Depression Counseling at Willamette Sky

Most people have felt sad, down, or depressed at times. Feeling depressed can be a normal reaction to loss, failure, chronic pain, and disappointment. But, if you are experiencing sadness, hopelessness, worthlessness, or helplessness that last for many days, or that stops you from participating in activities that you normally enjoy, then it may be something more than sadness.

​There is a not a one-size fits all approach to treating depression. By becoming as informed as possible, though, we can help you find the strategies that can help you overcome depression, feel happy and hopeful again, and reclaim your life.

Below is a list of some common signs of depression and research based therapies that help with understanding and coping with depression.

 Common Signs of Depression

• Sleeping excessively, difficulty in falling asleep, or disrupted sleep.
• Eating more or less, and weight changes.
• Difficulty making decisions and concentrating.  
• Loss of energy and fatigue. 
• Lack of interest and enjoyment in typical activities.
• Recurrent thoughts of loss and failure. 
• Feelings of excessive guilt and helplessness.
• A belief that nothing will ever improve. 
• Persistent thoughts of suicide.
• Irritability, restlessness.
• Ongoing aches, pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease with medical treatment.

Who's at risk? All age groups and all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups can experience depression.

• Women
• Men
• LGBTQ+
• Students
• Children/adolescents
• ​Veterans
• Seniors
• Minorities ​

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Treatment Options and Support for Your Depression at Willamette Sky

As challenging as depression may be to face, there are well-established therapies and treatments for depression. If there is no underlying medical cause for your symptoms of depression, counseling, in combination with lifestyle changes, can be an extremely effective treatment. What you learn in therapy gives you skills and insight to feel better and help prevent the depression from returning. At WSky we provide:

• Individually tailored counseling that allows you to share frustrations and successes, as well as, learn and gain valuable resources through trusted research practices, such as Mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Interpersonal Therapy. 
• Evidence based treatment including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Interpersonal Therapy, Mindfulness, and Family Therapy - all of which have been shown to help with depression.
• Helpful conversation to navigate whether your depression can be assisted with medication. Studies have shown that mild to moderate depression can often be treated successfully with therapy, but both together are often helpful in severe depression.
• Other forms of treatment that may be helpful when combined with the more traditional treatments include sleep, social support, stress reduction, acupuncture, aerobic exercise, and diet/nutrition.