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.
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:
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.
Appointments available
Mondays to Fridays
7.30 am until 8.30 pm
Saturdays and Sundays
8.00 am until 6.00 pm
Call to book a first appointment
0333 207 9330
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.
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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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Amrita works with adults in an integrative way, drawing on various therapeutic approaches tailored to meet the needs of each client She provides a safe space to help clients better understand themselves She offers short term and long term therapy Amrita has experience of working with clients on issues such as trauma, addiction, depression, anxiety, relationship...
Fitzrovia
With a Masters degree in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy, Annie offers both short and long term, open-ended therapy to individuals Her experience includes depression, stress and anxiety, bereavement, loss, personal development and trauma Annie has additional, specialist training working with survivors of rape, and adult and childhood sexual...
Soho
Antonella is a psychodynamic therapist offering short- and long-term therapy to adults She also sees couples facing issues within their relationship Since obtaining her Master’s degree in Psychodynamic Therapy & Counselling, Antonella has worked in different organisational settings (charities, NHS and university counselling services) helping people from diverse...
Soho
Barbara brings a warm, non-judgmental, and accepting attitude to her work with clients As an integrative Psychotherapist, she draws from a range of theoretical perspectives which allows her to tailor therapy to the needs of the client Barbara thinks that healing and individual growth happen when difficulties in living are explored with empathy, and the client's unique...
Oxford Circus
Barbara is an accredited member of BACP, holding an MSc in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and adhering to the BACP ethical framework Her approach is open-ended, offering both short-term and long-term therapy Barbara has also trained in Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT), a short-term (16 sessions), semi-structured individual therapy developed for mood...
Oxford Circus
Ben believes that at times we all struggle with the challenges life has to offer and therapy provides a safe, confidential, non-judgemental space to explore this Ben works with individuals to make sense of who they are and how they respond to the world today, and to explore new ways of being Ben is also sensitive to how difficult it might be for a client to talk to a...
Oxford Circus
Ben is an experienced psychotherapist who has helped many people through difficult times in their lives He works with clients with a wide range of personal issues around depression, anxiety, bereavement, trauma, abuse, loneliness, stresses within the workplace, low self esteem, relationship and sexual problems including performance anxiety, erectile dysfunction and...
Oxford Circus
Catherine offers a safe, confidential space for clients bringing a wide range of issues to therapy These include anxiety, low self-esteem, relationship difficulties, anger and work-related stress Catherine also supports clients experiencing depression, bereavement and life transitions Among her specialist interests are post traumatic growth and working with adult...
Oxford Circus
Ceri works with adult clients wanting to explore a range of concerns including anxiety, depression, relationship and family problems, issues arising from physical, emotional or psychological abuse and confidence and self-esteem issues He has particular experience of working with bereavement and loss Ceri’s training in psychodynamic and person-centred approaches to...
Soho
People come to therapy for many different reasons; whatever your reason, therapy is a unique experience It can offer you an environment where you begin to make sense of your experiences, both past and present, and discover how you feel about them Cora likes to create a space that is both safe and supportive in which she can work collaboratively with her clients...
Oxford Circus
