Psychotherapy for Depression

Overview
Psychotherapy, also known simply as therapy, is a common treatment for depression. Therapy may be used to treat depression on its own or in combination with antidepressant medications.

What does it involve?
Therapy sessions involve interacting with a trained and licensed mental health professional. Therapy can be short-term, involving a few sessions, or long-term, lasting over months or years.

Therapy can be one-on-one with a therapist, or involve a group (group therapy), a relationship partner (couples therapy), or family (family therapy). Therapy involving others can add an element of social support as well as education for partners or family members about depression.

There are many forms of psychotherapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and correcting ways of thinking that lead to depression. Interpersonal therapy focuses on improving communication and behavior with family and friends.

Intended Outcomes
The goal of psychotherapy is to treat the psychological causes of depression. Therapy can help depressed people deal with grief or losses, find better ways to handle relationship conflicts, and resolve difficulties surrounding life transitions.

Results
Psychotherapy is often the first treatment recommended for those who have depression. Some people find therapy very effective in helping them recover from depression.

Constraints
Fatigue or other symptoms of depression may make it difficult to make and keep therapy appointments.

While some health insurance plans cover therapy, coverage may be limited. Therapy can be expensive if you are paying privately.

Depending on where you live, it may be difficult to travel to therapy appointments.

For more information, visit:
Psychotherapy for Depression – Cleveland Clinic
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases_c...

Depression – American Psychological Association
http://www.apa.org/topics/depress/recover.aspx