustained Work** Depression often lifts gradually. The work is cumulative — session by session, your capacity for life expands. --- ## Session Details - **Session length:** 50 minutes - **Format:** Telehealth (video) - **States served:** Washington & Texas - **Fee:** Private pay — superbill provided - **Frequency:** Weekly recommended --- ## Common Questions About Depression & Low Mood Therapy ### What if I've tried therapy before and it didn't help? Approach matters. If previous therapy was primarily cognitive or talk-based, a somatic and EMDR approach may reach things that didn't shift before. ### I don't know if what I'm experiencing is depression. Should I still come? Yes. You don't need a diagnosis. If you're struggling and not sure why, that's exactly what we explore together. ### What is high-functioning depression? High-functioning depression describes people who are still meeting their obligations — working, parenting, showing up — while quietly struggling inside. Because their lives 'look fine' from the outside, they often don't seek help or feel their suffering isn't 'bad enough' to warrant it. It is. The fact that you're still functioning doesn't mean you're okay. ### How is somatic therapy different for depression than standard CBT? CBT works primarily with thinking patterns — identifying negative thoughts and replacing them. Somatic therapy works with how depression shows up in the body: the withdrawal, the heaviness, the shutdown. Many people find that CBT helps them understand their depression intellectually but doesn't change how it feels. Somatic approaches reach the places that thinking can't. --- ## About the Therapist **Destany Schadder, LPC, R-DMT, MA** is a Licensed Professional Counselor (Texas) and Licensed Mental Health Counselor (Washington State), and a Registered Dance/Movement Therapist. She specializes in trauma, anxiety, somatic therapy, and EMDR, bringing a body-first approach to mental health treatment. Heiser Counseling is based in Austin, TX and offers telehealth services across Texas and Washington State. - [Learn more about Destany](https://heisercounseling.com/about) - [View all services](https://heisercounseling.com/services) - [Request an appointment](https://heisercounseling.com/connect)