Counselling for Depression

Depression is one of the most common issues that people seek help from therapists for.
It can be one of the loneliest and difficult experiences of a person's life to  go through an episode of depression. Despite it being spoken of  in the media more than ever,  many people still experience feelings of shame around not being able to cope or just snap out of it.  Just about everyone will experience a period of  feeling overwhelmed and not able to cope  at some point in in their lifetime  and  nearly fifty percent of the population will  experience a diagnosable  episode of depression.

Depression presents in many different ways. Neuroscientists  are still grappling with what really happens in our brain when we become depressed.    Some of the symptoms that people  may experience when they are depressed   include  low mood,  crying frequently,  difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much,  anger  or irritability,  poor  concentration,  low motivation and lack of  joy out of activities that you previously liked doing,  low sex drive and substance abuse.   

There is always a reason for experiencing depression even if you are not aware of what it is.   Life events either in the past  such as childhood issues  or ongoing stresses such as relationship difficulties,  unemployment,  poor job satisfaction or harrassment, physical illness, lack of life fulfilment or  loneliness can all contribute to depression.  A family history of depression may also be a factor.  Antidepressants maybe helpful for some people.  Only a GP or  Psychiatrist are able to prescribe antidepressants.
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​Therapy can help in a number of ways.  First  and foremost being able to talk through some of the things that may be contributing to your depression and  being heard and validated can really help.  Knowing that depression is not just something that you can just  'snap out of'   can help you to stop beating yourself up and making it worse.     Secondly working through with your therapist strategies and things that you can do that will put  you in the right direction for recovery.   Some of these we know are good for just about everybody but some things will be specific to you.

Some people may also experience suicidal thoughts which can be especially distressing.   If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts you should see your GP  as soon as possible or if you feel that you might act on these thoughts  then attend your closest Emergency Dept  or call the Mental Health Emergency Response Line:  ph 1300 555 788

​For help with depression call Cate to make an appointment:
Phone:  0408 831 421
​Email:  [email protected]

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