Depression Is More Than Sadness
Depression is one of the most common reasons people seek therapy in New Jersey — and one of the most misunderstood. It often shows up not as visible sadness but as persistent numbness, disconnection from people you care about, motivation loss that makes everyday tasks feel insurmountable, difficulty concentrating, or fatigue that sleep does not fix. If something has felt off for a while and you cannot quite pinpoint it, that is not a sign it is not serious enough for therapy — it may be the clearest sign that it is.
Treating the Roots, Not Just the Symptoms
At Therapy Aligned, we approach depression as something worth understanding — not just managing. For many people, it has roots in early relational patterns, unprocessed grief, lives built around survival rather than fulfillment, or nervous systems that learned to shut down rather than stay engaged. Therapy explores what is driving the depression alongside ways to find relief.
Our Approach to Depression Therapy
Our clinicians use CBT and DBT for skill-building and behavioral activation — interrupting the thought patterns and withdrawal that keep depression entrenched. We draw from Internal Family Systems (IFS), psychodynamic therapy, and attachment-based approaches to explore the deeper architecture beneath the depression: relational history, unprocessed loss, and parts of you that learned it was safer to feel nothing than to feel too much. ACT and existential approaches help you build a life that feels meaningful and worth engaging with. The goal is not just to feel better — it is to understand yourself more clearly and to build something that holds.
Clinicians who work in this area
Chandni Patel
LCSW, LCADC
Accepting new clients
Jacob Ventricelli
LAC, NCC
Accepting new clientsPractices under clinical supervision
Dan Juengst
MSW, LSW
Waitlist for new clientsPractices under clinical supervision
Andrew H. Kim
LCSW, LCADC
Waitlist for new clientsTherapy Aligned is not a crisis service. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), or call 911 in an emergency.
In-Person and Virtual Therapy in New Jersey
Sessions are available to children, teens, adults, couples, and families in person in Metuchen and virtually throughout New Jersey. Virtual sessions use secure, HIPAA-compliant telehealth. Whether you are in North, Central, or South Jersey, you can connect virtually with our licensed clinicians from the comfort of your own space, with no commute or waiting room. We are in-network with Horizon BCBS, Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare/Optum, Oscar, and Medicare, with self-pay also available. If depression has been quietly reshaping your life — narrowing what feels possible, making each day heavier than it should be — you do not have to keep carrying it alone.
What the Research Shows
Depression is widespread, and it responds to care.
- • In 2021, an estimated 21.0 million U.S. adults — 8.3% of all adults — had at least one major depressive episode in the past year. (NIMH)
- • Among adolescents ages 12–17, an estimated 20.1% — about 5.0 million — had a major depressive episode that same year. (NIMH)
- • In psychotherapy research cited by the American Psychological Association, half of clients improved within eight sessions and 75% within six months. (APA)
“There is effective treatment for mild, moderate and severe depression.” — World Health Organization
