Top 5 Ways a Therapist Can Help You Overcome Depression

Throughout our lives, the word “Depression” may have echoed to our ears a thousand times, isn’t it? Every second person talks about how they are going through a phase or have gone through a phase where everything seems dull and sad, and how they have lost interest in things that they once enjoyed, these are common symptoms of depression.

Depression is indeed a serious mental disorder that affects millions of people around the world. According to the World Health Organisation, close to 5% total adult population suffers from depression and it can happen to anyone at any age.

Fortunately, it is also one of the highly treatable mental disorders with almost 80-90 percent of people recovering from the condition. Among other treatments, therapy is one of the most effective ones, and there are many qualified therapists for depression.

So, with that in mind, let’s explore the ways a therapist can help you overcome depression.

5 Types of Therapy for Depression

 

Therapists who treat depression use many therapeutic techniques to help the patient overcome depression and some of the most effective and known therapies are as mentioned below.

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Our negative thinking habit contributes to the development of depression; CBT is a form of psychotherapy wherein a therapist for depression helps individuals by teaching them to identify negative and harmful thought patterns and change these thoughts into positive ones.

Unlike other psychotherapies, CBT is not aimed at uncovering the root cause of the person’s problem, instead, it is focused on how our thinking affects our emotions and behavior. By changing the way one thinks can help in managing emotions, thus altering the behavior towards a specific situation.

2. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

DBT is a sub-category of CBT that combines the elements of CBT and mindfulness. However, unlike CBT, DBT mainly focuses on helping you accept and acknowledge your negative habits and thoughts and at the same time teaching you how to change your behavior that is contributing to your depression.

3. Behavioral Activation (BA)

Have you ever noticed that when you do a certain activity it influences your mood, isn’t it? For example, playing games may make you excited, or listening to sad/ cheerful songs may make you unhappy or happy.

Though, behavioral activation is identical to the aforementioned therapies and focuses on your thinking and behavior; at the same time it also involves increased engagement in certain activities that give you a sense of pleasure, achievement, and social connection.  It is also one of the best therapies to uplift your mood, thus gradually pulling you out of the state of depression.

4. Interpersonal Therapy

If a person experiences depression due to family problems, loss of loved ones, or issues with relationships, then interpersonal therapy might be the answer.

Interpersonal therapy focuses on how relationships with others influence one’s behavior and sentiments and helps them understand how these relationships may be contributing to depression. Additionally,  the therapy also prepares the patient with skills to address and resolve relationship issues.

5. Psychodynamic Therapy

Psychodynamic therapy is one of the most popular forms of therapy, thanks to its depictions and influence in many popular movies such as Ordinary People, Good Will Hunting, and Equus; where the patient and psychiatrist talk about the past and try to find a link to the patient’s current situation.

In real life, too, psychodynamic therapy focuses on establishing a connection with the past to identify the root causes of the current state of depression. It is a type of talk therapy designed to help people understand how they got into depression.

How Therapists for Depression Help You?

Therapists treating depression play an important role in guiding you back to your life, offering various ways of support and assistance to deal with depression through scientifically proven methods. Here are a few crucial responsibilities a therapist plays in your journey.

Kick-Off Evaluation

The foremost thing a therapist does is conduct an initial evaluation to understand your current situation, your background, and other goals. A detailed understanding of these factors helps a therapist assess your mental health condition and your emotional state and accordingly plan a therapy that works for you.

Treatment Plan

Once the initial information has been gathered, a therapist work closely with you to design a set of goals for your personal and emotional growth. Depending on your condition, these goals could be long-term or short-term.

Establishing a Therapeutic Relationship

Establishing and maintaining a healthy therapeutic relationship with clients is one of the most important obligations of therapists. This creates a supportive and comfortable environment for clients to express their concerns thus building trust and rapport.

Help You Learn More About Yourself

When you are in a session with a therapist you are not just narrating your story, you are also learning a few new things about yourself. Whether it’s personal, social, or family matters, a therapist helps you understand and address these concerns.

Assess Progress

A therapist constantly assesses your progress toward the set goal which includes your emotional, behavioral, and thought processes.

Better Health

As you progress through the therapy sessions, your mental and emotional condition improves which allows you to concentrate on your health in a much better way, thus improving your physical fitness.

Improve Coping Skills

One of the primary roles of therapists treating individuals with depression is to educate them on effective coping strategies and teach them how to develop a positive thought pattern.

Bottomline

Depression is a disturbed state of mind and if ignored it can make life difficult not just for the individual but for the whole family. However, by consulting the right therapist for depression, you are not just conquering depression but also enhancing all aspects of your life which include mental, physical, emotional, personal, social, and overall well-being.