​Michael (anonymized) didn’t look like someone who was struggling. On the outside, he had a solid job, a nice home in the suburbs, and a friendly manner that made him easy to talk to. But when he sat down in my office, the truth came out:

“I don’t feel anything anymore,” he said. “I laugh at work and smile with my wife, but inside, it’s like I’m disappearing.”

This is depression, and it’s more common than most people realize.

As a counselor in Houston, I see men like Michael every week. They come in not because life is falling apart, but because it feels flat, heavy, or meaningless. They’re functioning on the surface, but they’re exhausted underneath. They’ve searched for “depression counselors near me” hoping to find answers, and they’re often surprised by how much counseling can help.

What Depression Really Looks Like
Depression doesn’t always show up as constant crying or dramatic sadness. In fact, for many men, it looks like:

• Numbness or emotional disconnection
• Irritability or anger over small things
• Fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest
• Avoidance of hobbies or social time
• Trouble concentrating or making decisions
• Thoughts like, “What’s the point?” or “I’m a burden”

In Houston, we have a fast-paced lifestyle and a “keep moving” mentality that makes it easy to ignore these symptoms, but untreated depression doesn’t just go away. It can affect relationships, work performance, physical health, and even your sense of identity.

That’s where counseling comes in.  It is not to label or judge, but to help you understand what’s happening, and how to climb out of it.

Michael’s Turning Point
Michael admitted he almost canceled his first session. He didn’t think talking would help. “What’s a counselor going to tell me that I don’t already know?” he asked. The truth was, he’d never really talked about his feelings before, at least not in a way that felt safe and structured.

During our sessions, we uncovered years of perfectionism, internalized pressure to “be the strong one,” and unresolved grief from losing his father five years earlier. These weren’t just emotional footnotes. They were anchors pulling him down.

With weekly counseling, Michael began to recognize the patterns in his thinking and behaviors. He learned how to challenge negative thoughts, set boundaries with his time and energy, and reconnect with small daily joys. Within three months, his mood had improved. Within six, he felt like himself again.

It wasn’t magic. It was workable change backed by evidence-based therapy and a supportive environment.

The Power of Counseling for Depression
Counseling offers more than just a space to vent. For depression, it can provide:

• Clarity: Understanding what’s fueling your symptoms and where to start.
• Validation: Realizing you’re not weak, broken, or alone.
• Skills: Learning how to regulate thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
• Hope: Seeing progress—even if it’s gradual—toward feeling better.

In my Houston practice, I often use approaches like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and solution-focused techniques to help patients see both the roots of their depression and the tools for change.

And yes counseling works. Numerous studies show that therapy is as effective as medication for mild to moderate depression, and often even more powerful when combined with it.

What to Expect from Counseling
The first step is a conversation. We’ll talk about what you’re experiencing, what’s worked or not worked before, and what your goals are. There’s no pressure to have all the answers or even to describe your feelings perfectly—just show up.

We move at your pace. Some people come weekly. Others need biweekly or monthly support. Some want to dive into the deeper roots of their depression, while others are focused on immediate relief. Counseling is customized to you.

And unlike advice from friends or tips from the internet, a professional counselor gives you focused, objective, and clinically grounded guidance.

As a Houston counselor, I’ve worked with clients from all walks of life: engineers, artists, healthcare workers, stay-at-home dads, and retirees. Depression doesn’t discriminate, and neither does healing.

You're Not Alone Even If It Feels That Way. One of the cruelest tricks of depression is the lie that no one would understand. If you’re reading this and thinking, Maybe I need help, then trust that instinct. It takes courage to ask for support, but it also takes strength to carry what you’ve been carrying alone.  Whether you’re in central Houston, the suburbs, or nearby neighborhoods, accessible care is available, and it can change your life.

The First Step Starts Here
Michael’s story isn’t rare, and it doesn’t have to be yours forever. Depression is treatable. Counseling is a powerful step. And life-real, meaningful, energized life—is still possible.

If you’ve been searching for “depression counselors near me” and landed here, this might be your moment.  We’re here in Houston, ready to listen, support, and guide you forward—without judgment and with a clear plan for progress.

Request your appointment online today.

​She stood in my office—calm, composed, successful. A full-time professional, mother of three, and community volunteer. On the outside, she had it all together. But her voice trembled when she said, “I feel like I’m failing, and no one sees it.”

As a psychiatrist serving women in Houston, I hear this story more often than you might think. May is Women’s Mental Health Month, and it’s not just a time to raise awareness. It’s a time to give women permission to put themselves on their own priority list.

This article is for you. The women doing everything for everyone else but rarely pausing to ask: How am I, really?

The Invisible Weight Women Carry
Women are twice as likely as men to experience anxiety and depression. They’re more vulnerable to eating disorders, postpartum depression, and trauma-related conditions. Yet, so many minimize their symptoms telling themselves they should be grateful, that it’s “just stress,” or that they’ll feel better when life slows down.

In reality, many women are carrying emotional loads that go unspoken:

• Trying to meet impossible standards of parenting or appearance.
• Managing households, careers, and caregiving roles simultaneously.
• Navigating relationship stress while ignoring their own needs.
• Battling hormonal shifts that influence mood, energy, and sleep.

In Houston, we serve a diverse population of women—entrepreneurs, teachers, engineers, healthcare workers, mothers, and the common thread is this: most of them have been taught to endure before they’ve been taught to heal.

