Depression Medication Management in Boulder
Holistic, trauma- and attachment-informed support from a Boulder licensed medical provider
Depression is not simply sadness or a lack of motivation — it is a nervous-system state that affects mood, energy, sleep, cognition, and the ability to feel connected, hopeful, or alive. For many people, depressive symptoms are shaped not only by biology but also by trauma history, attachment experiences, and significant losses or life transitions such as divorce, bereavement, illness, relocation, identity shifts, or changes in role, purpose, or relationship.
While therapy supports emotional processing, meaning-making, and relational repair, medication can play an important role in stabilizing the nervous system so healing work becomes more accessible and sustainable.
Our Boulder-based clinic offers depression medication management for individuals seeking a collaborative, compassionate approach that treats depression as a whole-person experience rather than a personal failure.
What’s Happening Chemically and Relationally in Depression?
Depression involves disruptions in systems responsible for emotional regulation, energy, and stress response.
Key systems include:
Serotonin: mood stability, emotional regulation, resilience
Norepinephrine: energy, motivation, and focus
Dopamine: pleasure, reward, and drive
Stress-response systems: sensitivity to loss, threat, or overwhelm
When attachment trauma, chronic misattunement, or major losses and life changes are present, the nervous system may adapt by dampening emotional intensity, withdrawing from connection, or conserving energy. Events such as the loss of a loved one, the end of a relationship, health challenges, career transitions, or identity shifts can overwhelm the nervous system’s capacity to metabolize grief and change — particularly when adequate relational support is unavailable.
What appears as “depression” can reflect a nervous system protecting itself after too much loss, disruption, or unmet emotional demand.
This can lead to:
Persistent sadness or grief
Emotional numbing or flatness
Fatigue or low motivation
Sleep or appetite disruptions
Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
Loss of interest or pleasure
Feelings of shame, worthlessness, or guilt
Withdrawal from relationships or activities
Hopelessness or despair
Medication works by supporting regulation in these systems so the nervous system can regain flexibility, responsiveness, and capacity for connection.
How Medication Helps Depression
Medication does not replace therapy or bypass emotional work. Instead, it helps create enough stability for healing to occur. It can:
Reduce the severity and persistence of depressive symptoms
Improve energy and mental clarity
Normalize sleep and appetite
Reduce emotional overwhelm or shutdown
Increase capacity for engagement and connection
Support nervous-system resilience
Make therapy more effective and tolerable in order to develop emotional processing skills and address underlying trauma, loss, grief, attachment issues, or other disturbances contributing to depressive symptoms.
How We Decide If Medication Is Right for You
We use a collaborative decision-making process that considers:
Severity and duration of depressive symptoms
Impact on daily functioning and relationships
Trauma history and attachment patterns
Recent or cumulative losses, grief, or major life transitions
Nervous-system responses to stress or change
Co-occurring anxiety, ADHD, OCD, or bipolar features
Sleep, appetite, and energy changes
Sensitivity to medications or past experiences
Your goals, concerns, and preferences
Medication decisions are never rushed and are revisited regularly.
Our collaborative, compassionate, professional provider
Laura Cannon
PMHNP-BC, LPC, MSN, MA — Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
I bring a grounded, heart-centered presence to my work as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. With roots in both nursing and somatic counseling psychology, I take a collaborative, compassionate, and evidence-based approach to mental health care and medication management.
I support clients as they navigate the complexity of human experience with integrative and complementary recommendations, which may include nutrition, supplementation, and lifestyle modification, as well as psychiatric medication management. My goal is to empower clients with the tools, knowledge, and support needed to cultivate resilience and well-being from the inside out.
Depression Medication Options
SSRIs
(Sertraline, Escitalopram, Fluoxetine, Citalopram)
Support mood stability and emotional regulation.
Pros: often first-line and well-tolerated.
Considerations: gradual onset; side effects monitored closely.
SNRIs
(Duloxetine, Venlafaxine, Desvenlafaxine)
Support both mood and energy regulation.
Pros: helpful when depression includes fatigue or pain.
Considerations: require slow tapering if discontinued.
Other Antidepressants
Bupropion: supports energy, motivation, and focus
Mirtazapine: supports sleep and appetite; calming for sensitive systems
Trazodone: often used for sleep in combination approaches
Medication selection is guided by symptom pattern, trauma and loss history, nervous-system sensitivity, and lifestyle considerations.
What Depression Improvement Feels Like
Improvement often begins subtly:
Feeling more like yourself again
Less emotional heaviness or numbness
Clearer thinking and improved focus
More consistent energy
Improved sleep patterns
Reduced reactivity to stress
Increased motivation and interest in daily life
Greater capacity for connection, pleasure, and grief processing
These early shifts often allow therapy to deepen and become more effective.
Common Misconceptions About Depression Medication
“Medication will change my personality.”
Medication supports your baseline — it does not erase who you are.
“I’ll have to take it forever.”
Many people use medication temporarily. We reassess regularly with the goal of supporting long-term healing.
“Antidepressants are addictive.”
They are not addictive, though some require supervised tapering.
“Needing medication means I’m weak.”
Medication supports the biological side of depression, the same way glasses support eyesight.
What You Can Do Alongside Medication for Depression
Depression-focused psychotherapy
Trauma-informed or attachment-based therapy
Grief support and meaning-making work
Identifying emotions and learning how to express those emotions in healthy ways
Somatic emotional processing
Mindful movement or breathwork
Sleep guidance and circadian rhythm support
Nutrition support
Journaling or expressive practices
Social connection and co-regulation
Time in nature and restorative rest
Medication works best as part of an integrated, whole-person approach.
Why People Choose Evolve In Nature
Trauma- and attachment-informed prescriber
Slow, conservative dosing for sensitive nervous systems
Compassionate, unrushed care
Collaboration with your therapist
Personalized treatment plans
Respect for pacing, autonomy, and lived experience
Schedule Your Depression Medication Consultation
If depression, grief, or life changes have been affecting your energy, relationships, or sense of hope, we’re here to offer clarity, compassion, and personalized support.
Schedule a consultation today and explore a balanced, trauma-informed approach to feeling better.