Zoom Conversation on Depression taking place on Tuesday

A Zoom conversation on depression will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. The First Presbyterian Union Church in Owego offers this zoom program to church members and the Owego community for free. The Zoom Meeting ID is: 884 9910 6722, Passcode: FPUC. 

What are the signs and symptoms of depression? How do these differ from common human feelings of sadness and overwhelm? What is the relationship between grief and depression? When should an individual seek professional help for depressive feelings?  

Statistics show that one in five Americans will experience a major depressive episode in their lifetime. These statistics have increased in the post-COVID era by a massive 25%, according to the World Health Organization. Yvonne Lucia, MHC-LP, a counselor at Samaritan Counseling Center in Endwell, will offer insight into the prevalence of depression, how to identify the need for intervention, and current evidence-based treatment modalities.  

Yvonne began her professional life as a Registered Nurse, working in the areas of adult medicine and hospice care.  Her experiences in nursing led her to study theology in a quest to grapple with questions related to human suffering. She received a Master of Divinity in 1987 from Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School.  

While raising four children, she worked as an adult educator for the Catholic diocese of Syracuse, and also pursued certifications in Expressive Arts facilitation, Spiritual Direction, and Grief Counseling. Most recently Yvonne has completed a Master degree in Spiritually Integrated Mental Health Counseling from Fordham University. 

She is on the staff of Samaritan Counseling Center of the Southern Tier, www.samaritancounseling.org.