Psychotherapy To Treat Depression

Phobias Slideshow

• Introduction to psychotherapy treatment for depression
• How does psychotherapy help depression?
• Types of therapy
• Approaches to therapy
• Psychodynamic therapy
• Interpersonal therapy
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Therapy tips
• Tips to help you get started

Introduction

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 healthcare professional who helps him or her identify and work through the factors that may be causing their depressiondepression.

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 is important.

How Does Psychotherapy Help Depression?

Psychotherapy helps people with depression:

• Understand the behaviors, emotions, and ideas that contribute to his or her depression.
• 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.

Suggested Reading by Our Doctors

• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder - Read about posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms (nightmares, flashbacks), causes (war, traumatic events), effects (depression, suicide) and treatment (medication, therapy).
• Panic Attacks - Read about panic attack (panic disorder) symptoms, causes (stress, anxiety, fear) and treatment (medication, psychotherapy). Learn how to prevent panic attacks.
• Depression - Read about depression causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and types, including manic depression (bipolar disorder), postpartum depression and clinical depression.

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