Counseling For Depression
Individual counseling for depression is one-on-one sessions with a qualified therapist — like an MD (psychiatrist/doctor), PsyD (psychologist), LCSW (licensed clinical social worker) or NP (nurse practitioner). It can take time to find the right therapist, so start by asking your doctor for recommendations or browsing your insurance company's online directory.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based treatment that focuses on changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. Research has shown that CBT is effective in treating a variety of mental health issues, including anxiety and depression.
CBT therapists work with you to identify unhealthy emotions, beliefs and behaviors through interactive question-and-answer sessions. Your therapist may also ask you to keep an activity journal or complete other tasks that are designed to help you recognize when negative patterns arise.
Your therapist will teach you practical self-help strategies that are designed to improve your quality of life immediately. For example, your therapist will help you use a technique called “exposure therapy” to slowly face situations that trigger anxiety in a controlled way.
During CBT, you’ll meet with your therapist for a set number of sessions, which typically range from five to 20 sessions. During these sessions, your therapist will help you learn to manage negative emotions and behaviors in new ways and develop skills that can be used for life.
Interpersonal Therapy
Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) is an empirically supported treatment that centers on identifying and resolving interpersonal difficulties that may be contributing to or maintaining depression. In this approach, a patient and therapist work together to prioritise areas of difficulty for focus within the context of the therapeutic relationship.
During the first phase of IPT, a therapist helps patients actively evaluate their significant relationships and assess the impact of these relationships on their mood. In addition, therapists help patients generate new interpersonal options and evaluate their relative feasibility.
In the middle phase of IPT, a therapist applies specific strategies that target one of four potential problem areas, which are complicated bereavement, role transition, role dispute or interpersonal deficits. This approach focuses on addressing current difficulties and emphasizes that depression is a medical illness, not the patient’s fault, thus helping to excise self-blame. It also teaches patients how to express their emotions and interact in healthier ways, such as validating anger as a normal human emotion and encouraging taking social risks.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Originally developed to treat borderline personality disorder, DBT has been shown to reduce suicide attempts and self-destructive behaviors. In one randomized clinical trial, DBT significantly outperformed treatment-as-usual in terms of time to recovery and cost.
DBT therapists provide clients with a “toolkit” of skills for emotional regulation and building a life worth living. Using skills like mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness, DBT helps patients better tolerate painful emotions while also balancing them with more moments of joy and purpose.
The therapists at High Focus Centers use the six main pillars of DBT—dialectical thinking, mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interoperability—to help you manage your depression symptoms. Contact a therapist today through BetterHelp or Talkspace to begin your journey to mental health recovery. We partner with top mental health companies to bring you free, professional therapy. Our therapists are licensed, experienced, and highly qualified. Choosing a therapist is easy. Take a free online assessment and be matched with a therapist who is the best fit for you.
Medication Management
For some people with depression, medication is a treatment option. It can help manage symptoms and give them more energy to focus on their recovery. It is important to find a mental health professional who has experience in treating depression and who also understands how medications work. This could be a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker or psychiatric nurse.
During your initial appointment, the therapist will review your medical history and family health because some physical problems can mimic depression’s symptoms (for example, thyroid disorders can cause fatigue and irritability). They may do a physical exam and order lab tests to rule out any physical causes of depression. They will then ask about your thoughts, feelings and behaviors and compare them to the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. During individual therapy sessions, your therapist can provide support and guidance as you learn to cope with depression through CBT, interpersonal therapy or dialectical behavior therapy.
Https://fcstherapylasvegas.com
Individual counseling for depression is one-on-one sessions with a qualified therapist — like an MD (psychiatrist/doctor), PsyD (psychologist), LCSW (licensed clinical social worker) or NP (nurse practitioner). It can take time to find the right therapist, so start by asking your doctor for recommendations or browsing your insurance company's online directory. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)…