Is A Deep Sense Of Sadness Or Hopelessness Overshadowing Your Life?
Do you struggle to get out of bed or motivate yourself to face the world because life itself feels too exhausting and overwhelming? Is it almost impossible to experience joy or pleasure without feeling like there’s some existential “other shoe” ready to drop and ruin everything?
Perhaps you’ve withdrawn from family and friends to spare them the heaviness that weighs you down. And though they want you to open up, you can’t conceive of your loved ones understanding—because not even you do—but you’re hoping depression therapy can help make sense of it all.
Depression Can Infiltrate Your Life In Many Ways
Emotionally, you may feel hollow, empty—as if there’s a giant hole in your chest no one else can see. You might be neglecting to eat because you’re never hungry, or you’re overeating to cope with the pain, so you’re gaining weight.
Most days, you probably have to drag yourself out of the house and to work where you get lost in your own head—unable to focus or think straight. And socially, you probably don’t have any desire to go out and engage with anyone, so you sit at home, growing lonelier and more disconnected.
Our depression therapists at A Helping Hand Counseling Services want you to know that you are not alone and change truly is possible. With our compassionate support and guidance, you can heal the core issue driving depression while developing more effective coping strategies and discovering unique ways of overcoming life’s challenges.
Depression Is An Extremely Prevalent Health Concern
Living with depression can be an isolating experience that makes you feel alone in the world, but there are millions of people out there just like you. In fact, in a 2017 survey, the National Institute of Mental Health found that 21 million US adults had experienced at least one major depressive episode. In another 2020 survey, an estimated 14.8 million people (6 percent of the US adult population) reported at least one major depressive episode resulting in severe impairment.*
What Causes Depression And Why Is Treatment So Important?
Oftentimes, depression can develop as the result of painful life experiences, such as losing a loved one, becoming homeless, or getting fired from a job. Childhood abuse and neglect, trauma, relational conflict, and even social media can be contributing factors. So depression involves a lot more than just brain chemistry and genetics. Because of this disorder’s complexity and far-reaching impact, treatment for depression is incredibly beneficial.
It gives you clarity and helps you see through the sadness and hopelessness to the possibility of actually feeling better. And though it may seem difficult, even frightening opening up to a counselor, once you discover the origins of your depression, you can begin taking concrete steps toward doing something about it.
Depression Therapy Is A Way To Reconnect With Life
Many people struggling with depression are afraid of opening up, even to those they love. However, depression counseling provides you with a supportive, nonjudgmental space to express yourself and sit with your feelings. It allows you to explore the underlying causes of your depression while developing healthier, more effective ways of coping with symptoms.
Therapy also gives you a chance to safely unpack and process difficult thoughts, emotions, or experiences. For instance, if sadness, anger, or grief come up in sessions, we can help you name those feelings, identify their origins, and work on resolving the pain points at the center of it all.
What Do We Talk About In Depression Treatment?
Because we want to make sure you feel comfortable, we’ll spend a little time getting to know each other and gently discussing your situation. We can talk about some of the things that are bothering you, when they became an issue, and what your goals are for depression therapy. We can also explore aspects of your past, including your early family life and any potential pain points involving family members.
Then, we’ll go back to the beginning—back to the moment when that original wounding occurred so you can process that experience, heal, and move on. If something else comes up while we’re addressing one pain point, we can shift gears and work on something else before returning to the original topic.
As we search for the catalyst for your depression, therapy can help you understand your symptoms and give you tools and guidance for coping in healthier ways. For instance, if you’re isolating, we’ll explore your social support system and how you can improve it while emphasizing why engaging with people who are close to you is so important.
So we’re not just working on the past; we also want to help you feel better now.
Some Of The Tools We Use In Depression Therapy
Our therapists at A Helping Hand Counseling Services understand that everyone responds to depression therapy differently, which is why we don’t stick to any one form of treatment. Rather, we draw from a range of eclectic and evidence-based tools to create a dynamic healing strategy for each person.
For instance, techniques from traditional talk psychotherapy for depression help clients verbalize experiences and pinpoint core issues driving symptoms. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT for depression, identifies and challenges negative thought patterns, beliefs, and behaviors. Sand Tray Therapy for depression enables people to communicate thoughts and feelings non-verbally.
Elements of Experiential Therapy help us read physical cues and their underlying emotions as clients share their stories. And homework, such as journaling, can help clients keep track of thoughts, feelings, and what they can do to support healthy brain habits and interrupt the negativity loop.
So if you’re searching for positive growth and a way to overcome depression, A Helping Hand Counseling Services wants to join you on that journey. With a little guidance, you can wake up eager to start the day. You can find better ways to manage symptoms and communicate within your support system. And you can reconnect with the world, those you love, and the Joy inherent in Life.
Perhaps You’re Considering Therapy For Depression, But You’re Still Not Sure…
I have never been to therapy before; what can I expect?
We’ll begin by getting to know you and your unique concerns, allowing you to grow more comfortable with the process. Rather than creating a strict treatment plan for depression counseling, we like to be more organic. That way, we can work on long-term healing at the same time as we are creating solutions to problems and tackling issues in the here and now.
How long does therapy usually take?
Each session is 45 minutes long, so the impact on your weekly life is minimal—and you don’t have to commit to a certain number of sessions. However, processing complex emotions can be tough, and people heal at different rates. So we want to make sure that we work at a pace that is right for you.
That means the amount of time you spend in depression treatment is based entirely on your needs, your situation, and how long you want to work together on meeting your goals.
No one else seems to understand what I am going through.
It’s not uncommon for family members or friends to lack an understanding of depression and its impact. However, community and support networks are a crucial part of the healing process, so it’s important that your loved ones’ be aware of what you are going through.
In depression counseling sessions, we’ll teach you how to communicate and work with family and friends so they can understand and better support you throughout the healing process.
Let Us Help You Reconnect With The Joy In Life
If you’re walking around with a hole in your chest, tired of depression holding you back, our therapists at A Helping Hand Counseling Services want to help. Please call (720) 830-7786 or Contact Us for your free, 15-minute consultation to see how our online or in-person depression therapy services can help you.
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression
