Many people have heard the term outpatient treatment or outpatient therapy as it applies to substance abuse disorders, but it can also be used as a form of treatment for mental health disorders, particularly things like depression or anxiety.
Outpatient therapy for depression can be helpful for someone who has mild depression, or it can be part of a long-term treatment plan. But what is outpatient therapy for depression, and how does it work?
What is Outpatient Therapy for Depression?
Outpatient therapy is a form of mental health treatment where those who have depression participate in therapy sessions with a licensed therapist. These therapy sessions typically take place in an office, and the individual in question gets to live at home and go about their regular routine, only going to and from the office for sessions, which average once per week for about 1 hour.
Inpatient vs. Outpatient Therapy for Depression
There are some key differences between inpatient and outpatient therapy for depression:
- No overnight treatment
- Regular sessions
- Flexible schedulingÂ
Unlike inpatient therapy, this type of depression treatment does not require any type of overnight stay or hospitalization. Instead, you meet with a therapist on average once per week but depending on your situation it can be a few times per week and you have a lot of flexibility to work around other commitments as you are typically the one scheduling the frequency and timing for your outpatient therapy sessions.
What to Expect with Outpatient Therapy for Depression
Before you start treatment, you’ll undergo an initial assessment where your mental health team will determine what types of therapies might work best for you, given your circumstances and your history. From there, you’ll be able to pick a therapist and schedule your appointments.
When you start an outpatient therapy program for depression, you can expect to meet with the same therapist on a regular basis.
It is very likely that you will go to a treatment center or other facility like their office for your weekly sessions.
The therapy you choose isn’t restricted to individual sessions. Many programs for depression encourage participation in several types of therapeutic approaches, and these include both individual and group therapy.
You might also need to build support in your home life which could involve family therapy as well as experiential therapy or mindfulness-based practices. All of these approaches can overlap with one another in providing you with healthy coping mechanisms and good life skills that you can apply to managing your symptoms.
With this type of treatment plan, you might travel to several locations for different things, like support group sessions for those with depression, which could be a complimentary part of your outpatient therapy.
Who Should Consider Outpatient Therapy for Depression
Outpatient therapy for depression is best for people who:
- Have moderate or mild symptoms
- Can manage their daily activities
- Need support creating healthy coping mechanisms
- Are transitioning from other levels of care
- Want to try different therapeutic approaches like mindfulness-based therapy
It is essential that you be stable enough to care for yourself and get through the day without risk of harm to yourself or others. Once you reach that point, outpatient therapy can be a viable resource for you.
For those who struggle with depression and co-occurring addiction, the best type of outpatient therapy is called dual diagnosis treatment, which involves outpatient therapeutic approaches to tackle both addiction and depression simultaneously.
Finding Outpatient Therapy
If you or someone close to you is struggling with depression, East Coast Recovery can help. We offer a few different types of outpatient therapy, including:
- Partial hospitalization programs
- Intensive outpatient programsÂ
At our facility, we understand that individuals struggling with mental health disorders like depression are at a much higher risk of developing substance abuse disorders. In the event that you struggle with both, the best type of care is co-occurring treatment that involves therapy for depression and other treatment for substance abuse.
We provide treatment that targets the root cause of both addiction and depression, offering personalized treatment plans with support systems that involve things like family therapy and adventure therapy, as well as trauma-informed care for those who need it.
With our staff you can schedule your outpatient therapy sessions on an individual, group, and family basis depending on what it is you need most. We work with you to figure out what frequency works best and how long your outpatient program should last given your results.
To verify your insurance and learn more about our dual diagnosis treatment, call our team today at 617-744-7373.
