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Depression - Therapy
- Topic Overview
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- Symptoms
- What Happens
- What Increases Your Risk?
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- Treatment Overview
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Counseling and psychotherapy are important parts of treatment for depression. You will work with a mental health professional such as a psychologist, licensed professional counselor, clinical social worker, or psychiatrist. Together, you will develop an action plan to treat your depression.
The first step is finding a therapist you trust and feel comfortable with. The therapist also should have experience treating people who have depression and should be trained in proven therapies. These therapies include:5
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which teaches you how to change the ways you think and behave. This can help you stop thinking bad thoughts about yourself and your life. You can take part in CBT with a therapist or in a group setting. Also see:
- Interpersonal therapy, which looks at your social and personal relationships and related problems.
Some therapists use acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). In ACT, you work with a therapist to learn to accept your negative feelings but not let them run your life. You learn to make choices and act based on your personal values, not negative feelings.
Mindfulness strategies are another type of therapy. They seek to focus your attention on what is happening at the moment without trying to change it. These strategies teach you to let go of past regrets and not worry about the future. They may help with depression in some people.
Learn about:
Other treatments you may have heard of include problem-solving therapy, which looks at your current problems and helps you solve them, and family therapy, which brings you and your family together to discuss your relationships and depression. Experts don't know how well these therapies work for depression.5
When you hear “counseling” or “therapy,” you may think of lying on a couch and talking about your childhood. But most of these treatments do not look for hidden memories. They deal with how you think about things and how you act each day.
One Woman's Story: "I walked into the therapist's office crying, mute. I felt as if no one heard me." —Debbie |
How long will you need counseling or therapy?
How long your treatment lasts depends on how severe your depression is and how well you respond to treatment. Short-term counseling or therapy usually lasts from 10 to 20 weeks, and you usually see your mental health professional once a week. But you may need to meet with your health professional more often or for a longer time.
| Author: | Debby Golonka, MPH | Last Updated: August 28, 2009 |
| Medical Review: | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine | |
© 1995-2009 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
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