Therapy for Depression

● Are you suffering from a loss of motivation and energy?
● Do you feel disinterested in the things that normally bring you joy?
●Have you begun to wonder if your struggles are the result of depression?

Maybe just getting out of bed in the morning feels like climbing a mountain. Perhaps you feel heavy and weighed down, as if you’re going through life with a thousand-pound load on your back. Deep down, maybe you just don’t feel good about who you are. As a result, it’s hard to find the motivation to do anything. You might find yourself going out less and less, neglecting your hobbies and passions, and letting your most meaningful relationships fall by the wayside.

For the first time, perhaps you’re asking yourself: Do I have depression? Is this a passing phase or something I should seek help for? 

When you’re dealing with depression, it’s normal to find yourself in a downward spiral of isolation and avoidance. You may feel badly about being depressed and go out of your way to avoid people because you don’t want to be seen as a “downer.” When people ask you what’s wrong, you may not know how to answer. Your feelings are so overwhelming that you don’t feel like going into it, so you just isolate more.

Yet the more you keep to yourself, the worse you probably feel. People may stop checking in on you and you might find yourself losing interest in the activities that used to make you happy. In this way, depression causes you to avoid doing the very things that would make you feel better.

If you want to break out of this downward spiral and live a more fulfilling and empowered life, we encourage you to pursue counseling with us. At the Therapy for Women Center in Philadelphia, our counselors specialize in helping people overcome their depression symptoms, boost their confidence, and enjoy healthier connections with others.

Growing up, many of us were taught that happiness is a choice and that we just need to “pull ourselves up by the bootstraps” if we feel depressed. In our highly individualistic society, we’re told that all we need to do is work hard, stay busy, and think positively and we’ll be able to break out of depression. Naturally, this leads many people with depression to feel ashamed and embarrassed to admit they need help.

Contrary to popular belief, however, you cannot just think your way out of depression. Depression is self-sabotaging by nature. It takes away the energy, motivation, and perspective needed to feel better. It clouds your ability to believe that things could get better, convincing you that life is hopeless no matter what you do.

Therapy is a chance to challenge this mindset and realize that, despite what depression tells you, there is hope for the future.

As a culture, we are more connected than we’ve ever been—we’re able to see everyone’s happy lives all over social media and keep in touch with people from all over the world. At the same time, however, we are much less likely to have close friends, live near family members, or enjoy the support systems that previous generations did. So in spite of how connected we are digitally, we have become increasingly disconnected in the modern age.

This disconnection has created a cultural breeding ground for depression. After all, depression thrives in isolation. When we’re left to our own devices, we’re more likely to spiral down, lose perspective, and believe the lies that depression tells us. The more we surround ourselves with people who are loving, compassionate, and understanding, the more likely we are to see that life is not hopeless and depression is not the defining feature of our story.

Depression is debilitating, but it’s also highly treatable. At Therapy for Women, our therapists draw from a wide range of strategies to help people recover from depression and lead fulfilling and rewarding lives. Our goal is to help you reframe your mindset and change your habits so that you can start feeling energized and excited about the future.

We take a two-pronged approach to depression treatment, looking at both the emotional and behavioral aspects of your struggles. First we want to explore the root of your depression, uncovering any unresolved trauma or emotional wounds that are negatively impacting your life today. Then we’ll focus on behavioral strategies to help you get out of the spiral of depression and feel more present in your life.

Most importantly, we want to help you work through feelings of shame so that you can experience the healing power of connection. Shame is often one of the biggest barriers to overcoming depression. But when you have a compassionate therapist to remind you that you are not fault for your depression, your feelings are valid, and you have nothing to be ashamed of, it becomes easier to be vulnerable and lift the burden of depression off of your shoulders.

Our counselors tailor sessions to meet your unique needs and use a combination of different approaches to treat depression. Some of the many treatment methods we draw from are listed below:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)—The goal of CBT is to help you understand how your thoughts, emotions, and actions all contribute to depression. When you change the way you think, you can shift your mood, behavior, and every aspect of your life.

• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)—This approach can teach you to be more mindful of how depression impacts your life and more in tune with your emotions. DBT can also equip you with distress tolerance skills so that you are less likely to isolate or resort to unhealthy coping strategies.

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)—At its core, ACT is all about living a life that’s more in line with your values. Doing so can help you approach life more thoughtfully and avoid slipping into automatic depressive thoughts.

In the end, this is hardly an exhaustive list, as our therapists specialize in many approaches and our mission is to find one that resonates with you. We also offer medication management and psychiatric services for depression, since our aim is to provide the most well-rounded care possible.
With our help and support, we believe that we can help you get on the road to recovery, improve your mood, and begin feeling like yourself again.

Therapy is something that can truly change the course of your life, and we will work to fit it into your schedule in whatever way works best for you. You don’t have to sacrifice huge portions of your time—in fact, we have found that therapy can be effective in as little as four sessions. Our practice offers teletherapy sessions and some of our therapists have availability during the morning, late evening, and weekends. 

One thing that’s unique about our practice is that most of our therapists have personal experience with the mental health issues we treat. Many of us have struggled with and recovered from anxiety, depression, and trauma in our own lives. This allows us to empathize with clients on a deeper level. What’s more, we always go out of our way to match you with a therapist that suits your needs and preferences, since the therapeutic relationship is the most important aspect of the healing process.

No, you won’t. Many people are able to make progress in treatment without medication. It can act as a helpful supplement to counseling, but it isn’t always necessary. We always recommend starting with therapy and revisiting the question of medication depending on how treatment is going.

Depression can distort how you see the world, leading you to feel hopeless about the future. Therapy can help you uncloud your vision and reconnect with your sense of hope. If you want to begin the recovery process and talk to a counselor who treats depression, you can contact us or book an appointment.

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What To Expect In Depression Counseling Sessions

01. What if my schedule is full and I don’t have time for sessions? 

02. I’ve already tried therapy and it didn’t work. How will this be different?

03. Will I have to go on medication? 

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