Why Psychotherapy is Vital in Treating Depression

Posted on by Alana Burton

These days depression is so common that at any some point in our life we are bound to encounter someone experiencing some form of depression or experience depression ourselves. 1 in 5 people show symptoms of depression and prescriptions issued for anti-depressants are at an all time high in the UK.

As a nation then, are we more depressed or are GP’s more relaxed about prescribing anti-depressants? Maybe it’s neither of these. These days, we generally have a better understanding and appreciation of our own mental well-being. We are more aware of the importance of looking after our mind. Just as much as we care for our physical health, we are now more open and pro-active about helping ourselves when we feel unable to overcome certain issues ourselves. Altogether this contributes to broader awareness and openness about going to see a therapist if we need a bit of support with our mental health. So it may seem like the problem is getting worse but in reality it’s probably the same but it’s just out there more.

Depression and Anti-depressants

While the use of anti-depressants definitely has a place in the treatment of depression, they actually have little or no benefit in treating mild depression. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines state that for mild to moderate depression, psychotherapy is the preferred treatment. In many cases, psychotherapy is a perfect partner to anti-depressants. Medication supports us through certain stages and psychotherapy for depression takes us forward for longer-lasting changes.

So how does psychotherapy help with depression?

For a persistent low mood, studies have shown that medication alone does not tackle the underlying issues which may be causing the depression. Medication can of course be quite a saviour for many and they can be effective in keeping us afloat when we’re unable to cope nor do something else about our problems. However, the use of medication alone may result in high instances of relapse if stopped.

Depression can affect a person in many different ways spread over multiple different aspects of functioning. Psychotherapy for depression can help in many ways across these aspects by systematically tackling key issues that may be causing it. For example, psychotherapy can support someone with ways of thinking about themselves, their world and others. It can help with ways of processing emotions and also with the strategies we use to cope with problems. Psychotherapy actually has the potential to change our ways of looking at ourselves and our situation so that we are better able to see the wood for the trees. It enables us to make fundamental changes to how we feel, think or behave about certain things and to see where we could make improvements.

Talking to a therapist about issues you’re facing may ease stress and offer a new perspective on the source of your problems. By helping you to recognise problematic ways of thinking, feeling or behaving, psychotherapy supports you in finding new ways of being. Early intervention and having the chance to talk over your problems may also prevent depression worsening. Psychotherapy is also a tool that can have a lasting and profound impact on mental well-being.

Transactional Analysis psychotherapy and depression

Transactional Analysis is a systematic approach to psychotherapy and an excellent tool for diagnosis and treatment planning. TA makes use of a diverse range of concepts that can help therapist and client formulate a treatment plan that is tangible, clear and effective. Importantly, TA tools can also aid understanding of depression. It is also an empathic and a proactive approach that clients can find very useful.

As an example, Transactional Analysis can help you identify the ways in which you spend your time and whether those ways are getting your needs met. Are you perhaps spending your time withdrawing? Or are you perhaps still engaging with people but are finding it very unfulfilling with little prospect of enjoyable intimacy with anyone?

Research into Transactional Analysis has also shown that it is as effective as cognitive behavioural therapies in treating depression.

psychotherapy for depression

 

To find out more about psychotherapy for depression, get in touch with Alana for an initial no-obligation appointment.

Anger vs. Aggression: What’s the Difference?

Posted on by Alana Burton

Anger is an acceptable feeling. Aggression is a behaviour.

For many, anger is a problem feeling. It gets a bad name and is considered tricky and challenging to address and acknowledge within ourselves. This often comes down to a confusion between the two emotions. Identifying anger vs. aggression may support someone to understand more about the origins and triggers. Anger and aggression which have different purposes and come from different places and knowing which is which for us is a positive starting place.

If our boundaries are jeopardised in any way or if our needs are not appropriately met, feeling angry is a way of attempting to change our environment and to get those needs met. Anger is an acceptable feeling and functional response to desire to change or do something in the present. It can be problem solving and a ‘vehicle for change’, i.e. a healthy way to get things done. It is also a primary emotion and a survival tool if it is in direct response to an active stimulus at that point in time.

Aggression is how we choose to behave in response to a stimulus and involves forcibly and harmfully attempting to get others to behave differently. Exerting ourselves over others in any way is an unacceptable way of dealing with our emotions and can be bullying and harmful.

When anger feelings are confused with aggressive behaviours it can result in any healthy anger being denied. We may box our “angry feelings”, deem them unsafe and leave them to fester in a repressed box of emotions. This is the point we may have mixed up healthy anger for unhealthy aggression. On the other hand, if we accept and deal with angry feelings as and when they arise we are more likely to get our needs met. Embracing our anger is a perfectly acceptable and healthy way to articulate our feelings towards our need not being met or having our boundaries crossed.

Understanding the origins of our anger can tell us a lot about how we deal with anger and what purpose it serves us individually. During an assessment your therapist may ask you questions around how you deal with anger and what happens when you are angry to establish an appropriate treatment plan.

To work on anger management issues, ask any questions or make an appointment, please get in touch.

How to choose a therapist

Posted on by Alana Burton

It may not be difficult to come across multiple listings of therapists who are local to you – but how do you go about deciding which one is right for you? You may not have a clear idea until you’ve reached the point of meeting someone but considering the below points in choosing a therapist may give you a head start.

1) Once you’ve decided that you would like to get in touch with someone to start therapy sessions, take your time and shop around. The person you end up seeing will be someone you may be sharing really important information with and they may also be the person who hears things you may not have spoken to anyone else before. Trust and feeling comfortable and safe with your therapist is crucial as the relationship you have with them is the most influential aspect of how successful your therapy may be.

2) Ask around. You may have friends and family members who are seeing therapists or who have seen someone in the past so ask them what they enjoyed most about their therapy. Also ask them what maybe did not work for them. If you haven’t had therapy yourself before, this may be a good starting point to give you ideas on what it is that is likely to also be important to you in your therapy. And if you have had therapy before, take some time to consider what did and didn’t work for you that time around.

3) Read up on therapist profiles. It may be completely different to read a profile and to meet someone in person but when you’re looking online, reading profiles may be the best starting point you have. Establish who sounds like they may be a person you would like to meet and work with. When choosing a therapist have a shortlist of people you want to get in touch with to set up initial appointments.

4) Take time to consider what may be important for you in the therapy room before you start. For instance, would you be happy if there is a waiting period before you can start? Is gender an issue and would you be comfortable with a male or female? Is sexuality important? You may for example want to work with someone who also identifies as lesbian. How much are you able to pay? Would you like to focus on a current issue and immediate problem or would you like to take time to process a historic experience?

5) Notice what’s going on for you when you first talk to or meet a potential therapist. Whether or not you can articulate what may feel right or wrong, you will probably have an insight into whether a person just feels right for you or not. Consider whether you felt heard; Can you envisage seeing this person on a regular basis? If you have any doubts you are happy to share, talk them over with the therapist, if there is someone who may be a better fit, you may also be able to get further recommendations.