Depression Treatment
Has depression left you feeling stuck?
Do you find you’re quick-tempered and irritable at work or home?
Are the things you used to find pleasurable no longer bringing you joy?
Is there a voice in your head telling you you’re not good enough?
Have you gone through a tough situation and don’t seem to be able to bounce back or move forward?
Do you wonder if you will ever find true happiness again?
Are you ready for a brighter, lighter future? Are you ready to look forward to things again?
If you answered, “yes” to any of these questions, depression counseling might be a good choice for you. At times, feelings like those listed above can get in the way of enjoying the things you once were very passionate about, such as hobbies, careers and relationships.
Depression affects all people, genders, and ages. When you’re dealing with depression, it can seem like you’re living a double life. You might be high-functioning at work and able to distract yourself throughout the day, but once you’re alone, your symptoms of depression come flooding back. Distraction, though, is an action, not a feeling—it’s just a way of coping with your depression in the short term rather than seeking a longer-term solution.
Symptoms that Depression Counseling can help with:
Fatigue and lack of motivation
Crying excessively
Feelings of isolation/not socializing
Lack of interest in activities that were once enjoyable
Issues with sleeping, whether it is too much or too little sleep
Depression is also often accompanied by many physical symptoms. You may have also noticed changes in your sleeping patterns and eating habits. These can go either way, either eating too much or too little, sleeping more or less, or simply interrupted sleep patterns resulting in feeling fatigued every morning. It doesn't help that you have to get up and take care of your countless responsibilities that don’t go away because you are feeling depressed.
Perhaps you’ve noticed you no longer feel like hanging out with friends and would rather be alone, but being by yourself makes you feel even worse—leaving you stuck in a vicious cycle. And if you have a great partner—perhaps even kids—you may feel guilty for having “no excuse” for being depressed.
Maybe your negative thoughts keep you feeling paralyzed. You might be telling yourself things like, “I’ll never be a good parent,” or, “I’m not good at my job,” or, “I’ll always be alone because I’m not lovable.” And because this voice in your head focuses on the negative, you’re constantly feeling drained and lack the motivation to take part in the activities you once enjoyed.
For many, it often doesn't end there. Feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness may come up, leaving you to wonder what life’s true purpose is and how you fit in it. You are left to wonder how “good” you are at parenting, relationships, your jobs or your friendships. It may even make us wonder if our looks are “good enough” or “appealing to others.” Those thoughts become overwhelming and exhausting.
The good news is, depression treatment can help silence this negative voice so you can once again find vitality and contentment in your life.
When it comes to treating depression, our philosophy is solutions-oriented. Our team, here at Guiding Star Counseling & Wellness, PLLC, focus more on what the problem is—and what can be done about it—versus focusing on why a problem exists. In our experience, even if we know why someone is depressed, it doesn’t always change the problem itself.
Therapy for depression gives you a neutral space where you can feel heard. The systemic treatment model we use views you as an innately strong and creative person who is capable of growth. As therapists, our job is never to tell you what to do—rather, we’re here to ask astute questions that help you reflect on your situation and make your own decisions.
At our first session together, your therapist will often start with the question, “What happened recently that motivated you to seek therapy?” More often than not, something happened that prompted you to seek therapy now, so we start in the present and go from there. If the past is a problem, it will manifest in the present, and we will address this eventually. While your past experiences can’t be changed, the thoughts you have about them and how you choose to remember them can be changed. We will work on identifying the exact type of life you want to lead and we will develop a plan of small and big steps for you to get there.
What makes therapy for depression effective is that you’ll have someone asking you questions you would never normally ask yourself. Answering these questions helps you think differently, which, in turn, makes you feel differently. The aim of this approach is to guide you in processing the core issues causing your depression, and the tools we’ll supply can help you manage the symptoms.
Destigmatizing depression can be a big step in overcoming it. For that reason, we will also provide you with psychoeducation to better understand depression and the behaviors that are associated with it. Having this knowledge will help you explain depression to your family and friends so they can understand that you’re not trying to play the victim or have others pity you.
The modalities we use to treat depression are Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). With CBT, we identify your negative cognitive patterns and help you change them, which will lead to changes in your mood and behavior. We work on self esteem and self worth issues that contribute to depression.Depression tends to create tunnel vision, obscuring the positive aspects of your life that aren’t reinforced by your negative self-talk.
Throughout our sessions, you’ll get the opportunity to visualize and articulate what life will look like when you’re no longer depressed. We’ll also dissect the negative thoughts you’re having and ask what evidence you have to support that thought. Because evidence can’t be denied, in this way we can begin to dismantle the misconceptions you have about yourself that have been clouding your perspective.
The difference you’ll feel once that negative voice is no longer following you around can be profound. You’ll have more confidence in yourself, your relationships will be more fulfilling, and your feelings of frustration and anger will be replaced with contentment and calm.
A New Way Of Experiencing Life Is Possible
You no longer have to cope with depression on your own—Guiding Star Counseling & Wellness, PLLC, is here for you. Seeking treatment with the support of our experienced staff can help you regain your energy and desire to enjoy life to the fullest. Both in person and video appointments are available.
Our practice is located in San Antonio, Texas.
