Psychotherapy: Treatment for Depression

Psychotherapy is conducted by a mental health professional with special training (frequently referred to as a "psychotherapist" or "therapist"). A trained psychotherapist can help you decrease your depressive symptoms and relieve stress related to issues such as:

• Problems at work
• Low self-esteem
• Grief over a loss or major life change
• Problems in relationships (couple and family conflicts)
• Severe stress
• Thoughts of suicide or harming others (if you are experiencing this symptom, seek immediate help)
   

While there are many psychotherapeutic approaches to treating depression, one type of therapy that has been shown to be particularly effective is cognitive-behavioral therapy, which helps individuals manage their depressive thoughts and feelings more effectively.

Some of the signs of depression are:

• Feeling very sad or "blue" for two weeks or more
• Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
• Loss of pleasure in doing things you used to enjoy
• Feeling tired all the time
• Loss of appetite or increase in appetite
• Losing weight or gaining weight
• Difficulty falling asleep, waking up often during the night, wanting to sleep more than usual
• Feeling irritable, guilty, hopeless, or worrying a lot
• Thoughts about death or suicide (if you are experiencing this symptom, seek immediate help)

Typically, psychotherapy treatment for people who are depressed is a 45- to 60-minute appointment held weekly or every other week for approximately eight to 20 weeks. Therapy sessions could include just you and the therapist or could include family members as well. Your therapist will help you:

• Set goals for therapy
• Learn problem-solving skills
• Try new behaviors
• Develop new ways of thinking about problems
   

Your therapist will help you think through your options, rather than simply telling you what to do. Most therapists will actively involve you in the therapeutic process. For example, therapists often suggest "homework assignments," which are agreed-upon tasks that you do on your own between therapy sessions. These assignments are designed to help you reduce your symptoms by improving your situation or emotional responses to a situation.

• Keep all of your appointments with the therapist.
• Be honest, open, and ask any questions you may have.
• Complete tasks assigned to you by the therapist.
• If your therapist recommends an evaluation by a psychiatrist or your primary care doctor for antidepressant medication, be sure to schedule one so that you can make a well-informed decision about taking medication.
• Keep your therapist, primary care doctor, and psychiatrist (if you have one) informed of how the therapy is working and whether the depression is getting better or worse.
• Be an active participant in your therapy.
• Use the time to learn more about yourself and to adopt new skills you can use to improve your daily life and relationships.