Help with Depression and Unhappiness in London

Depression is common. One in five people become depressed at some point in their lives. There are many types of depression and many reasons people feel depressed.

The word ‘depression’ is sometimes used to describe feelings of low mood which affect us all from time to time. Feeling sad is a normal reaction to experiences that are upsetting, stressful or difficult; these feelings will usually pass.

However, depression is an illness with intense feelings of persistent sadness, helplessness and hopelessness that are accompanied by physical effects such as sleeplessness, loss of energy and other symptoms (see below).

These feelings can last for an extended period of time and negatively affect a person’s quality of life. Sometimes people may not realise how depressed they are, especially if they have been feeling this way for a long time. Low moods associated with depression can be mild, moderate or severe and last for weeks or months, rather than days.

People with a family history of depression are more likely to experience depression themselves. Depression is an illness with real consequences to well-being and is not a form of weakness or failure. Many famous leaders have suffered from depression including Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln and Mahatma Gandhi.

How can depression counselling help?

Depression is not something you can ‘snap out of.’ Anyone can experience these persistent low feelings and if you’ve been diagnosed with depression, you may wonder what is happening to you. You may be concerned that the depressive feelings will never end. You may notice that depression has affected many different areas of your life – family relationships, your performance at work, your physical health and how you view yourself and the world.

The first step in fighting depression is to understand what it is, how it affects you and what may be causing it. There are several approaches and techniques our experienced depression counsellors can use to help you understand and alleviate the symptoms you are facing.

There are many symptoms of depression and these are different for different people. Common symptoms include:

  • Loss of energy
  • Persistent sadness
  • Loss of self-confidence or self-esteem
  • Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
  • Being unable to enjoy things that are normally pleasurable or interesting
  • Undue feelings of guilt or worthlessness
  • Feelings of helplessness or hopelessness
  • Sleeping problems – too much sleep or too little
  • Avoiding people / distancing oneself from others
  • Loss of appetite
  • Self harm
  • Using more alcohol or drugs than usual
  • Crying, sometimes inexplicably
  • Losing interest in life / feeling unmotivated
  • Not coping with things that used to be manageable
  • Feeling restless or impatient / a general sense of boredom
  • Being preoccupied with negative thoughts
  • Having a bleak, pessimistic view of the future / a feeling of pointlessness
  • Losing interest in sex or intimacy
  • Thinking about death or suicide

Depression appears more often in women than men. About 1 in 4 women will suffer from depression compared to 1 in 10 men. Various reasons have been suggested for this difference. One thought is that men are less likely than women to report the symptoms of depression to their GPs. Another belief is that various social and biological factors predispose women to depression.

Men are often less likely than women to acknowledge difficult emotions associated with depression. Men sometimes turn to alcohol, over-working or aggression to mask depressive feelings. Though depression in men is less common than in women, suicide in men is several times greater than that in women. British men are three times more likely than British women to die by suicide and suicide remains the most common cause of death in men under the age of 35.

Client Testimonials

Talk to us about therapy for depression and unhappiness

For those suffering from depression or persistent feelings of unhappiness, talking with an experienced counsellor who will listen and understand can have a significant impact on how you are feeling and how you cope with the ups and downs of everyday life.

Counselling for depression is available in our private rooms in Oxford Circus, Soho, Fitzrovia and Kensington. First appointments last about an hour and are usually available within one week. We understand that talking about depression can be, for some people, very difficult.

What do I talk about in counselling?

One of the most common worries I hear expressed by people starting counselling is that they won’t know what to talk about. Some people think their problems aren’t significant enough. Others fear they have too much to say, that they might overwhelm the therapist…

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How does therapy help?

Over the years that I’ve worked as a therapist, I’ve been asked numerous times by prospective clients, “How does counselling help?”  And I’ve yet to come up with a satisfactory answer. Not because I’m in any doubt that it helps, but because the ‘how’ bit is so hard to articulate concisely…

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Individual counselling

Personal counselling can be about anything that’s on your mind.

