MY services
Depression Counselling
Depression can affect far more than your mood. It can change the way you see yourself, your relationships, your work and even your sense of the future. You might feel persistently low, exhausted, numb or disconnected from things you used to enjoy. Sometimes depression looks like sadness; sometimes it looks more like shutting down, irritability, overwhelm, sleeping too much or too little, or simply feeling that everything has become harder than it should be.
You may have a clear idea of what has contributed to how you’re feeling, or you may simply know that something isn’t right. Either way, you don’t have to have everything worked out before you come to counselling. My role is not to judge you, fix you or tell you what you should do. Together, we can begin to understand what is happening for you, what may be keeping you stuck and what you need in order to feel more like yourself again.
How I Can Support You With Depression
I offer a person-centred and relational approach to depression. This means that you are the expert on your own experience, and we work together to understand what depression means for you rather than trying to fit you into a prescribed formula.
Depression can develop for many different reasons. Sometimes it follows bereavement, relationship difficulties, trauma, work stress, burnout or a major life change. Sometimes it develops after years of pushing yourself, masking, people-pleasing or feeling that you are never quite enough. And sometimes there doesn’t appear to be an obvious reason at all.
Our work might include:
Understanding what may be underneath your depression and what is maintaining it.
Exploring patterns of self-criticism, shame, perfectionism or feeling like a failure.
Looking at the relationship between your thoughts, feelings, behaviour and environment.
Gently rebuilding activities, connection and experiences that give your life meaning and pleasure, when depression has caused you to withdraw.
Developing greater self-compassion rather than responding to yourself with criticism when things feel difficult.
Exploring relationships, attachment and experiences of feeling unseen, misunderstood or disconnected.
Understanding your nervous system and recognising when you are becoming overwhelmed, shut down or outside your window of tolerance.
Exploring whether masking, burnout, sensory overwhelm or executive-function difficulties may be contributing to how you feel if you are neurodivergent.
Developing ways of noticing difficult thoughts without automatically believing or becoming overwhelmed by them.
Building a better understanding of what helps you stay well and recognising your own early warning signs.
Neurodivergence and Depression
I may draw from different approaches depending on who is sitting in front of me, as I don’t believe therapy should feel like a set of techniques being imposed on you. We will work collaboratively and adapt the therapy to you, your needs and the way you process information.
This can be really important if you are neurodivergent. Depression can sometimes sit alongside ADHD, autism, burnout, masking, sensory overwhelm or years of feeling that you have to work much harder than other people to fit in. The aim isn’t to make you more neurotypical. It is to understand you better and find ways of living that are more sustainable for you. The National Autistic Society similarly highlights the importance of adapting therapy to an autistic person’s communication, emotional and individual needs. (ref. National Autistic Society)
Most importantly, you don’t have to be “bad enough” to ask for help. If you have noticed that you’re struggling and things aren’t shifting, that is enough reason to reach out.
You don’t have to figure it all out on your own
Depression can make the future feel very small. Counselling can’t promise to make everything better overnight, but it can give you a place to begin.
If you’re feeling stuck, disconnected, exhausted or unlike yourself, we can take some time to understand what is happening and what might help.
If you’d like to explore whether counselling could be helpful for you, get in touch to arrange an initial conversation.
One-to-one therapy
At my private practice in the centre of Manchester, I provide a private and comfortable space for therapy sessions. It’s a lovely, welcoming environment where you can feel at ease and open up about your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
Online therapy
In addition to face-to-face sessions, I provide online sessions and sessions over the phone. This allows you to access therapy from the comfort of your own space or when you are unable to attend in person. Whether it's through video calls or phone conversations, I am committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for your healing and growth journey.
FAQs
What type of counselling is best for depression?
There isn’t one type of counselling that is best for everyone. NICE recommends several evidence-based psychological approaches for depression, including CBT and behavioural activation, alongside other options depending on the person’s circumstances and preferences. (ref. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence)
For some people, structured CBT is helpful. For others, understanding relationships, loss, self-worth, trauma or long-standing patterns is more important.
I work person-centred and relationally, drawing on different approaches where they are helpful. The relationship between therapist and client matters too, you need to feel safe enough to be honest about what is really happening for you.
