Living with depression can feel like the opposite of living – feeling like one is simply trying to survive – and this can make seeking help from a therapist feel overwhelming. However, several clients find their energy begins lifting after only a few counselling sessions. Here are a few ways Mindfulness-Based Counselling can help you overcome your depression:
You Will Gain Awareness of the Root of Your Depression
At the beginning of therapy, you’ll begin to understand the underlying causes of your low mood. This is often related to beliefs you hold about who you are, your place in the world and how you relate to others.
These limiting beliefs become intertwined with one’s context and circumstances. With diminished drive, clients often feel they need to conserve their energy through avoidance of certain situations or tasks. However, inactivity and lack of involvement tends to be unhelpful, only perpetuating the problem. Together, we will determine what actions you can take that will help break down your old, unhelpful beliefs.
You Will Change Your Relationship to Your Depression Symptoms
By training yourself to become aware of the patterns associated with your depression, you can learn to shift from living directly in your experiences to becoming an outside observer of them. This helps change your relationship to your circumstances in a way that you no longer feel you are in the passenger seat.
You Will Begin Creating a Life that Holds Greater Meaning
Another key part of mindfulness-based therapy is learning to relate to who you are outside of depression. This means identifying your values and strengths and defining how your life might look if living according to them. Learning to ride feelings of depression and committing to living in a way that’s in line with your values helps break depression down. Life begins having more meaning, and energy increases, which often motivates further values-based living.
You Will Learn to Experience Joy in a New Way
Finally, skills are developed to help you cultivate mindful awareness of everyday experiences, like cooking a meal or seeing a friend, that are in line with your personal values. Mindfulness of the enjoyable attributes of your daily activities can help you feel greater joy and satisfaction in life. It’s like turning up the volume on life’s pleasant moments.
If you’re interested in booking a counselling session to help work through your depression, click here.