Photo of Joe Leonard, Marriage & Family Therapist in 53201, WI
Joe Leonard
Marriage & Family Therapist, MS, LMFT, CFNC, CIMHP
Verified Verified
Milwaukee, WI 53201
My ideal client is someone coping with mental health challenges, such as anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and/or substance abuse. I specialize in Behavioral Activation - an evidenced based intervention for treating mood disorders and moving clients toward their goals. I also enjoy working with couples and families to help them communicate better and resolve interpersonal conflicts in a healthy way. I have been passionate about systemic couple and family therapy since becoming a therapist in 2019. I'm a certified Prepare-Enrich marital/premarital counselor and trained in the Gottman Method of couples therapy, with good outcomes.
My ideal client is someone coping with mental health challenges, such as anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and/or substance abuse. I specialize in Behavioral Activation - an evidenced based intervention for treating mood disorders and moving clients toward their goals. I also enjoy working with couples and families to help them communicate better and resolve interpersonal conflicts in a healthy way. I have been passionate about systemic couple and family therapy since becoming a therapist in 2019. I'm a certified Prepare-Enrich marital/premarital counselor and trained in the Gottman Method of couples therapy, with good outcomes.
(608) 336-3974 View (608) 336-3974
Photo of Joleena Abrams in 53201, WI
Joleena Abrams
CCTSA, MA, CLC, CMEMI
Verified Verified
Milwaukee, WI 53201  (Online Only)
Joleena is Certified in the Treament of Sexual Addiction, is a Certified Betrayal Trauma Coach, a Certified Clinical Trauma and Addiction Specialist, with a Masters of Psychology in Grief Counseling, and a Bachelors of Science in Psychology. Joleena specializes in helping couples working through betrayal and addiction of all kinds. She also works with clients that are struggling with anxiety, addictive behaviors, depression, PTSD, emotional abuse, mental abuse and trauma of various kinds. Her passion is to provide a safe space for her clients and to walk hand-in-hand with them, guiding them through the healing process.
Joleena is Certified in the Treament of Sexual Addiction, is a Certified Betrayal Trauma Coach, a Certified Clinical Trauma and Addiction Specialist, with a Masters of Psychology in Grief Counseling, and a Bachelors of Science in Psychology. Joleena specializes in helping couples working through betrayal and addiction of all kinds. She also works with clients that are struggling with anxiety, addictive behaviors, depression, PTSD, emotional abuse, mental abuse and trauma of various kinds. Her passion is to provide a safe space for her clients and to walk hand-in-hand with them, guiding them through the healing process.
(414) 441-5732 View (414) 441-5732
Photo of Stacy L Killinger, Psychologist in 53201, WI
Stacy L Killinger
Psychologist, PhD
Verified Verified
Milwaukee, WI 53201
I have been working in various capacities with clients for over 25 years. People often come to see me for concerns about depression, anxiety, relationships, career concerns, stress, identity or grief. I work with adults ages 18-60. In addition to mood disorders, anxiety, anger, and issues of adjustment, I often work with individuals who have experienced trauma or those who may have difficulty verbalizing their experiences.
I have been working in various capacities with clients for over 25 years. People often come to see me for concerns about depression, anxiety, relationships, career concerns, stress, identity or grief. I work with adults ages 18-60. In addition to mood disorders, anxiety, anger, and issues of adjustment, I often work with individuals who have experienced trauma or those who may have difficulty verbalizing their experiences.
(608) 602-8617 View (608) 602-8617
Photo of Bernadette Mullins Miller, LLC, Clinical Social Work/Therapist in 53201, WI
Bernadette Mullins Miller, LLC
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, MSSW
Verified Verified
Milwaukee, WI 53201
My intentions are simple. I work to create the type of therapeutic relationship that clients will need to do the exploring, processing and growing that psychotherapy allows. I've always considered it a great privilege to be allowed into client's lives, and are consistently in awe of one's ability to grow and heal.
My intentions are simple. I work to create the type of therapeutic relationship that clients will need to do the exploring, processing and growing that psychotherapy allows. I've always considered it a great privilege to be allowed into client's lives, and are consistently in awe of one's ability to grow and heal.
(414) 600-1374 View (414) 600-1374

See more therapy options for 53201

Depression Therapists

What is the goal of therapy for depression?

Therapy for depression has several major goals. One is to relieve the mental pain of depression, which distorts feeling and thinking so that sufferers cannot see beyond their current state of mind or envision feeling better. Another is to give people the mental tools to recognize and correct the kinds of distorted thinking that turn a problem into a catastrophe and lead to despair. Therapy also teaches people how to process negative emotions in constructive ways, so they have more control over their own emotional reactivity. And it helps people regain the ability to see themselves positively, the motivation to do things, and the capacity for pleasure.

What happens in therapy for depression?

Perhaps most important, no matter the type of therapy, patients form an alliance with the therapist; that connection is therapeutic in itself, plus it becomes an instrument of change. Patients learn to identify and to challenge their own erroneous beliefs and thoughts that amplify the effects of negative experiences. They learn to identify situations in which they are especially vulnerable. And they learn new patterns of thinking and behaving. They may be given “homework” assignments in which they practice their developing skills. In addition, good therapists regularly monitor patients to assess whether and how much the condition is improving.

What therapy types help with depression?

Several types of short-term therapy have been found effective, each targeting one or more areas of dysfunction. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps clients challenge their negative thoughts and beliefs, learn new behavioral strategies, and curb reactivity to distressing situations. Behavioral activation (BA) is a form of therapy often used in conjunction with CBT; it focuses on engagement in rewarding activity as a pathway to changing negative feelings and disturbed mood. Another widely used approach is interpersonal therapy (IPT), which targets the social difficulties that both give rise to and get exacerbated by depression. Therapists may combine approaches as needed.

Can therapy for depression be done online?

Studies have found that online therapy can be highly effective for treating depression, although it may be more challenging to build a good therapist-patient alliance on screen than in person—at least at first. However, online therapy can offer considerable advantages. Accessibility and convenience are tops among them. Some people actually find it easier to talk about problems online than in person. While online therapy typically limits visibility of facial expression and body gestures that give important nonverbal cues to a patient’s state of mind, it can give therapists a glimpse into a patient’s world and life, providing information that can be highly useful in guiding therapy.

How effective is therapy for depression?

Many studies show that therapy is highly effective provided that patients complete the prescribed course of therapy, commonly 16 to 20 sessions. Over the long term, it is more effective than medication and the effects are more enduring. As a result, psychotherapy has the power not just to relieve current suffering but to prevent future episodes of the disorder. Therapy reverses the dysfunction in neural circuitry that disposes individuals to a negative view of themselves, the world, and their future and they acquire coping techniques, problem-solving skills, and understanding of their own vulnerabilities that are useful over the course of a lifetime.