In last week's Quick Boost poll we asked about what a therapist has done for you that you found most helpful.  It was interesting to note that they results were about equally divided as you can see below.  The one noteable exception was that no one chose "helped me make better key life decisions".

In my experience with therapists this result shouldn’t surprise us.  Very few seem to specialize in a particular problem (like depression or bipolar disorder) or a specific approach.  Just take a look at online listings for therapists - they almost all seem to cast a broad net.

So how do therapists approach helping us with depression issues?  They are often very eclectic and psychodynamic.  They use what seems appropriate in the moment and they have a strong tendency to want you to have insight about your issues.  They also understand that for you to work with them on a sustained basis you need to feel supported by them.

As it turns out the usual help from a therapist for depression is not necessarily the most effective.  The research tells us that cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy or perhaps mindfulness-based cognitive therapy are best for depression.  These types of therapy help you build skills so you don’t just know yourself better, you learn how to manage yourself better.  They are probably more effective that other types of therapy or a more open-ended approach because they leave you with lasting skills.

Before you choose to work with a therapist, it is important to learn something about what approach might be the most effective for you.  Then you can interview or try out therapists to find one that both will be supportive and will help you to learn the most effective techniques to work toward and sustain recovery. Even if you have been working with a therapist for a while it can be helpful to learn all you can about effective therapy for depression.  This can be a very important discussion to have with your therapist.  While you may have a great deal of trust in your therapist you are ultimately responsible for the type and quality of care you are receiving.  If you take this step, you will move more quickly toward a sustained recovery – you will be more in charge of a key part of the healing process.