Depression
When we are depressed we lack energy and motivation, we feel tired and we don't sleep well. We struggle with feelings of worthlessness and low self-esteem. We may feel guilty, irritable or angry as well as sad. Some people try to avoid socialising and hide themselves away (often staying under the duvet for long periods of time).

When I am counselling people with depression or symptoms of depression I initially help them to find some physical activities that would encourage them to become more active and give opportunities for improving interpersonal skills. At the same time we would be working together to explore the critical thoughts they hold about themselves and the world in general.

It is common to adopt black and white thinking and negative thinking when you are depressed. You only see the extreme ends of the spectrum (something's either perfect or totally useless - there's nothing in between). At the same time people who have a low mood listen out for negative information and the middle ground and positive information tends to be dismissed as of no value or ignored. I encourage you to discover how this is happening for you and to identify what automatic thoughts spring into your mind to promote this one-sided view. Together we would work out how you could adapt the automatic thoughts to ones which give a wider, more balanced picture through a process known as cognitive restructuring.

By tackling all these things at once, I would hope to alleviate your depressed mood but if you are being treated for depression by your doctor I should prefer to work with his knowledge and consent. I use a cognitive approach for working with depression because this has been found to be particularly suitable in this area of mental health.If you would like to find out more about working with me using cognitive therapy, please email me using the links at the top and bottom of every page.