It comes back at the same time each year
Symptoms start in late fall or early winter and lift in spring, year after year. Many people can name the month it usually begins.
Seasonal depression · Maine
When the sun sets around 4 p.m. and winter runs from November into April, a seasonal slump can turn into something heavier. TEAM-CBT by secure video — from Portland to Aroostook County, with no icy drive to an appointment.
No credit card · 15 minutes · Talk directly with Rose
Rose Markotic, LMFT — licensed in Maine. Sessions by video while you are physically in ME.
Most Mainers feel the dark months. Seasonal depression — clinically, depression with a seasonal pattern, often called seasonal affective disorder (SAD) — is when that dip becomes a real depressive episode that returns around the same time most years.
Symptoms start in late fall or early winter and lift in spring, year after year. Many people can name the month it usually begins.
Winter seasonal depression often looks like hibernation: oversleeping, heavy limbs, and low energy that rest doesn’t fix.
Craving carbohydrates and comfort food, and gaining weight over the winter, are common features of the winter pattern.
Canceling plans, skipping the things you usually enjoy, and staying in — not just because of the weather, but because nothing feels worth the effort.
Feeling down, hopeless, or worthless for most of the day, nearly every day, for weeks — often with thoughts like “I should be able to handle this.”
Work and daily tasks take far more effort. Things you normally manage easily start piling up.
If several of these sound familiar and they’re affecting your work, relationships, or daily life, it’s worth talking to a professional. If you ever have thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 right away.
Seasonal depression responds well to treatment. Light therapy and medication help many people, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective option on its own or alongside them.
Research led by Kelly Rohan at the University of Vermont found that a version of CBT tailored to seasonal depression (CBT-SAD) worked about as well as light therapy in the first winter — and was associated with fewer recurrences in later winters. The skills stay with you.
Depression shrinks your world, and Maine winters make that easy. We schedule specific, doable activities — morning daylight, movement, people — and track how they affect your mood.
Thoughts like “winter ruins everything” or “I’m useless until spring” deepen the slump. TEAM-CBT helps you catch and test them, with your mood measured every session so we can see what is actually working.
Rose doesn’t prescribe, but is glad to coordinate with your primary care provider or psychiatric prescriber if you’re considering a light box or medication. Talk with a medical provider before starting light therapy, especially if you have bipolar disorder or an eye condition.
All sessions are by secure video, so snowstorms and long drives don’t get in the way.
1
A short call to talk through what winters have been like for you and decide together whether this is a good fit.
2
An in-depth look at your seasonal pattern — when it starts, how it shows up, what has helped before — and a plan for the months ahead.
3
From home anywhere in Maine. Many clients start in early fall to get ahead of the season, then taper sessions as spring arrives.
Ideally in late summer or early fall, before symptoms usually begin — prevention is easier than climbing out mid-winter. But it is never too late in the season to start; therapy can help at any point.
Seasonal depression is more common at northern latitudes, where winter days are shortest. Maine’s long, dark winters — with December sunsets around 4 p.m. in Portland and earlier daylight loss farther north — make it a common concern for Mainers.
Yes — you need to be physically in Maine (or another state where Rose is licensed: California, Connecticut, Rhode Island, or Vermont) at the time of each session.
Yes. Many people combine them. Talk with your medical provider about whether a light box is right for you and how to use it; Rose can help you build the routine and track how it affects your mood.
If symptoms last beyond the season or show up year-round, it may be depression without a seasonal pattern, which is also very treatable. We measure mood every session, so changes like this become clear quickly.
Better Thoughts is out-of-network. Many Maine PPO plans, including those from Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Harvard Pilgrim, Aetna, and Cigna, offer out-of-network mental-health benefits. We provide superbills on request so you can submit for reimbursement. Sessions are $260, and the consult is free.
All sessions are telehealth. If you live, work, or study in any of these states, we can work together.
Seasonal depression rarely shows up in isolation. These are the patterns that most often run alongside it — and that we may end up working on together.
A 15-minute video call with Rose. We'll talk about what's bringing you in and see if I'm the right fit. No pressure to book sessions afterward.
No credit card · 15 minutes · Talk directly with Rose