A Patient’s Story: Resilience and RecoveryLet me tell you about Alejandra (anonymized), a 36-year-old teacher in Houston. She came to my office after years of battling what she described as “high-functioning anxiety.” No one saw her panic attacks, her sleepless nights, or her obsessive over-preparing. She simply “powered through.”

But Alejandra hit a wall after her second child was born. The anxiety escalated, and depression followed. She cried at stoplights. She lost interest in things she used to love. She said, “I’m scared to tell anyone because they’ll think I’m weak.”

What Alejandra needed wasn’t judgment—it was a treatment plan. We created one together, and within weeks, she began to feel lighter, more in control, more her. Therapy, support, and sometimes medication can be life-changing tools, not signs of failure, but proof of courage.

Mental Health Is Physical Health

It’s not “just in your head.” Mental health is intimately connected to your physical well-being.

• Chronic stress can trigger headaches, gastrointestinal issues, and high blood pressure.
• Depression and anxiety can disrupt sleep, eating habits, and immune function.
• Hormonal fluctuations—during menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause—can amplify emotional distress.

​In our Houston clinic, we take a whole-person approach. That means understanding not only what you're feeling, but how your lifestyle, hormones, history, and environment are contributing to it.

This is not a one-size-fits-all process. What works for one woman may not work for another. That's why we personalize care and build strategies that match your values, goals, and biology.

Direct, Strategic, Results-Driven
Let’s be clear. This is not just about venting. It’s about results.

As a psychiatrist, I believe in direct communication, strategic problem-solving, and taking action. You don’t have time to waste. If your mental health is affecting your relationships, work, or self-worth, you need a plan, and a partner in that plan.

In Houston, our clinic delivers results-focused mental health care tailored specifically to women. That means:

• Structured assessments to get clarity on your symptoms.
• Evidence-based treatments, including therapy and medication when appropriate.
• Lifestyle interventions to improve energy, sleep, and stress regulation.
• Accountability and check-ins to make sure you’re actually improving—not just “getting by.”

You can’t solve what you won’t face. But once you face it, we’ll build a strategy to move forward efficiently, confidently, and with purpose.

Let This Month Be Your Turning Point
May is Women’s Mental Health Month. That’s not just a box on the calendar—it’s an invitation to check in with yourself.

• Are you constantly overwhelmed?
• Are you emotionally exhausted?
• Are you functioning on the outside but silently struggling inside?

You’re not alone. You’re not weak. And you don't need to be stuck.

As Your Houston Psychiatrist, I encourage every woman reading this to stop normalizing burnout and start prioritizing well-being. Your mental health deserves the same attention as your physical health, your career, and your family.

There is strength in asking for help. There is clarity in getting a diagnosis. There is hope in creating a plan. And there is power in taking the first step.

In our Houston practice, we’ve helped hundreds of women just like you regain their sense of control, peace, and confidence. You don’t have to suffer in silence, and you don’t have to figure this out alone.

Let this May be the month you reclaim your mental health.

Request your appointment online today.

​It has been found that there is a strong correlation between the power of positivity and its effect on exercise. The way you think during your exercise can impact the workout and your overall health. Positivity can boost your self-awareness and assessment of your progress during exercise. Through positivity, one may be able to achieve one's fitness goals, and increase one's overall happiness. Positivity during exercise can also improve self-esteem for individuals struggling with body image and confidence. There are many techniques one can implement into their exercise routine to improve positivity and exercise outcomes.

A way to bring positivity to your exercise is to take a moment of mindfulness before beginning the workout. During this moment, try to tune out the negative comparisons or harsh thoughts you commonly have while exercising. Bring your attention to your fitness goals and your motivation for achieving these goals. Instead of comparing your exercise routine or body image to those around you, focus on using positive self-talk to improve your fitness accomplishments. Establishing on-going positive self-talk can be done through making encouraging, positive statements towards yourself throughout the exercise routine. For example, if you are lifting a heavier weight than usual; say to yourself "I am strong and powerful". Consistent positive self-talk can convince your body and mind that you can complete a difficult workout, increase your endurance or even lift heavier weights. Staying positive can be difficult, yet through using self-talk you are able to encourage yourself while staying motivated.  

Another way to bring positivity to your exercise is through challenging your negative thoughts experienced during the workout. When experiencing negative thoughts, ask yourself why you are feeling this way. By self-reflecting on these thoughts and identifying the root cause of them you are giving yourself an opportunity to change them into positive thoughts. Negative thoughts can be changed into positive thoughts through using positive self-talk and taking a moment of mindfulness. By changing negative thoughts into positive thoughts while exercising, you are able to turn around the exercise to benefit your overall health and mood.

Visualization strategies can also be helpful.  Hone your thoughts and eyesight directly on the weights and visualize your success.  Focus your breathing in tune with exerting force.  See the success before it happens.  While this may be a more advanced skill, it can be quite helpful.

If you are consistently struggling with positivity, gaining the support of a mental health therapist can be helpful. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can help individuals shift their thoughts from negative to positive while focusing on developing coping mechanisms to decrease stress. A therapist can also help you get to the root cause of the negative thoughts, while providing support and guidance to heal. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has benefits of increasing self-esteem and developing rational thought patterns to improve positivity. Shifting your thoughts and using positivity while exercising can improve fitness outcomes as well as mood and overall happiness.