Counselling and depression-does it work?

[JudgeRindersMinder]

I’ve had depression for 20+ years. It started as PND after I had my daughter, then it kind of levelled off to a low level till I had another baby and the PND kicked in badly again.
It’s been “managed” by 350mg Venlafaxine since then. I’ve had a few episodes over the years, but he one I’m in just now is the worst ever.
GP prescribed Mirtazipine alongside the venlafaxine, but the side effects were horrific so I couldn’t continue with it.

I’ve always resisted counselling as “not for me”, but I’m desperate and don’t want to be like this forever, amd have managed to access a counsellor via my work, first session is this week.

Has anyone had a really positive experience with counselling? There’s an unresolved issue in my past (nothing sinister) which I’m wondering about being the root of my depression...is a counsellor likely to listen when I say that I think this is what the problem is?
I’m desperate, I just want to be well

If you find the right counsellor - which isn't a given - then counselling is wonderful. Last year I found the perfect person for me and feel well for the first time as an adult. I've had depression/PTSD and anxiety off and on since I was 17.

If you think an unresolved issue from your past is adding to your depression then counselling would probably be a very good thing. I would say, though, that the 6 or so sessions you get on the NHS would not be enough and in my experience are only sufficient to open any wounds without having time to start healing them. It took me I'd guess something like 15 sessions with my last counsellor to feel like I had dealt with things properly.

Try a good hypnotherapist? I don't like counselling myself as it seems to just be endless sessions re-living trauma but with hypnotherapy, they can help you resolve the root cause of the problem within just a few sessions. As with everything, you have to find the right therapist so don't give up if the first one you try doesn't click for you.

Hypnotherapy is something I’ll bear in mind if I don’t get anywhere with the counselling. My employer will fund 6 sessions, which I suppose is enough to know if I’ll get on with the counsellor.... I just want to be well and be able to enjoy my life and deal with stress like a normal person

I always said it was counselling that helped me much more than the medication

3 years of 2 hours a week changed my life.
I have ptsd I still have low level anxiety and depression but by god my life has been transformed.
Good luck in finding the right person.

I guess it depends what triggers the depression.
Counselling was amazing for me. Prob could do with some more.

I found counselling good while having it, and for a period after, but soon lapsed back into old habits and thought patterns.
I feel that medication works best for me.

I'm on mirtazapine after battling depression for 20+ years. Tried fluoxetine but that did nothing for me. Have had counselling and found it really helpful. Just finished a DBT course run by the NHS. Which was also useful for giving me tools to manage my distress and different ways to manage/respond to difficult situations /relationships. Off for cognitive analytical therapy assessment Friday. This is to help me identify and work through my issues and find exit strategies to stop me repeating unhelpful patterns of behaviour. Talking and medication have been helpful in different ways.

CBT has massively helped me...I think anyone could benefit from it :)

As pp I think with the right counsellor it can be really good, if you don’t feel the counsellor is listening to you then it’s not worth carrying on for all 6.