Depression Counseling in San Francisco » Start Feeling Better Now

When you enter a San Francisco depression therapy program, you will learn there is a single effective option for therapy. You have unique and specific needs when it comes to treatment. A one size fits all approach to therapy may not adequately address all of your needs.

In many, if not all, San Francisco depression treatment centers, psychotherapy is the most utilized therapy. Psychotherapy allows people to find the specific thought patterns, behaviors, and life events that contributed to their chronic depression. Therapists will work with clients in developing healthy coping skills to address those areas, and clients become empowered to take control of their emotions and feelings. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is highly effective for those suffering from depression—especially if combined with medications administered under strict supervision. Not only does CBT help people address their depression during therapy, but it also minimizes recurrences of depressive episodes after treatment. 

In addition to CBT, there are other powerful therapies that are used in depression treatment in San Francisco. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is very similar to CBT, but DBT focuses on patients identifying their emotions and learning to accept and regulate those emotions. In this therapy modality, patients learn to “talk back” to their negative emotions. Another similar therapy is Behavioral Activation (BA). BA is often used in conjunction with other therapies and helps clients establish long-term coping strategies by helping them set realistic long-term goals. 

Problem-Solving Therapy (PST) is another therapy used in a San Francisco depression treatment program. This therapy focuses on clients developing mindfulness and adaptive problem solving when confronted with behavior and attitudes that make them vulnerable to sliding back into depression. As with any therapy program, experienced therapists will conduct a comprehensive evaluation before treatment to determine the best therapy for a particular client.