Depression Counselling Sydney CBD

Depression is often characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyable. It can affect how we think, feel, and behave, and it can lead to various emotional and physical problems that can undermine our sense of mental, social and physical wellbeing.

Symptoms of depression can include:

• Persistent low mood: Feeling sad, empty, or hopeless most of the time.
• Loss of interest: Not enjoying things that once brought pleasure, including hobbies, relationships, or work.
• Fatigue or lack of energy: Even simple tasks can feel exhausting.
• Changes in sleep patterns: Sleeping too much or struggling to sleep.
• Changes in appetite: Overeating or losing interest in food.
• Difficulty concentrating: Finding it hard to focus or make decisions.
• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt: Excessive self-criticism or feeling like a burden.
• Physical symptoms: Such as headaches, stomachaches, or other unexplained aches and pains.

Depression isn't just about feeling sad; it can also have serious effects on physical health, relationships, work, and daily life. It's more than just a "bad day" or something that can be "snapped out of" – and there are benefits in connecting with care, which may include therapy, medication, or a combination of both.

Depression and depressed mood can be caused by a combination of factors, including:

• Biological Factors: Differences in brain chemistry and function, particularly involving neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.  
• Genetic Factors: A family history of depression can increase the risk.  
• Environmental Factors: Stressful life events such as trauma (past and present), loss, difficulties in important relationships, or financial challenges.  
• Psychological Factors: Personality vulnerabilities like low self-esteem, pessimism, internalized shame, or being easily overwhelmed by stress.  
• Social Factors: Isolation, lack of social support, and difficult living or work situations.  

Kinds of depressions

While "depression" is often used as a general term, there are several different types of depressive experiences.
The classifications of different types of depressive experience helps to better understand the specific patterns of feelings, their duration, and potential causes, which in turn guides approaches to help.
Here are some of the different kinds of depression:  

• Major Depressive Disorder (MDD): This is what most people refer to as "clinical depression." It is characterized by a persistently depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in most activities for at least two weeks, along with several other specific symptoms that interfere with daily functioning.  
• Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD): Also known as dysthymia, PDD is a chronic form of underlying low mood. The intensity of depressed feelings is typically less severe than major depression but can still impact our sense of wellbeing and quality of relationships and life.
• Situational depression: This occurs when specific parts of our life experience feel stuck or unaddressed. It could be a difficult relationship situation or having been the target of discrimination.
• Bipolar disorder: involves episodes of depression but is considered a separate mood disorder because it also includes periods of elevated or irritable mood known as mania or hypomania. The depressive episodes in bipolar disorder can be similar to those in major depressive disorder.

Preliminary assessment sessions can consider if, when and how depressed feelings occur and this can inform therapy.

Depression Counselling and Therapy

I draw on and often integrate several effective therapy approaches to help people experiencing depression, and tailor these to a person's individual needs. These approaches, often referred to as talk therapy or psychotherapy, can help with tools and strategies to soothe and reduce symptoms, and to understand and better resolve underlying causes of depressed feelings.

Some of the most common and evidence-based therapy approaches that I might bring into therapy to help with feelings of depression:  

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT is a widely used and highly effective therapy for depression. It helps individuals identify and better appraise negative thought patterns and behaviors that can lead to low mood. By understanding the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, we can learn to better think about our thinking and better catch automatic self-undermining assumptions when they occur.
• Interpersonal Therapy (IPT): IPT focuses on the role of interpersonal relationships in impacting our depressed feelings. It helps us to identify and address relationship issues, such as unresolved grief, stuckness in conflicts, role and life transitions, or experiences of social disconnection, that may be contributing to our depressed feelings. The goal is to improve communication skills and build stronger social support networks.
• Psychodynamic Therapy: This approach explores how some of our past experiences might be influencing (sometimes just outside our conscious awareness) some of our present-day beliefs, feelings and relationships with self and others. By recognizing and linking up recurring patterns in relationships and emotions, the therapy relationship becomes a forum for new experience and learning. We can gain insight into the roots of our depression and better work through unresolved issues.
• Mindfulness-Based Therapies: Approaches like Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) integrate mindfulness practices, such as meditation and breathing exercises, with psychotherapy. These strategies help us become more aware of our thoughts and feelings without automatic self-judgment, enabling us to better observe our feelings without being overwhelmed or avoidant of them and to learn to develop a greater sense of acceptance and self-compassion.
• Solution focused therapy: This can be weaved into other approaches and helps us to focus on skills to identify, define, and solve problems that contribute to both stress and depression. It helps break down overwhelming issues into smaller, more manageable bits.
• Couples Therapy: If relationship problems are contributing to or being impacted by depression, couples therapy can involve both partners in addressing communication issues, conflicts, and ways to support each other through feelings of hopelessness and depression.