Depression Counseling
in Phoenix, AZ

In depression counseling, our counselors help the individual identify the triggers for their depression and help them begin to see the steps they can take to find healing and hope. Together, we seek to determine the source of the depression and then create a personalized treatment plan for each individual.

For example, if the source of the depression is due to a medical condition, we coordinate care with a medical provider, or if the source of the depression is due to a history of trauma or distressing life events, we process through these events to decrease feelings of shame and self-doubt.

In society, depression is often viewed as a state of mind in which a person makes choices to see themselves or their world in a negative way. And while we do have some degree of ability to choose an optimistic mindset, depression is not simply a choice.

It is not something that a person can “snap out of” or learn to “shrug off.” Due to chemical changes or hard environmental changes or environments in which we grew up, depression becomes a dark cyclical trap.

While depressed, people often view themselves and their “problems” as burdens to others. They may even been convinced that suicide would be the only way to provide relief to their families. Hopelessness can feel overwhelming and all consuming, leaving little room for tasks and responsibilities that were once viewed as simple.

Depression can start in our family. Negative family dynamics that were abusive, neglectful or unsupportive can create shame and self doubt in the individual. If we don’t grow up knowing what we need and what we are worthy of, we may never ask or advocate for things that would make us happy or keep us from being depressed.

Depression can start in our thoughts. Self-critical views, hopeless outlooks on life, and fear can create a cycle of negative thoughts that can make us feel depressed. In therapy, we may look at how our thoughts influence our experiences and how our experiences influence our thoughts. From a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approach, we can learn to identify these negative cycles of thinking and re-frame to a more healthy and accurate view.

Depression can start in our emotions. Many bright, thoughtful, and insightful people can know how they are “supposed” to think, and yet they still feel sad, disappointed, and upset. Through an emotion focused therapy approach we can best understand how to changes our emotions even when they defy all rational thought.

Depression can start in our relationships. So often our mood is influenced by the quality of our intimate relationships. When our marriages, relationships, and friendships are on the rocks, it becomes increasingly more difficult to view ourselves, our future, and our world in a positive light. When appropriate, our therapists can do both individual counseling and couples therapy to help treat symptoms of depression.

Depression can develop for many different sources. Some depression can present from chemical changes that occur after a pregnancy (see: postpartum depression) or due to a neurological condition such as Parkinson’s disease. Other forms of depression can start from a history of trauma or negative relationships.

While others can begin from a negative view of the self and hopelessness for the future. While there are many different etiologies for depression, our counselors create individualized treatment plans for each person they are seeing.

Depression usually includes at least 5 of the following symptoms:

• Depressed mood most of the day and nearly every day
• Decreased interest in previously enjoyed activities
• Changes in appetite or weight
• Physically feeling agitated, slowed down, difficulty “getting going”
• Intense feelings of worthlessness and inappropriate guilt
• Decreased ability to think or concentrate
• Recurrent thoughts of suicide or death
• Insomnia (difficulty sleeping) or hypersomnia (sleeping a great deal)
• Fatigue and loss of energy

Depression can often come after major life difficulties such as a loss of job or end of a relationship. Yet, depression can also put great strain on our relationships and responsibilities. While many are able to maintain their job, relationships and daily functioning, they do so with great snuggle and effort.

Depression can often cause relationship difficulties as people tend to be more apathetic, frustrated, agitated, less empathetic and less flexible when depressed. Depression can also cause physical difficulties leaving people feeling sick, tired, and more prone to infection. Lastly, it can impact life satisfaction leading to feelings of worthlessness and lack of hope.

The treatments for depression include talk therapy and medication management. Talk therapy will focus on the specific type of depression and will help the individual deepen their insight into their distress, identify the triggers for their depression, develop adaptive coping skills for these circumstances and look at overall life circumstances and how these may be adjusted to avoid feelings of depression in the future.

Many people choose to seek treatment for depression when they feel that their efforts to control their depression are no longer working. Yet, treatment for depression can also be very helpful when done before the depression becomes severe.

When people are in a hopeful place, they may be in the best position to proactively make life choices to avoid thought patterns, relationships, and life choices that can lead to depressive symptoms. So either during increasing depression or before increasing depression, treatment can be very helpful.