Online and In-Person Therapy for Depression
It can help you feel less alone to hear that depression is the most common mood disorder in the U.S., impacting millions of people every year. While it feels better to know that you’re not alone, that doesn’t necessarily help you to overcome the negative effects of depression. That’s where therapy comes in. When you work with a therapist at Lakeside Counseling to receive online therapy for depression, you can develop a deeper understanding of the causes and contributing factors related to your experience with depression, develop effective methods of coping with depression, and begin to create greater mood stability. You can learn more about therapy for depression on this page or by reaching out to our office to schedule a consultation with one of our knowledgeable therapists.
What Is Depression?
Depression is a condition that negatively impacts the way that people think, feel, and experience the world around them. Some people think of depression as sadness, and while many people do experience an increase in sadness, depression can also feel like hopelessness, guilt, grief, helplessness, and generally low mood that doesn’t seem directly connected with a specific event, lasts for days or weeks at a time, or negatively impacts your ability to lead a satisfying life.
Who Can Benefit from Therapy for Depression?
Some people think that therapy isn’t necessary for depression because it will get better or they feel like they need to manage depression on their own, and in many cases, depression symptoms will diminish over time even without intervention. However, working with a therapist can help you develop healthy ways of processing and managing the impact of depression more quickly and with less discomfort. Additionally, therapy can help you recognize the warning signs, so you can address and avoid future bouts of depression.
Whenever you’re ready, we’re here to support you in addressing depression symptoms, but it’s especially important to seek help in managing depression if you experience any of the following:
Depressed mood lasting weeks or months without improving
Depressed mood that negatively impacts your relationships
Depressed mood that strips the enjoyment out of activities you once enjoyed
Difficulty getting out of bed or feeling exhausted
Struggling to perform simple daily tasks like eating, showering, etc.
What Happens During Therapy for Depression?
When you’re ready to get started with therapy for depression, you’ll schedule an initial intake session with your therapist. During this first visit, your therapist will talk to you about why you reached out, how depression is impacting you, and what you hope to achieve through your time in therapy. Then, you’ll work together to create a plan for your continued therapy sessions. At each appointment, you’ll review any difficult situations or symptoms you experienced between visits. Specifically, your therapist will be interested in how you managed complex emotions and experiences. During your therapy sessions, you’ll discuss the ways that you are emotionally, cognitively, and physically impacted by depression. Then, you’ll work with the therapist to develop healthy coping skills to assist you in managing depression symptoms that arise as well as learning strategies to avoid being overwhelmed by depression symptoms in the future.
As part of therapy for depression, your therapist may utilize one or more of the following therapy approaches:
Get Started with an Initial Appointment
At Lakeside Counseling, we begin the therapy process with a 55 minute intake session to explore the reasons you are seeking therapy and to set goals. When you’re ready to get started, we look forward to hearing from you.