Psychotherapy is often the first form of treatment recommended
for depression. Called "therapy" for short, the word psychotherapy
actually involves a variety of treatment techniques. During psychotherapy, a
person with depression talks to a licensed and trained mental health care
professional who helps the person identify and work through the factors that may
be triggering the depression.
Sometimes these factors work in combination with heredity or
chemical imbalances in the brain to trigger depression. Taking care of the
psychological and psychosocial aspects of depression are just as important as
treating its medical cause.
How does psychotherapy help?
Psychotherapy helps people with depression:
- Understand the behaviors, emotions, and ideas that
contribute to his or her depressed state
- Understand and identify the life problems or events—like
a major illness, a death in the family, a loss of a job or a divorce—that
contribute to their depression and help them understand which aspects of those
problems they may be able to solve or improve
- Regain a sense of control and pleasure in life
- Learn coping techniques and problem-solving skills
Types of therapy
Therapy can be given in a variety of formats, including:
- Individual — This therapy involves only the
patient and the therapist.
- Group — Two or more patients may participate in
therapy at the same time. Patients are able to share experiences and learn
that others feel the same way and have had the same experiences.
- Marital/couples — This type of therapy helps
spouses and partners understand why their loved one has depression, what
changes in communication and behaviors can help, and what they can do to cope.
- Family — Because family is a key part of the
team that helps people with depression get better, it is sometimes helpful for
family members to understand what their loved one is going through, how they
themselves can cope, and what they can do to help.
Approaches to therapy
Although therapy can be done in different formats—like
family, group, and individual—there also are several different approaches that
mental health professionals can take to provide therapy. After talking with the
patient about his or her depression, the therapist will decide which approach to
use based on the suspected underlying factors contributing to the depression.
Psychodynamic therapy
Psychodynamic therapy is based on the assumption that a person
is depressed because of unresolved, generally unconscious conflicts, often
stemming from childhood. The goal of this type of therapy is for the patient to
understand and better cope with these feelings by talking about the experiences.
Psychodynamic therapy is administered over a period of three to four months,
although it can last longer, even years.