DEPRESSION & ANXIETY | HOW I WORK | KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE | SELF HELP & SUPPORT IN THE COMMUNITY
Depression and anxiety
Depression – Feeling low is part of normal human experience. People often seek professional help when feeling low stops them leading life normally. Many different things can cause depression and there are many ways of treating depression. What might work for one person may not necessarily work for another. Some find medication helpful, others find therapy helps and others find a mix of medication and therapy works best. To read more about treatments, click here.
Anxiety – Like depression there are many causes and one person’s experience of anxiety often differs from the next person’s experience. Anxiety too is a normal part of living. When it stays for a long time or starts to affect quality of life and relationships, this is when counselling can help. Often anxiety masks deeper fears or grief. To read more about signs, symptoms, causes and treatments click here.
How I work
I draw from a range of counselling approaches when working with depression and anxiety. Cognitive Based Therapy (CBT) and mindfulness techniques are included in my ‘toolkit’ if people seek this approach. In counselling, people’s responses to life events and symptoms of depression and anxiety e.g. shutting out friends, are reframed as ‘what you needed to do to keep yourself going’. This helps people feel safe to explore life events and their responses without feeling judged.
Keeping people safe
Sometimes people feel so down when they first come to counselling that they are thinking about taking their life. To learn more about my responsibilities as a counsellor when safety issues arise see Section 6.0, page 8 of the NZAC code of ethics, click here.
Self help and support in the community
There are a lot of resources that support self-help such as John Kirwan’s Depression.org.nz website. You can also access online or face to face support groups by ringing Citizens Advice Bureau or clicking here. If you would like help linking in with support in your local community do contact me.
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Providing counselling services throughout the Greater Wellington region including Wellington CBD, Johnsonville, Newlands, Churton Park, Tawa, Porirua, Petone, Lower Hutt.
Belinda Hodson Counsellor: Phone 027 659 4450.
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