Benefitting From Counseling
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Benefitting From Counseling

Unfortunately, I had a pretty traumatic childhood. My parents were always fighting, and I was faced with trying to decide what to do about my own personal feelings. When I got older, I knew that I needed to do something to relieve the stress that I was feeling even many years later, so I started focusing on going to counseling. My first few appointments were a little nerve-racking, but the counselor worked hard to make me feel comfortable. I was really impressed with how gentle and kind she was, and I felt really great about the progress I was making. This blog is all about benefiting from counseling.

Benefitting From Counseling

3 Ways Occupational Therapy Can Help You Control Depression

Ron Henry

If you suffer from depression, you may have several treatment options including medication and a variety of therapies. One type of therapy that may be beneficial depending on your personal experiences with depression is occupational therapy. Occupational therapy helps individuals define meaningful tasks in their everyday life and then engage in them in order to overcome a variety of mental health and cognitive issues. Below are three aspects of occupational therapy and how they may help you manage your depression. 

Occupational Therapy Can Help You Set Meaningful, Manageable Goals 

Many individuals who are depressed find that past activities no longer interest them and life seems to lose meaning. For example, you may no longer consider your job worthwhile or your role in your social circle significant. Or perhaps you are in college but getting your degree no longer seems important. An occupational therapist will help you examine your current goals and decide whether they are meaningful and significant from your perspective. If they are not, they will help you find and set new goals that you can actively work towards. 

Occupational Therapy Can Help You Create an Achievable Activity Schedule 

When you are depressed, it can be difficult to complete everyday tasks such as grooming, cleaning, going to work or school, or engaging in social activity. An occupational therapist can help you create a manageable schedule for these activities that will help you become more active and engaged in your life. If you are suffering from severe depression, this may be a very detailed schedule, including specifics such as when to shower and exactly who to spend time with. If you suffer from light depression, you may create a more flexible schedule that includes general activities, such as go out to a coffee shop twice during the week or call a friend once a day. 

Occupational Therapy Can Help You Boost Your Self-Esteem 

Another aspect of depression for many people is a low self-worth and a feeling that your actions do not have a significant impact. An occupational therapist can help you recognize and define the results of your actions in order to make you feel like your actions have greater weight in your world. They may also encourage you to engage in new activities that have more visible, immediate results. For example, if you find your job to be repetitive and meaningless, your occupational therapist may help you identify the impact of the tasks you complete at work while simultaneously encouraging you to engage in a more concrete hobby outside of work. 

For more information, contact companies like ABC Pediatric Therapy.


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