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Couples counselling

Couples counselling provides space for couples to discuss problems in their relationship and find solutions.

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Therapists in London

Finding the right therapist is an important first step.

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One Therapy London

Counselling, psychotherapy, couples counselling in London since 2006

Therapist Toulla Nicolaides
Toulla Nicolaides

Consultant Therapist Toulla is an integrative relational therapist using a combination of therapeutic approaches to help her clients She provides a safe and supportive environment for individuals to explore their difficulties in life, relationships and childhood and to share and resolve confusing and overwhelming feelings Toulla believes that, though challenging,...

Fitzrovia

Therapist Ameet Magan
Ameet Magan

Consultant Therapist Ameet is from London and holds an MSc in Integrative Psychotherapy He has more than a decade’s experience of working in a one-to-one capacity with clients He has also trained in groupwork and has worked since 2016 as a group psychotherapist and clinical practitioner with the NHS in East London Ameet is a warm, grounded and reflective person He...

Kensington

Therapist Stamatia Lorentzou
Stamatia Lorentzou

Senior Consultant Therapist Stamatia draws on a broad range of theories of psychotherapy She works collaboratively with her clients to understand the causes of their concern and find ways to move forward Stamatia offers both short-term and longer-term therapy She has worked in various organisational settings with individuals seeking to address relationship issues,...

Bloomsbury

Therapist Jackson
Dwayne Jackson

Senior Consultant Therapist Founder and Director Jackson has lived in USA, Hong Kong and London He studied psychology in America and integrative psychotherapy in the United Kingdom Jackson is open to discussing any life experience or behaviour a client might put forward He feels there should be no shame or judgement in discussing life choices, experiences or...

Bloomsbury

Therapist Nicola Reeves
Nicola Reeves

Consultant Therapist MA Psychodynamic Psychotherapy  EMDR Practitioner Qualified Clinical Supervisor Nicola is a psychodynamic psychotherapist and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) therapist Nicola believes in giving clients time and space to approach therapy in the way they need to approach it She finds this is the best way to develop a...

Soho

Therapist Rhiannon Whipps
Rhiannon Whipps

Consultant Therapist Rhiannon is a psychodynamic counsellor and psychotherapist with over ten years experience of working within the field of mental health Rhiannon provides an empathic and non-judgemental therapeutic space for her clients to explore any difficulties which they may be facing Within the safety of a confidential environment, she encourages her clients...

Oxford Circus

Soho

Therapist Marta Pisarri
Marta Pisarri

Consultant Integrative Psychotherapist Visiting lecturer at Regent's University Diploma in Somatic Trauma Therapy Advance Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy MA in Counselling and Psychotherapy MSc in Clinical Psychology Marta is a psychologist and an integrative psychotherapist: she has been working in the field of mental health for over 12 years in both private...

Soho

Therapist Silvi Naskinova
Silvi Naskinova

Consultant Therapist MSc in Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy HE in Humanistic and Psychodynamic Counselling Silvi is a Psychodynamic Psychotherapist offering both long and shorter-term therapy  She aims to provide a safe, supportive and non-judgmental space for her clients to explore whatever is on their minds Her work...

Oxford Circus

Therapist Evan Bates
Evan Bates

Consultant Therapist Evan is a psychodynamic therapist, offering both long and short term therapy He creates a non-judgemental and reflective space to help clients explore their difficulties and concerns Working together to understand the connections between past and current relationships, Evan supports clients in developing a deeper awareness of their recurring...

Soho

Fitzrovia

Therapist Patricia Connolly
Patricia Connolly

Consultant Psychodynamic Psychotherapist Patricia works within a psychodynamic approach This focuses on early life experience and  relationships to help you understand how they shape who you are in the present When you begin to more fully explore your emotions and attitudes you can find a deeper self–knowledge, which can also transform the way you relate to...

Soho