Depression: Therapy and Treatment in London

Depression is not a single thing. The word is used to describe presentations that range from a persistent low mood and reduced pleasure to severe episodes involving complete withdrawal, inability to function, and thoughts of suicide. What they share is a particular quality of disconnection — from pleasure, from other people, from a sense of future possibility, from the self — that ordinary effort and encouragement do not resolve.

The causes are multiple and interact: genetic vulnerability, neurobiological factors, life events and losses, early attachment patterns, persistent stress, and the particular psychological structures — perfectionism, self-criticism, a harsh internal relationship — that make some people more susceptible. Treatment needs to be calibrated to the specific presentation rather than applied as a standard protocol.

What therapy for depression involves

At this practice, depression is addressed through integrative psychotherapy that attends to both the current precipitants — what has triggered or maintained the episode — and the deeper psychological structures that create vulnerability. Jungian-informed work is particularly valuable where the depression carries a meaning dimension: where it is communicating something about a life that has moved away from what the person actually values, or where it accompanies a significant transition or loss of identity.

EMDR is available for depression with a clear trauma component. Art therapy is used where verbal approaches feel insufficient or where the depression involves a significant dissociation from feeling. The modality is chosen based on what the specific presentation requires.

Medication and therapy

The practice does not prescribe medication, but works alongside medical treatment where the client’s GP or psychiatrist has recommended it. The evidence suggests that for moderate to severe depression, the combination of medication and psychotherapy produces better outcomes than either alone. The initial consultation will clarify what approach is most appropriate for your specific situation.