There are a variety of mental health issues that can be treated by a psychotherapist. Since counseling services can address issues such as anxiety, depression, and relationship issues, it’s important to learn more about how these mental health professionals can provide assistance.
A Brief Overview of Depression in the United States
In 2012 alone, approximately 16 million adults in the United States had at least 1 major episode of depression. This amounts to around 6.9% of America’s adult population.
While women tend to experience this condition more often than men throughout their lifetime, men are also susceptible to becoming depressed. Women, however, are 70% more like to experience depressive episodes or ongoing depression over the course of their lives. Currently, it is estimated that 350 million people throughout the world are affected by some form or level of depression.
It’s curious to note that half of the individuals that experience major depression aren’t seeking treatment. While the reasons for this do vary, it’s possible that these individuals may believe the depression will pass. This may particularly be the case when it’s situational, such as the loss of a relationship or a negative performance review at work.
In addition to the suffering people experience due to feeling depressed, there are other significant costs associated with this condition. When lost work productivity is combined with health care costs, it amounts to approximately $80 billion a year.
Treatment for Depression
When people seek psychotherapy treatment for depression, these sessions usually last for 10 to 20 weeks. The duration of treatment does vary, however, and it will depend on the overall situation or condition. If antidepressants have been recommended and prescribed, then it can usually take 4 to 6 weeks for someone to become acclimated to these medications. When taking antidepressants, it’s important to be monitored on a regular basis to determine their efficacy, side effects, and other vital concerns.
Treatment for Resolving Relationship Issues
The American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists engaged in extensive research on couples therapy. They found that more than 98% of the participating couples claimed they received good or excellent help. More than 97% of the survey participants stated that they were able to receive the help that was needed.
The Chicago Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy conducted research which focused on the effectiveness of specific types of therapy. After terminating therapy, they found that around 50% of the couples that had participated in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy were recovered. Within the next 3 months, 70% more had recovered.
The Positive Effects of Working With a Marriage of Family Therapist
It’s important to note that working with a marriage or family therapist provided couples with more tools to deal with their relationship and other problems. This was the case with 93% of the individuals that worked with these mental health professionals. Furthermore, the participants also stated that their physical health had improved and they were able to function better at work as well.
The Financial Costs Associated With Counseling Services
Licensed marriage and family therapists will usually charge less than psychologists or psychiatrists. On average, this will be 20% to 40% less per session
The Importance of Finding the Best Possible Treatment Solutions
If you’ve never received counseling services such as psychotherapy, you may be inclined to do so at this time. Whether you are looking for talk therapy in order to resolve work-place stress issues, have been through a traumatic situation that is causing you pain and grief, then contacting a psychotherapist would be a good idea. It’s also important to remember that you can receive online relationship counseling as well.