Evidence-based psychological treatment for depression, persistent low mood and the loss of motivation that comes with it — for adults, adolescents and older adults across the Hills District.
Depression is not a flat mood you can reason your way out of. It changes how much energy a task costs, how quickly you give up on it, and how convincing the thought “there is no point” sounds at the time. That is why “just do something you enjoy” rarely works on its own — the enjoyment arrives after the activity, not before it, and depression removes the expectation that makes starting feel worthwhile.
At Potentialz Unlimited we treat depression with approaches that have been tested against it directly: behavioural activation to rebuild momentum, cognitive therapy for the thinking patterns that keep it running, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) where relapse is the concern rather than the first episode.
Related approaches and areas: CBT, anxiety, mindfulness and MBCT.
Medicare rebates available with a GP Mental Health Care Plan. In person in Bella Vista or by telehealth across NSW.
A first session maps what the low mood is doing to sleep, appetite, concentration and motivation — and screens for the things that imitate depression, including thyroid issues, grief and burnout.
Rebuilding activity before motivation returns, in steps small enough to actually complete. This is the component with the strongest evidence for moving depression early.
Identifying the thinking patterns — all-or-nothing reading of events, discounting what went well — that keep low mood self-sustaining, and testing them against evidence.
Where episodes have recurred, MBCT teaches recognition of the early signals and a different response to them, which is what the relapse research actually targets.
Low mood after a hard event is expected. The clinical picture is about persistence and reach — low mood most of the day, most days, for two weeks or more, together with changes in sleep, appetite, concentration or interest. An assessment is how that gets sorted out rather than guessed at.
No. Psychological therapy is a first-line treatment for mild to moderate depression on its own. Where medication is being considered, that is a conversation with your GP or psychiatrist, and therapy works alongside it.
Most courses run 8–16 sessions, depending on how long the low mood has been present and what else is going on. Progress is reviewed as you go rather than fixed at the start.
Eligible clients can claim rebates with a GP Mental Health Care Plan, which covers up to 10 sessions per calendar year.
That is worth bringing to the first session. Which approach was used, for how long, and what got in the way all change what is worth trying next — the approaches differ more than they appear from outside.
Medicare rebates available with a GP Mental Health Care Plan. In person in Bella Vista or by telehealth across NSW.