Acceptance Path Counseling
Therapy for depression
When everything takes more effort than it should, you do not have to push through it alone.
Counseling for adults living with depression. The first step is a short form: tell us a little about what has been hard, and we do the matching.
You do not need to explain it well.
- Select insurance plans accepted
- Self-pay $100–$150 per session
- For adults in Houston-Willowbrook, The Woodlands, and Katy
- Online across Texas
In crisis or thinking about suicide? Call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, any time.
If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. Counseling here is not an emergency service.
Who you might work with
Licensed counselors, not a waiting list
You are matched with a counselor based on what you need and who is available. These are some of the team.
AJ Huynh
Director · LPC
Works with ACT, CBT and mindfulness-based approaches, with a focus on what matters to you rather than symptoms alone.
Brenda Resendez
Clinical Director · LPC
Blends ACT, CBT and motivational interviewing, adapting the approach to where you are rather than a fixed program.
Ricardo Alvarez
LPC
Draws on mindfulness, IFS and ACT, and offers EMDR at The Woodlands. A gentle, flexible approach that meets you where you are.
Cost and coverage
Know the cost before you begin.
For insured sessions, we verify your benefits and share an estimated out-of-pocket cost before the first session. That estimate is separate from the self-pay rates below.
Self-pay, per session
- Fully licensed clinician
- $150
- Associate clinician
- $100
Consultations with our team are free. Tell us if cost is a concern so we can discuss the options available to you.
Plans we currently work with
Coverage, cost, and availability depend on your plan, your eligibility at the time of service, and the clinician you see.
- Aetna
- Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Texas
- UnitedHealthcare
- Cigna
- Oscar
- Oxford
- Horizon BCBS
- BCBS of Massachusetts
- Original Medicare
- UHC Medicare Advantage
- Quest Behavioral Health
- Carelon Behavioral Health
Do not see your plan? Ask our team: consultations are free, and a limited number of sliding-scale openings may be available.
Daily life with depression
You are trying. Everything just costs more than it should.
The dishes, again, as a moral question. Cancelling on the one person you wanted to see because getting there had too many steps.
Not sad, exactly: flat, and irritable about being flat. Reading the same paragraph four times.
Being asked what is wrong and having nothing to point to.
Depression does not wait for a reason, and it does not need one to count. A counselor is not going to tell you to think positive; the work starts with the week you actually have.
What you might work on
- The first small thingOne action a day chosen because it used to matter, done before you feel like it, and sized so it can be done on the worst day.
- The verdictsThe conclusions depression reaches fast and presents as fact (about you, about whether it is worth it) held up to the light.
- The morningSleep, waking, the first hour: the part of the day depression owns most, and where the smallest change shows first.
- Coping that lastsSkills that stay with you for the next difficult stretch, not just this one.
You can try something between sessions, then talk about what fit and what got in the way.
Understanding depression
Depression does not look the same for everyone
It can be constant or come in episodes, tied to a season or to an event, or hidden behind a life that looks fine from the outside. Knowing which pattern fits can change what helps.
Major depressive disorder
Persistent sadness, loss of interest, and low energy that make everyday activities feel difficult.
Persistent depressive disorder
Also called dysthymia. A long-lasting form with ongoing low mood that can affect daily life for months or years.
Seasonal affective disorder
Depression linked to seasonal change, often bringing lower energy, changes in sleep, and shifts in mood.
Postpartum depression
Depression that can develop after childbirth, affecting emotional wellbeing, energy, and adjusting to new routines.
High-functioning depression
Outwardly everything may look fine, while inside you feel emotionally exhausted, disconnected, or overwhelmed.
Situational depression
Depression that follows a hard life event (a loss, a relationship change, major stress) making balance hard to regain.
What can contribute to depression
- Ongoing stress or burnout
- Grief, trauma, or difficult life experiences
- Family history or biological factors
- Social isolation or feeling disconnected
- Major life changes or overwhelming responsibilities
You do not have to be sad to be depressed: losing interest in things is enough on its own, and for many people it shows up as irritability, exhaustion or a mind that will not hold a page. Which pattern above fits, if any, is worked out in the first sessions, not before them.
How we work
Acceptance and commitment therapy, CBT, and behavioral activation
Which approach your therapist uses depends on what you bring and what you want to work on, and you can ask about it in the first session.
-
Acceptance and commitment therapy for depression
ACT starts with what you want your life to stand for, then works on steps toward it, including on the days when nothing feels worth the effort. It does not ask you to feel better first.