What are the 5 Rs of depression?
There isn’t one universally recognised “5 Rs of depression”. You may come across different versions online.
One version used for managing negative thinking is Recognise, Refuse, Relax, Reframe and Resume.
In another piece of depression research, the “5 Rs” can mean response, remission, recovery, relapse and recurrence.
I wouldn’t use the phrase as though there is one official five-step model for depression but as a place to start exploration if a framework like this is important to you.
What can I do when I’m struggling mentally?
Start small. When you’re depressed, even ordinary things can feel enormous.
Try to focus on the basics like eating something, drinking some water, getting outside if you can, moving your body gently, resting, connecting with someone you trust and reducing the pressure to solve everything at once.
And if you’re struggling to manage on your own, talk to someone. This might be someone you trust, your GP or a therapist. You don’t have to wait until things become unbearable.
How does counselling help with depression?
Counselling can give you somewhere to slow things down and make sense of what is happening rather than trying to manage everything on your own.
We can explore your thoughts, feelings, relationships, behaviours and circumstances and begin to understand the patterns that may be keeping you stuck. Over time, this can help you develop greater self-understanding, self-compassion and choice.
Is CBT or counselling better for depression?
It depends on you.
CBT has a strong evidence base and can be particularly useful when you want to understand and work with patterns of thinking and behaviour. Counselling can provide space to explore emotions, relationships, experiences and meaning in a more open-ended way.
It doesn’t have to be an either/or decision. My approach is integrative, so we can draw on CBT-informed ideas while keeping the relationship, your individual experience and what matters to you at the centre.
What are the 3 Cs of depression?
There isn’t an established clinical “3 Cs of depression”.
You may see care, compassion and concern described as three Cs in counselling, or other versions online. I am cautious about treating this as an evidence-based model of depression.
For me, compassion is particularly important because depression often comes with a very harsh inner voice. Learning to relate to yourself differently can become an important part of recovery
What is the number one trigger for depression?
There isn’t one single trigger.
Depression can develop through a combination of biological, psychological, relational and environmental factors. Loss, trauma, chronic stress, isolation, relationship difficulties, work pressures, illness and major life changes can all play a role.
For some people, there isn’t one identifiable trigger at all.
Rather than asking “What caused my depression?”, it can sometimes be more useful to ask, “What has been happening in my life, and what might my depression be telling me about what I need?”
What is the most successful treatment for depression?
NICE recommends a range of psychological and medical treatments depending on the severity and nature of someone’s depression, previous experiences of treatment and personal preferences. (ref. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence)
For some people this may include psychological therapy; for others, medication, or a combination of approaches. If depression is severe, persistent or includes thoughts of suicide or self-harm, additional medical or specialist support may be needed
What is stage 1 of depression?
Depression isn’t generally divided into a simple set of universal “stages”.
You may hear people describe depression as mild, moderate or severe, but these describe severity rather than stages that everyone moves through.
It is also possible to experience depression differently at different times. You might continue functioning at work while feeling emotionally exhausted, numb or hopeless inside.
Can depression look different in neurodivergent people?
Yes. Depression may not always look like stereotypical sadness.
For some neurodivergent people it can show up as shutdown, withdrawal, exhaustion, loss of interest, increased sensory sensitivity, irritability, executive-function difficulties or feeling unable to cope with everyday demands.
It can also be difficult to separate depression from burnout, particularly when someone has spent years masking or living in environments that don’t meet their needs. (Ref. National Autistic Society)
This is why I think it is important to understand the whole person rather than simply focusing on symptoms.
How do I know if counselling is right for me?
You don’t need to know for certain.
An initial conversation can give us an opportunity to talk about what has been happening, what you’re hoping for from counselling and whether you feel we would work well together.
Sometimes the most important first step is simply having somewhere you can say, honestly, “I’m not okay.”
Can depression go away on its own?
Sometimes depressive symptoms improve, but that doesn’t mean you have to struggle alone or simply wait for them to pass. Getting support early can give you an opportunity to understand what is happening and put things in place before depression becomes more entrenched.
For people who have experienced depression before, learning to recognise their own early warning signs can also be valuable.