What is Depression?
Depression is a mood disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed. It affects how a person thinks, feels, and handles daily activities, often interfering with their ability to function normally. Explore the various types of depression below:
Symptoms of Depression
Fatigue, changes in appetite or weight, sleep disturbances, slowed movements or speech, unexplained aches or pains, digestive issues.
Sadness, hopelessness, worthlessness, irritability, guilt, difficulty concentrating, suicidal thoughts.
Social withdrawal, loss of interest in activities, difficulty completing
tasks, neglecting personal hygiene, substance use, self-harm.
How can therapy help?
Identify & Understand
There is often a cycle experienced that maintains the depressive mood and negative thoughts. Therapy can help identify the cycle for the individual and how it impacts them.
Skill Building
Building coping skills to manage the symptoms associated with depression. These skills include relaxation techniques, mindfulness, acceptance, challenging unhelpful thoughts and emotion regulation.
Addressing the Cycle
With therapeutic support, and evidence-based interventions such as behavioural activation and cognitive restructuring, individuals can work to intervene and re-route the cycle that maintains depression.
Relapse Prevention
Developing strategies to prevent relapse and maintain progress. This may involve identifying early warning signs of depression, developing a support network, and practicing ongoing self-care.
Why is Trauma-Informed Therapy Important?
Safety & Trust
Prioritizes creating a safe and trusting environment where individuals feel secure to explore past traumas without fear.
Emotional Regulation
Equips individuals with specialized techniques to regulate overwhelming emotions stemming from past traumas or hardships
Empowerment
Empowers individuals to reclaim their sense of control and agency, facilitating the journey towards healing and recovery.
