Best treatment for depression

Many people ask what the best treatment for depression is. Is NLP effective? Does hypnotherapy help? If you ask most medically trained therapists (those versed in the medical model of disgnosing/labelling), chances are you will be told "no", or advised to see a psychologist or psychiatrist.

But recent research expresses that no treatment approach is really any more or less effective than other approaches! This is based on examining over 50 studies about clinical effectiveness.

A recent issue of the *Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology* (Vol. 76, No.6) includes an article: "Psychotherapy for Depression in Adults: A Meta-Analysis of Comparative Outcome Studies."

This is the summary: "Although the subject has been debated and examined for more than 3 decades, it is still not clear whether all psychotherapies are equally efficacious. The authors conducted 7 meta- analyses (with a total of 53 studies) in which 7 major types of psychological treatment for mild to moderate adult depression(cognitive-behavior therapy, nondirective supportive treatment, behavioral activation treatment, psychodynamic treatment, problem-solving therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, and social skills training) were directly compared with other psychological treatments. Each major type of treatment had been examined in at least 5 randomized comparative trials. There was no indication that 1 of the treatments was more or lessefficacious, with the exception of interpersonal psychotherapy (which wassomewhat more efficacious; d = 0.20) and nondirective supportive treatment (which was somewhat less efficacious than the other treatments; d = 0.13). The drop-out rate was significantly higher in cognitivebe-havior therapythan in the other therapies, whereas it was significantly lower inproblem-solving therapy. This study suggests that there are no large differences in efficacy between the major psychotherapies for mild to moderate depression."

Re-read the last sentence!
So, since no one treatment approach is necessarily any more or less effective than other treatments for treating depression, why choose NLP/hypnotherapy?

Firstly, these therapies usually do not take as long as other methods to produce results, which can save huge amounts of time and money.
Secondly, they do not prescribe medication.
Thirdly, while research literature does indicate that although the treatment method applied is essentially irrelevant, some common factors are present when therapy is successful:

These factors are good rapport between therapist and client, and a belief by the therapist in what he or she does, and a belief by the client in the chosen method.

So, for people with depression (and other conditions), it makes good sense to work with a therapist with whom you have good rapport (by the way, quality NLP trained practitioners are experts at developing rapport so that effective changes can occur faster). Furthermore, if a person has, for example, a belief that a traditional approach such as CBT will not help them, that does not mean CBT is bad. It just means that this person would probably be better served by seeking out a therapist which uses methods that you are drawn towards. You with me?

Adam Szmerling
Counsellor hypnotherapist
Suite 4/75 Bay St
Brighton 3186
9530 6353

Disclaimer: This information is informative only and shouldn't be used to diagnose or treat and disease, ailment, or anything else.

Stop Excessive Sweating Video

Well I have just put my first video onto YouTube. 'Stop Excessive Sweating' is the first of about sixty videos I have planned, eighteen of which are now ready to go online. Take a look - link here - Stop Excessive Sweating
Apparently, very few people like the way they look on video. I always thought I was much younger, and much more handsome.

Now I Know

The interesting thing about doing these videos was the similarity in the things I found myself saying each time. Yes, there are a range of specific 'techniques' to help people to get over their problems, but the one thing I found myself saying over and over was that the solution to the problem is nothing to do with the problem.

What I mean is that when you aim your neurology and your thinking at, in this case, being cool, calm and collected, when you stop worrying in advance about excessive sweating, the problem is miminised and often disappears. Whe you are worrying about sweating, fretting that you will sweat in ceratin places and at certain times, then you are more likely to.

Help To Stop Excessive Sweating

These self-fulfilling prophesies (worrying about the problem ahead of time) can be overcome. We can help to train people to stop worrying about sweating. But, more imporatntly, we can train people to start using their imagination to create the kind of future and the kind of life that they would like. Because the work is direct, it tends to be fast.