-
Cognitive behavioral therapy
CBT looks at the link between a situation, what you think about it, and what you do next, including the conclusions depression draws quickly and presents as fact.
-
Behavioral activation for depression
Rebuilding contact with the parts of your week that used to matter, in pieces small enough to actually start, rather than waiting for motivation to return on its own.
Some counselors also work with motivational interviewing or IFS, and two, Ricardo Alvarez and Maria Landa, offer EMDR at The Woodlands and Katy. See the full team by location for each counselor’s approach.
Getting started
A person to talk to. A place to begin.
Matching starts with what matters to you. You have a say in your goals and in whether the therapist feels like a fit.
-
Tell us what you need
Use the matching form to share what brings you here and whether you prefer an office or online sessions.
-
Explore your match
We suggest a counselor based on what you shared, who is available, and whether you want an office or online. You can ask about their approach before you decide.
-
Start with your day
In your first session, talk about what feels hard and what you would like to work on. You do not need a polished story.
Before your first session
If it helps, you might jot down:
- One recent day that felt heavier than the rest
- What you managed anyway
- What you wish had gone differently
These notes are optional. If getting ready feels like one more task, start with whatever you can share that day.
The Reset Guarantee
If the fit is wrong, tell us and we will match you with a different counselor. Your first session with them is free.
Near you, or online
Choose where you meet
Meet in person in Houston-Willowbrook, The Woodlands, or Katy, or choose telehealth anywhere in Texas.
Houston-Willowbrook
12807 Haynes Rd, Building C1Houston, TX 77066 Call Houston-Willowbrook (346) 534-6960 Depression counseling in Houston-Willowbrook
The Woodlands
2219 Sawdust Rd, Suite 1204The Woodlands, TX 77380 Call The Woodlands (281) 377-0525 Depression counseling in The Woodlands
Katy
21715 Kingsland Blvd, Suite 105Katy, TX 77450 Call Katy (346) 641-3199 Depression counseling in Katy
Online across Texas
Prefer to meet from home? Explore telehealth counseling in Texas.
Secure video sessions, with the same therapists you would see in an office.
A few questions
Before you start
Have a different question? Ask our team when you get matched, or choose an office to call.
I am not sad. I am just tired and nothing matters. Is that depression?
It can be: loss of interest counts as much as low mood, and in adults it often arrives as fatigue, irritability, or trouble concentrating rather than tears. You do not need to be sure it is depression to start; that is part of what the first sessions are for.
Do I need medication, or is therapy enough?
For mild to moderate depression, talk therapy is recommended as a first treatment on its own; for severe depression the guidelines recommend therapy and medication together. Our counselors do not prescribe, so if you are unsure which yours is, say so and we will tell you plainly and point you to a prescriber if needed.
What if I cannot make myself do the things you suggest?
Then the thing was too big, and it gets smaller: nobody is scolded for a week that did not happen. Behavioral activation, which is what this is, was tested head to head against full CBT and did as well, because the steps are sized to be done on a bad day.
I have had therapy before and it did not help. Why would this be different?
Maybe it will not, and if the problem turns out to be the fit, the Reset Guarantee makes your first session with a new counselor free. Two things worth saying in the first session: what that therapy was, and what you needed that you did not get.
What if I have thoughts about not wanting to be here?
Say so: it is one of the most common things people bring, and saying it does not end counseling or start anything you have not agreed to. If those thoughts are pressing right now, call or text 988 before anything else; if someone is in immediate danger, call 911.
Is it depression or burnout?
Burnout lifts when the load does, but depression follows you into the time off and takes the good things too. Many people have both, and the work is the same either way: what can be put down, and what can be rebuilt.
What if my therapist is not the right fit?
If the fit is wrong, tell us and we will match you with a different counselor. Your first session with them is free.
Can I meet with a counselor online?
Yes. Secure video sessions are available across Texas, with the same therapists you would see at one of our offices.
Your next step
You do not have to carry this alone.
You do not need the words for it yet. Tell us what has been hard and we will help you explore a therapist match.
In crisis? Call or text 988 any time.
Counseling here is not an emergency service.
We provide diagnosis, assessment and therapy. Our clinicians are licensed in Texas as professional counselors, clinical social workers or marriage and family therapists, and none of them prescribe medication; if you see a prescriber, counseling runs alongside that.
