Depression doesn't always look like sadness. Sometimes it looks like going through the motions. Getting through the day. Doing what needs to be done and feeling almost nothing in return. A heaviness you can't explain, a flatness that's hard to describe to people who haven't felt it, a version of yourself you keep waiting to come back.
You might not even be sure if what you're experiencing counts as depression. You're still functioning — sort of. You get up, you show up. But there's a hollowness to it that you can't shake.
At Be Your Best Self & Thrive Counseling, we offer depression therapy in Sarasota, FL that meets you where you are — not with a program to push through, but with a real, unhurried space to understand what's happening and slowly find your way back to yourself.
Signs and Symptoms of Depression
You might benefit from depression therapy in Sarasota if...
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Depression looks different for everyone. Here's how it might be showing up for you:
In your mind and mood:
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Persistent sadness, emptiness, or a numbness that's hard to explain
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Loss of interest in things that used to matter — hobbies, relationships, work
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A harsh inner critic, or a pervasive sense that you're not enough
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Hopelessness — a sense that things won't get better or that the effort isn't worth it
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Difficulty concentrating, making decisions, or thinking clearly
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Irritability, low frustration tolerance, or a short fuse that surprises you
In your body:
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Fatigue that doesn't improve with rest — getting out of bed feels like a feat
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Heaviness in your chest, limbs, or whole body
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Changes in sleep — too much, not enough, or waking and not being able to return
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Appetite changes — eating more or less than usual
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Physical aches, headaches, or tension without a clear cause
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Feeling like you're moving through life behind glass — disconnected from your own experience
In your life and relationships:
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Withdrawing from people, even ones you care about
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Letting things pile up — emails, calls, tasks — and not having the energy to start
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Feeling like a burden, or like others would be fine without you
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Going through the motions at work or at home without feeling present
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Losing track of who you are outside of your responsibilities
Depression Isn't a Character Flaw — It's Your Nervous System Gone Quiet
There's a narrative around depression that it means something is fundamentally wrong with you — that you're weak, or broken, or that you should just try harder. None of that is true.
Depression is often what happens when your nervous system has been under pressure for too long and has shifted into shutdown. Not a dramatic collapse — a quiet withdrawal. The system going offline to protect you. Energy conserved, emotions muted, engagement reduced. It's an adaptive response that made sense at some point. And now it's gotten stuck.
That means depression isn't something to be forced out of. It's something to be worked with — gently, at the pace your nervous system can actually tolerate. The goal is to help your system find safety again, so that aliveness can come back on its own terms.
Holly works with depression through a body-informed lens. Because depression lives in the body — in the heaviness, the fatigue, the flatness — and talk alone often can't reach it.
Meet Your Depression Therapist in Sarasota, FL
Holly Case, M.A., RMHCI, NCC
Supervised by Jamie Molnar, LMHC
Holly works with adults navigating depression, anxiety, burnout, chronic illness, trauma, and life transitions at our Sarasota office. Her approach is warm, unhurried, and grounded in a genuine belief that the people she works with aren't broken — they're exhausted, and they deserve a space to actually rest and heal.
Holly's own path through therapy, chronic illness, and body-based healing informs the way she works with depression. She doesn't treat it as a diagnosis to manage. She treats it as a signal worth listening to. She sees clients in person in Sarasota and online throughout Florida.
How Holly Works with Depression in Sarasota
Holly's approach is integrative, paced, and grounded in an understanding of how the nervous system moves in and out of depression.
Somatic therapy — Depression often shows up as physical heaviness, disconnection, or a sense of being frozen. Somatic work helps you begin to notice and move that — through gentle breath practices, grounding exercises, and body-based awareness that can start to thaw what's been shut down.
IFS-informed parts work — Depression is often a part that learned to protect you through withdrawal — keeping you small and safe when the world felt like too much. IFS therapy helps you get curious about that part with compassion rather than frustration, which is what actually allows it to begin to shift.
Nervous system regulation — Holly teaches practical tools for gently activating the system — breathwork, movement, grounding — that can help you move out of shutdown states over time. These are practiced in session so you can use them in daily life.
CBT and DBT tools — Where helpful, Holly draws on cognitive and behavioral approaches to help you recognize thought patterns, build behavioral activation, and develop concrete skills for managing the low-motivation cycles that depression creates.
Trauma-informed care — Depression and trauma frequently overlap, as do depression and burnout. If your depression is rooted in prolonged stress, chronic illness, or unprocessed pain, Holly's approach addresses the root rather than just the surface.
What to Expect in Depression Therapy with Holly
First session.
No pressure, just connection. Holly's first priority is making sure you feel safe enough to actually be in the room. You'll share what's been going on, what's brought you in, and what you're hoping for. There's no rush.
Early sessions — understanding your depression.
Everyone's depression has its own shape. Together you'll start to understand yours — when it lifts, when it deepens, what it feels like in your body, what's underneath it. This isn't just assessment; it's the beginning of things shifting.
The work — building capacity slowly.
Sessions may include somatic exercises, parts work, skill-building, or just honest conversation — whatever is most useful that week. Holly doesn't push faster than your system can handle. Real change with depression is usually slow and nonlinear, and that's expected.
Over time — more aliveness.
Most clients describe gradual moments of returning — small things starting to matter again, energy coming back in patches, a version of themselves they recognize starting to show up. The goal isn't perpetual happiness. It's enough internal safety that you can actually feel your life.
Sessions are 50 minutes, typically weekly. Holly sees clients in person in Sarasota and online throughout Florida. Sessions are $120.
Frequently Asked Questions About Depression Therapy in Sarasota
What does depression therapy with Holly look like?
Sessions are collaborative, paced, and body-informed. Holly doesn't follow a rigid protocol — she starts by understanding your depression: what it looks and feels like for you, when it's worse, what's underneath it. From there, the work blends somatic tools, parts work, practical skills, and honest conversation.
How is somatic therapy helpful for depression?
Depression lives in the body — in the heaviness, fatigue, and disconnection many people feel. Talk therapy works with thoughts, but somatic therapy also works with the physical experience of depression. This often reaches places that conversation alone doesn't.
I'm still functioning — is my depression "bad enough" for therapy?
Yes. You don't need to be in crisis to deserve support. If something feels off — if the flatness, the exhaustion, or the disconnection is affecting your quality of life — that's enough.
Can depression therapy help if I also have chronic illness or burnout?
Absolutely. Holly specializes in exactly this overlap. Depression, chronic illness, and burnout are often deeply intertwined, and her approach addresses all of them together.
Do I need to come in person?
No. Holly sees clients in person at 46 N. Washington Blvd., Suite 8 in Sarasota and via telehealth throughout Florida.
How much does depression therapy cost in Sarasota?
Sessions are $120 for 50 minutes. BYBS & Thrive is an out-of-pocket practice. We provide superbills for potential out-of-network reimbursement, and HSA/FSA cards are accepted.
Ready to Work with a Depression Therapist in Sarasota, FL?
If you've been waiting to feel better on your own, it's okay to stop waiting. Depression is treatable — and you don't have to navigate it alone.
Holly is currently accepting new clients at our Sarasota counseling office and via telehealth throughout Florida.
