less goal oriented and longer-term. This approach can be useful for finding connections in past experiences and seeing how those events might contribute to understanding feelings of depression in the present.
Interpersonal conflict and poor social support can also trigger a depression beyond feeling typical upset. Interpersonal therapy is a type of therapy that hones in on these issues by addressing past and present social roles and interpersonal interactions. Treatment is fairly targeted with the therapist generally choosing one or two problem areas in the person's present life to focus on. This type of therapy is usually brief and involves examining social relationships with important people in your life like your partner, friends, family, and co-workers. The goal is to identify the role these relationships play in your life and find ways of resolving conflicts that exist.
Psychotherapy can also be delivered in a number of different ways. In some cases, your treatment may incorporate two or more forms, such as meeting individually with your therapist followed by the occasional group session where you can practice new skills.
Finding the right therapist for depression is critical to treatment outcomes. The most important thing to look for is that you feel comfortable with whomever you choose because you’ll need to be able to speak openly and honestly with this person about very private and sensitive subjects and feelings. The first step is to look at your personality and determine what it is you need exactly. For instance, are you the sort of person who benefits from someone who tells you what to do or do you need someone with a good ability to listen and who will talk through things with you? It’s important to know whether you need someone who will provide directive or non-directive therapy.
It’s also important to also consider with whom you might feel most comfortable with: a man or a woman; someone about your age, or someone younger or older; someone with lots of experience, or someone who is relatively new with fresh ideas. Once you narrow it down, you can start looking for potential therapists who meet your criteria.