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3 Benefits of Depression Therapy

Nancy MacGregor MA, ATR-BC, LPC, ACS, Clinical Director

It is inevitable that everyone will experience struggles as they move through life. Although depression is a normal response to challenging situations, some people find it difficult to move past these feelings of darkness on their own. Since depression can negatively affect numerous aspects of an individual’s life, regaining normalcy as soon as possible is vital. At Harmony Bay, individuals find help to combat their negative feelings with depression therapy.

Depression Therapy Helps Patients Understand Why They Feel the Way They Do

An experienced therapist can help determine, and then address, the issues that are causing a patient’s feelings of sadness, thoughts of hopelessness and loss of interest in the things he or she usually loves to do.

Reasons for the onset of depression include:

  • The breakup of a relationship (e.g., friend or significant other).
  • A severe or life-changing medical diagnosis (e.g., cancer or diabetes).
  • Financial hardship (e.g., unemployment).
  • The death of a loved one.
  • A genetic disposition for depression (i.e., clinical depression).

Understanding Clinical Depression

Sometimes depression arises for no identifiable reason. This absence of circumstantial factors may mean that the individual has a genetic predisposition for depression. This type of depression is referred to as clinical depression.

Types of Therapy for Depression

Many patients benefit from spending time with like-minded individuals who are dealing with similar issues. These people may be good candidates for group therapy. Nonetheless, there are other people who benefit the most from individualized therapy. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is an individualized therapy available at Harmony Bay.

During the initial consultation, the therapist determines which form of therapy will suit a patient best.

3 Benefits of Depression Therapy at Harmony Bay

1. Group Therapy Helps Patients Feel Understood

Humans are actually tribalistic at heart, which is why people surround themselves with individuals who are similar to themselves. By surrounding oneself with these people, the likelihood of being consistently understood increases, which improves his or her life’s journey.

2. Group Therapy Offers Acceptance and Support

Since all the patients who participate in a group therapy session are experiencing similar life challenges, depression therapy offers individuals a feeling of acceptance and support.

This feeling of support and acceptance results from the patient talking with peers. Not just any peer, but peers who understand exactly how he or she feels. During these therapy sessions, patients support each other by listening intently to how an individual feels and then offering valuable advice.

3. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Provides Behavior Modification and Coping Skills

The therapist uses the cognitive component of CBT depression therapy to help the patient recognize which thoughts are responsible for the onset of the negative emotions he or she is feeling. After determining the reason for the onset, the therapist and patient discuss the validity of his or her negative emotions.

The patient and therapist uncover the reason the patient has such negative beliefs. Once uncovered, they discuss how these beliefs affect his or her life. Since negative thoughts can cause a lack of motivation, difficulty focusing and lethargy, uncovering the core reason for the patient’s negative beliefs is an essential aspect of CBT depression therapy.

The Behavioral Component of CBT

During CBT therapy, the patient learns how to measure and then assess the way daily activities affect his or her mood. Then, the therapist encourages the patient to explore ways to change these activities to help alleviate the symptoms of depression.

In addition, the therapist assists the patient with the development of a positive, action-based plan. Within the patient’s action-based depression therapy plan, the therapist provides a list of activities for the patient to master.

The therapist determines the order of these activities by considering their difficulty level. First, the patient performs easy activities, gradually moving towards those that are more difficult. As the patient masters these activities, he or she experiences a feeling of achievement, which lessens the feelings associated with depression.

For CBT treatment to be successful, the patient needs to continue practicing his or her depression therapy exercises while at home and especially during stressful situations. Having a more rational approach reduces the intensity of the patient’s negative emotions.

If you are experiencing the symptoms of depression, consider calling 855-765-6399 to schedule an appointment with one of Harmony Bay’s compassionate depression therapists. Your therapist will help you get started down the road to recovery by creating a personalized depression therapy treatment plan.

Treatment with Harmony Bay

Harmony Bay is an outpatient behavioral health service that offers primary mental health treatment for a variety of mental health disorders. Our mission is to make mental health care convenient and affordable while providing an unmatched experience to our clients. contact us today by calling 855.765.6399.