Psychotherapy for depression is generally accepted as a viable option for treating depression and managing emotional challenges. Psychotherapy can’t really be referred to as a natural treatment for depression rather it is more of mental health treatment option that may or many not include prescription medications. If you choose psychotherapy for depression you will have literally hundreds of different types of therapy to choose from, administered by a number of different types of specialist, including clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, social workers and the clergy. While it is not possible to fully explore all the options available for psychotherapy for depression I will briefly cover three of the most popular and highly regarded types; interpersonal therapy, behavioral therapy, and cognitive therapy.
*Interpersonal therapy – This could easily be called behavioral modification relationship therapy. This type of psychotherapy helps people recognize and change problems in their past and present relationships. This approach has been shown to ease depression about as well as medication. Sometimes this type of psychotherapy can go beyond relationships and address loss, grief, and traumatic personal events such as divorce or job loss. The success of interpersonal therapy will greatly depend on the relationship between you and your therapist, which is the bump in the road to successful treatment.
*Behavioral Therapy – This type of psychotherapy has been around for a long time with varying degrees of success. It basically changes behavior through the carrot and the stick approach. The idea is that once a depressive behavior has been modified or adapted it will no longer be a trigger for depression. Behavioral therapy also encourages increasing pleasurable activities and teaching helpful ways to solve problems. Behavioral therapy is the default psychotherapy treatment approach for many professionals. The negative argument is that it doesn’t take into account each person’s unique characteristics and needs.
*Cognitive therapy – Some experts believe cognitive therapy to be the wave of the future in the treatment of depression. Many professionals who once adopted only a behavioral therapy approach have switched over to cognitive therapy. Why; simply because it works. It is much more personal than behavioral therapy and takes into account the way a person thinks, perceives events, and interprets events. Another major reasons cognitive therapy has been gaining ground as a preferred treatment is because it seems to provide at least some protection against relapse. While this form of treatment for depression is effective once again it may only as effective as the relationship between you and your practitioner.
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