Online therapy for winter blues and seasonal depression in Maine

When winter is more than weather

Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that comes and goes with the seasons, most often starting in late fall. Many more people have a milder version, the winter blues. Both are real, and both respond to treatment.

Light therapy can help some people with seasonal depression. Talk with your doctor before starting it, especially if you have eye problems or bipolar disorder. Therapy works alongside it, and on its own.

You might be looking for help with

• sleeping much more than usual, or still feeling tired
• low mood that arrives with the shorter days
• pulling back from friends and plans
• craving carbohydrates, or weight changes
• trouble concentrating at work
• dreading winter before it starts

This is individual psychotherapy with a licensed clinician. It isn’t coaching. Couples and family sessions are a different format that insurance may treat differently, so ask before you book if you’re interested in a joint session.

If you need help now: If you’re thinking about suicide or harming yourself, call or text 988 now, or call 911.

What we might work on

• Tracking how the season affects your mood and energy
• A winter routine: light, movement, sleep and something to look forward to
• Planning contact with people so isolation doesn’t creep in
• Catching and answering the harsh inner voice
• Working with your doctor if light therapy or medication might help
• A plan for next fall, before it starts

How sessions work

Sessions combine a standard clinical assessment with the Care Map Method™, the framework I use to look at your sleep and health, your feelings, your relationships and your daily demands, then build one practical change at a time. More about therapy in Maine.

Get the light in early

On weekdays this winter, try to get outside within an hour or two of waking, even for ten minutes and even when it’s gray. Morning light helps set your body clock. Pair it with something you already do, like walking the dog or the trip to the car, so it actually happens.

Sessions, licenses and insurance

Sessions are online by video for adults who are physically located in Maine, or another state where I’m licensed, during each session. I’m licensed in Maine (LCSW #LC26593), and also in California, New Jersey, Oregon and Iowa.

Through Alma, I’m in network with Aetna, Cigna, Carelon, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, and Optum plans including UnitedHealthcare, Oscar and Oxford. Coverage depends on your specific plan, not only the insurance company’s name. Alma checks it before your first session, including any copay or deductible, and handles the billing. How using insurance works.

Check Insurance and Availability on Alma →

Questions people ask

Is seasonal depression the same as regular depression?

It’s a form of depression with a seasonal pattern. If symptoms are getting in the way of work or relationships for weeks at a time, it’s worth an assessment, whatever the season.

Should I buy a light box?

Talk with your doctor first. Light therapy can help, but it isn’t right for everyone, and the type and timing matter.

Does it only happen in winter?

Most seasonal depression starts in fall or winter. A smaller number of people have a summer pattern.

When should I start therapy?

Any time. Starting in early fall gives you a plan before the darkest months, but it’s never too late in the season.

Do you take my insurance?

I see clients through Alma, and through Alma I’m in network with Aetna, Cigna, Carelon, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, and Optum plans including UnitedHealthcare, Oscar and Oxford. Coverage still depends on your specific plan. Alma checks it before your first appointment, including any copay or deductible. Please share plan and health details through Alma’s secure intake, not by text or email.

Do I need to be in Maine for sessions?

Yes, or in another state where I’m licensed. Sessions are online by video, and you need to be physically in Maine, California, New Jersey, Oregon or Iowa during each one. If you’ll be traveling, tell me ahead of time so we can plan around it.

Sources and resources

• National Institute of Mental Health: Seasonal Affective Disorder
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

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