As with all of these symptom profiles, there are many causes and varieties of depression. Sometimes this includes painful and/or unpredictable moods that reflect the chronic stress caused by particular situations; other times depression has persisted for years, reflecting early difficulties, including traumatic experiences that inhibited expression of appropriate anger, assertiveness or any number of healthy emotions.

The core of anxiety is worry that diminishes everyday functioning in a general way. Feelings of anxiety or dread can also be more acute, linked to specific stressful situations, and lead to experiences of overwhelm or even panic. Often anxiety is the result of blocked feelings, the expression of which is too uncomfortable for the personality style or self-image that a person has developed, or that are linked to memories that cause shame.

Traumas include specific life experiences or dangerous events, including abuse, that caused a disruption in our nervous system, ranging from dissociative events to loss of memory. On the other hand, traumas can result from relationship dynamics or other intense stressors that unfolded over much longer stretches of time. Different traumas produce different patterns of symptoms, overlapping with depression and anxiety, as well as flashbacks and nightmares.

Low self-esteem is often treated as a dimension or result of depression, anxiety or another condition, but sometimes it is so central to suffering that it should be treated as a problem in its own right. It often takes the form of perfectionism, negative self-talk or unrelenting, inflexible standards that link back to childhood experiences of neglect, and is treated indirectly by renegotiating your definitions of success and failure and improving your relationship with yourself.

People of all ages can struggle with symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which typically range across three domains: attention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. ADHD generally makes it hard for people to organize activities, to complete tasks or just to sit still, but sometimes the difficulties are more subtle. Many of these problems improve dramatically when psychotherapy is supported with the right medication(s).

Beyond addressing a range of symptoms therapy can also be helpful when younger people are discovering who they are or when people of all ages are experiencing challenges or pursuing transitions in their identity, body or sense of self. Dimensions of self/identity include race, gender and sexual orientation, but can also include relationship status, starting a family, aging or dealing with an illness, as well as academic and professional goals.