Defeating Depression Through Therapy

People often view depression as an incurable disease. They believe it’s a genetic mental health condition that will never go away. I can tell you from my personal and professional experiences that this is incorrect. You have the power to defeat depression. And the best way to do this is with the help of a potent therapist.

Depression often results from a poor perception of self. We develop how we view ourselves during childhood in our family environment. Our parents might have overly criticized us, and we internalized this to mean we weren’t good enough. Or maybe we had caregivers who emotionally neglected us, and we believed we were unlovable. These beliefs became ingrained as we grew into adults. They shaped how we view ourselves and how we interpret and respond to life’s challenges.

But you can change this harmful pattern. Through psychological therapy, you can learn how to have compassion for yourself and develop a healthy perspective about your life.

Understanding Negative Internal Dialogue

Internal dialogue is the ongoing conversation we have in our heads. When we continually criticize and doubt ourselves, we create a pessimistic filter through which we view life events. We interpret situations in a way that reinforces our poor self-image. This distorts our perception of reality and leads to feelings of hopelessness and despair. People experiencing negative internal dialogue may tell themselves things like:

"This setback proves I'm a failure. Everything is going wrong."

"I'm not good enough. I'll never succeed like other people."

"I never make the right decisions. What if I mess up again?"

"I always say the wrong things in social situations. I'm so awkward."

When we constantly beat ourselves up, we get stuck in a cycle of emotional distress. The feelings of depression intensify and affect our core identity.

The Transformative Impact of Therapy

With help, you can stop the cycle of depression. Your negative thoughts are not accurate or helpful. They’re obstacles holding you back from a happy and fulfilling life. It takes work to learn how to silence your critical internal voice. But the reward is overcoming your depressive feelings.

Psychological therapy is a powerful tool to help you identify and change your negative self-talk. An effective therapist will listen to you without judgment. They will actively confront your destructive thinking and advocate for the best version of you. They will help you recognize and challenge your distorted beliefs. Most importantly, they will teach you how to be compassionate with yourself.

A skilled therapist will help you learn how to challenge the critical voice in your head. They’ll help you replace your negative thoughts with positive and more realistic ones. You’ll learn to internalize a supportive voice that says things like:

"I've faced challenges before. I can learn from this experience."

"I’m competent and have the skills to handle whatever comes my way."

"Mistakes happen, and they are growth experiences."

"I’m doing the best I can, and that's enough."

With practice, you can begin responding to life’s difficulties in healthy ways. By choosing to consistently use the new behaviors you learn in therapy, the depressive feelings will subside over time.

I Can Help You

I’m a licensed psychologist in Toledo, Ohio, and serve the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan communities. I have helped many clients overcome depression. When you choose to work with me, everything I invite you to do, I have done in my own personal therapy. I strive to create a safe and supportive environment, empower you with tools and knowledge, and help you heal.

Schedule your appointment with me today at Michael Kimball Integrative Psychotherapy. You have the power to defeat depression. Take that first step and contact me. Let me help you learn how to live a healthy and happy life.