Psychotherapy is a form of treatment that can be used for a variety of problems someone suffers from mentally. When someone is feeling depressed in their life more often than not, seeing a mental health care specialist can be extremely helpful. These therapeutic sessions are done to help the patient talk through their difficulties, relieving stress and lifting the spirit as a result. Here is a rundown of what one can expect when they go to a psychotherapy session in an attempt to relieve their depression.

The Initial Visit

The first visit to a psychotherapist would involve answering many questions pertaining to past and present mental and emotional states. This information will be helpful to the specialist in coming up with a plan for exploring why the patient is feeling depressed. Any health problems would need to be divulged so they can be monitored throughout the therapy sessions to see if they make an impact on the patient. The therapist would introduce themselves and get a feel for the magnitude of the depression the person has been feeling.

How The Session Works

The patient will be asked to sit in a comfortable chair and discuss problems with the therapist in a one-on-one setting. There will be no distractions and the therapist will become easier to open up to after several appointments. They will speak with the patient calmly to try to make sense of their feelings and the reasoning behind them. There is often a lot of emotion in a session, making the patient feel overwhelmed if they have an outburst of anger or crying. The therapist will teach coping mechanisms to get a handle on emotions while trying to determine the course of action to ease the depression. Often, small homework activities will be given to help the patient learn how to control their depression outside of the therapist's office.

Identifying Triggers

One of the first actions the therapist will do is ask about identifiable triggers that make the person feel depressed. If the patient can pinpoint times when depression is intense, they may know what is causing it during these episodes. The therapist will work with the patient in redirecting energy away from these triggers in an attempt to alleviate some of the symptoms of depression.

Finding Underlying Causes

Once identifiable triggers are known, the therapist will help the person find underlying causes for their depression. These are reasons they are not aware of, such as past experiences they may not remember or that are suppressed because they are too difficult to deal with. The therapist will help the patient become aware of these unconscious behaviors or thoughts in an attempt to figure out if they are reasons for the depressive episodes. Once these thought patterns are recognized, the patient will be better able to deal with the triggers when they occur using coping mechanisms they learn from their counselor.

If you think you need mental health treatment, visit Dr. Stephen Brown & Associates.