​Therapist Corner

Depression: A Common Reason for Counseling 
By Erika Pineros

Depression and anxiety are the most common reasons that clients come to see me for therapy. Sometimes clients know that they are experiencing depression or anxiety and sometimes they do not. There is a wide range of issues for which clients seek therapy such as marital problems, parent-child conflict, school performance and the loss of a loved one, to name a few. One thing that all of these issues have in common is that they often cause some symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. The reason I wanted to address this in the Therapist Corner this month is because it is my hope that you as a client don’t feel alone in dealing with depression. You are not alone. In reality many people are also suffering from this mental health issue.

I have also noticed that most clients who have anxiety will often also experience depression. Mainly because they feel as though they cannot overcome their anxiety and they have become so isolated that they feel alone. They often also present with very low energy. It is important to watch for symptoms and let your therapist know if you’re experiencing any depressive symptoms.
Depression is often stigmatized in some circles in our culture. Clients who battle with depression not only have to cope with their symptoms, but they often lack support from loved ones. Depression is difficult to battle with because not many people understand it. Often, family members will make comments such as, “I don’t understand why he/she doesn’t just snap out of it.” This makes it even more difficult for the person dealing with depression because they already feel ashamed for not being able to “snap out of it.” The most important step in coping with depression is for you as a client to understand that indeed it is not something that you can just “snap out of.” It is a challenging condition and it often requires the appropriate therapy that addresses the biological, and psychological components of depression. Sometimes, the first line of treatment may require some form of medication to address the biological components of depression, prior to working on the psychological components. Once clients learn about the causes of depression and feel validated from a therapist, they can often have renewed hope to work on improving their symptoms. If you as a client are married, it is often important to include your spouse in the counseling process, so they are also educated about depression and can be a support for you.
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Again, if you are experiencing depression, you are not alone. Your symptoms are real and can be treated. To start coping with these symptoms, I have included some tools in the tools section below, which will help you as a client get started on the road to recovery from the symptoms of depression.