Depression can feel like a heavy fog that clouds everyday experiences, making even simple tasks seem overwhelming. If you’re experiencing depression, you’re not alone – and more importantly, help is available. Counselling has proven to be a highly effective treatment for depression, offering a path toward healing and recovery. This article explores how counselling specifically helps with depression and what you can expect from the process.
How Counselling Helps with Depression
Getting to the Root of Your Depression
Depression often has underlying causes that aren’t immediately apparent. Counselling provides a space to explore and understand these deeper issues:
- Unresolved grief or loss that may be lingering beneath the surface
- Relationship difficulties that contribute to feelings of worthlessness
- Past experiences that continue to affect your self-perception
- Life transitions that have disrupted your sense of identity or purpose
Through gentle exploration guided by a trained counsellor, you can begin to understand what’s driving your depression rather than just managing the symptoms.
Expressing Difficult Emotions
Depression often involves suppressed emotions that need expression. A counsellor provides a safe, non-judgmental environment where you can:
- Acknowledge feelings you may have been avoiding
- Express emotions that might feel too overwhelming to share with others
- Work through painful experiences at your own pace
- Learn to accept and process difficult feelings rather than burying them
This emotional release can be profoundly healing, often lifting some of the heaviness of depression.
Changing Negative Thought Patterns
Depression typically involves negative thinking patterns that become self-reinforcing. Counselling helps by:
- Identifying self-critical or negative thoughts that fuel depression
- Understanding how these thoughts affect your mood and behaviour
- Learning to challenge unhelpful thinking
- Developing more balanced and compassionate perspectives
Types of Counselling Effective for Depression
Different therapeutic approaches can help with depression, each with its own focus and methods:
Person-Centred Counselling
This approach focuses on your experience of depression exactly as you perceive it. The counsellor provides a supportive relationship where you can explore your feelings without judgment. This type of counselling:
- Emphasises your inner wisdom and capacity for growth
- Helps you reconnect with your authentic self
- Builds self-acceptance and self-worth
- Creates space for emotional healing
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT focuses more directly on the connection between thoughts, feelings and behaviours. For depression, this approach:
- Identifies specific thought patterns contributing to depression
- Teaches practical skills to challenge negative thinking
- Encourages behavioural activation to break cycles of withdrawal
- Builds problem-solving skills for managing life challenges
Counselling for Depression (CfD)
This is a specific, evidence-based approach recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). CfD:
- Focuses specifically on the emotional problems underlying depression
- Helps you express and make sense of difficult feelings
- Addresses issues of loss, self-criticism, and relationship difficulties
- Combines elements of person-centred and emotion-focused approaches
What to Expect from Depression Counselling
The Initial Process
When beginning counselling for depression, you can expect:
- A thorough assessment of your depression symptoms and their impact
- Discussion of what might be contributing to your depression
- Exploration of your goals for counselling
- Establishment of a therapeutic relationship built on trust and understanding
- Development of an initial approach tailored to your specific needs
The Counselling Journey
As counselling progresses, the process typically involves:
- Regular sessions (usually weekly) providing consistent support
- Deepening exploration of emotional patterns
- Development of new coping strategies
- Gradual reconnection with sources of meaning and value in your life
- Opportunities to practice new ways of responding to difficult situations
Signs of Progress
Improvement through counselling often happens gradually. You might notice:
- More moments of relief from depressive feelings
- Increased energy for daily activities
- Better sleep patterns
- More self-compassion and less harsh self-criticism
- Renewed interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Improved relationships with others
- A stronger sense of hope for the future
Making the Most of Depression Counselling
Being Patient with the Process
Recovery from depression takes time, and the counselling journey isn’t always straightforward. Some important things to remember:
- Progress often isn’t linear – there may be ups and downs
- Small steps forward are significant
- Each person’s recovery journey is unique
- The therapeutic relationship builds over time
Working Between Sessions
The work you do between counselling sessions can significantly enhance the benefits:
- Reflect on insights gained during sessions
- Notice patterns in your mood and what influences it
- Practice self-compassion when difficult feelings arise
- Gradually engage in activities that bring a sense of accomplishment or pleasure
Taking the First Step
If you’re experiencing depression, reaching out for help is a courageous first step toward recovery. At Mindspace, our experienced counsellors specialise in supporting those with depression, offering both in-person sessions at our Basingstoke centre and online counselling options UK wide.
We understand that depression can make it difficult to reach out, but please know that support is available. Our approach is compassionate, non-judgmental, and focused on your individual needs and circumstances.
Remember, depression is treatable, and counselling has helped many people find their way back to emotional wellbeing. With the right support, you can begin to lift the fog of depression and rediscover a sense of hope, meaning, and connection in your life.
