Counselling for Depression

Everything you may wish to know about your Counselling for Depression treatment at NHS Talking Therapies Hampshire

 

What is Counselling for Depression?

There are lots of forms of counselling. At NHS Talking Therapies Hampshire we use a treatment called Person-Centred Experiential Counselling for Depression. This is an innovative treatment that aims to get to the root of your symptoms by exploring your emotions, the way you relate to others, and how you feel about yourself.

Although depression is a common problem, everyone’s experience is unique, so we start by understanding you and your view of the world. You are the person who knows yourself best, and with this approach, your counsellor will help you to find your own way forward.

There are two key things that we believe makes our approach so successful:

1. Building a trusting relationship with your counsellor, where you feel accepted and understood.
2. Looking at your experience as a whole, not just your symptoms of depression

 

What will it be like?

We know it’s not easy to open up to someone new, so we start by simply getting to know you. Your counsellor will help you to make sense of any worries you have and ease you into your therapy journey.

Your first sessions will be about getting a good picture of what you are finding difficult in your life, and how this is affecting you and those close to you. Your counsellor may ask some questions, but you are free to only share as much as you feel comfortable with.

As you and your counsellor get to know eachother, you will start to share ideas about what you want to achieve, and the areas you want to focus on. Over time, your counsellor will help you to explore the feelings underlying your depression. They will support you to start to make sense of those feelings and find new ways of looking at yourself and the world around you.

 

How does it work?

Your counsellor will meet with you at the same time each week, for a 50-minute session. Wherever possible you will be offered a choice between an online video call, or meeting in-person at one of our confidential treatment rooms.

At each session, we’ll ask you to complete our standard symptom questionnaire. This can feel a little impersonal, but we find they’re a valuable way for you and your counsellor to see your progress during your treatment.

The duration of your course of treatment is unique to you, but we find most people need around 6 - 10 sessions to achieve their recovery goals. Your counsellor will discuss with you how many sessions they feel you’ll need, and your final sessions will aim to help you feel prepared and equipped to move forward independently.