Depression Counseling in Birmingham, Alabama : Acceptance Commitment Therapy with Empower Counseling.
Research has shown that Acceptance Commitment Therapy is an effective treatment for depression.
ACT can significantly decrease the symptoms of depression, improve your awareness, and increase the quality of your life.
Acceptance Commitment therapy is a second order cognitive behavioral therapy. In more understandable terms, this means with ACT for depression counseling Empower will look at the thoughts you are having that contribute to your depression, as well as your behaviors.
As a part of depression counseling in Birmingham, Alabama with Empower Counseling, you will learn:
Mindfulness:
Often when you are depressed you are spending a majority of your time in your head ruminating, or thinking about, the past. Maybe you are going back over a mistake you think you have made, or something that you said that was wrong or not quite right. Typically when you spend time ruminating like this, it leads to self-criticism, which makes you feel badly about yourself. Sound familiar?
As a part of depression counseling with Empower Counseling and ACT, you will learn mindfulness practices. Mindfulness helps you get out of your brain and into the present moment. Mindfulness also frees your mind from worry about the future, which is important in depression counseling. Worry about the future, or anxiety, is often the precursor for depression. If you suffer from anxiety long enough or profoundly enough, it can lead to depression.
As a part of depression counseling in Birmingham, alabama with Empower Counseling, you will find clarity around your values:
Another way that anxiety shows up as a precursor to depression is through your actions. If you are nervous, worried, or fearful of taking certain actions- like being around other people, speaking up in class, etc., you might avoid these actions. When you avoid these actions, you find yourself spending more time isolated and alone because it is easier and feels better at the time. However, if you avoid the actions that make you scared or nervous for too long, and isolate yourself from other people, depression will follow. As humans, we need to feel proud of ourselves and we also need connection with other people. Since these are pretty basic needs for all of us, if these needs are not met, we become sad, lonely, and depressed.
ACT is a great answer to depression because of the value work we do. You will become clear about what is most important to you in all areas of your life. There are other intricacies and parts of Acceptance Commitment Therapy for depression with Empower Counseling. Mindfulness and finding clarity around what you value are simply a couple of the components.
If you are suffering from the following symptoms of depression, we are here to help with online or in-person counseling:
Not enjoying many of the things you used to enjoy
Isolating yourself from others
Significant and persistent sadness
Sleeping too much or not sleeping enough
Loss of appetite or overeating
Hopelessness
Irritability
Suicidal thoughts
It is time to seek depression counseling with Empower Counseling in Birmingham, Alabama. Our therapists are trained in ACT and serve teens, college students, young adults, and professionals. We also specialize in using ACT for anxiety and difficult life transitions.
Call 205-730-6570 or reach out through the Home Page.