How are You Depressing Yourself?

When clients with stress and depression come to see me for NLP therapy at my NLP, hypnotherapy and CBT therapy practice in Aldbury Hertfordshire, the first and most important step in therapy is for the client to learn to ‘because’, rather then ‘effect’.

Being at cause simply means taking responsibility for how you feel, what you do and the results you get. If you opt to live your life at effect (which is how clients tend to be existing when they first come to see me) how you feel will be at the whim of other people and events outside of your control. Cause is greater then effect, understanding and putting this into action makes for an incredibly empowered life.

So, how does this relate to overcoming depression?
As an NLP therapist, in Aldbury, Hertfordshire, one of the questions I would put to a depressed client is - How are you depressing yourself? The aim of this question is to begin to guide the client to identify the depressed way in which they communicate to themselves (this also places the client at cause).

This is because, depressed people communicate to themselves in ways that are different to happy people. Depressed people tend to use negative self-talk, remember negative aspects of experiences and experience automatic negative thoughts that they say to themselves in specific situations. These thinking habits sustain depression. If you are depressed, you will find your self-evaluations will be critical, feeding low self-esteem. For example, when a mistake occurs, the depressed person may think "I knew it, I’m useless and cant do anything right.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Neuro-Linguistic-Programming (NLP) are cognitive therapies available in Aldbury, Hertfordshire. They are very effective at helping you to identify and overcome negative thinking habits. Cognitive techniques are based on the philosophy that the content of our thoughts have a major influence on our emotions and behaviour. Through cognitive and NLP therapy, it is possible to learn ways to eradicate or manage the types of thoughts you have, which means that the state of mind they sustain, can be resolved. CBT and NLP are solution-focused techniques that focus on the ‘here and now’. Unlike, other talking therapies, the focus is not on the cause of your distress in the past, rather you will learn to improve your state of mind right now. This is achieved by learning to communicate to yourself in new positive and adaptive ways.

Karen Hastings is an NHS experienced therapist, who practices NLP and CBT, in Hertfordshire, in order to help people overcome depression. More information is available at www.karenhastings.co.uk