A Different Approach

Depression Treatment Program

At BlueSky Behavioral Health, LLC, we take a multifaceted, holistic approach to the treatment of depression. We conduct a thorough assessment in which we get to know our clients as individuals with their own set of life experiences. No one person is the same. Each client is connected with a treatment team that is comprised of an individual therapist and psychiatrist. From there, an individualized treatment plan is developed that incorporates the many different, evidence-based treatment modalities we use including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Individual Psychotherapy, Medication Management, Creative Arts Therapy, and Peer support. Members meet with their therapist twice a week and attend groups that are tailored to their needs. This holistic approach lends itself to a more comprehensive recovery.

Depression can be brought on by a significant life stress such as a change in life circumstance or a loss. However, sometimes this is not the case, and it can appear to develop on its own. While most people have experienced sadness or depression at some point in their lives, people who struggle with clinical depression find that the feeling does not lift and interferes with their ability to engage in daily living.

Depression can lead to a variety of symptoms. For some, depression can lead to an outward change in mood. For others, depression can manifest in the onset of somatic symptoms such as body aches and pains or be communicated through irritability. Depression can trigger avoidance and isolation, making it difficult to reach out even when help is needed most.

Seeing a loved one struggle with depression can be devastating. It can be difficult to know what to do or how to help. BlueSky offers a supportive, comfortable environment in which individuals can obtain the professional treatment necessary for recovery.

Symptoms of Major Depression

  • Depressed mood all or most of the day, most days
  • Lack of interest or diminished pleasure in activities
  • Significant weight loss or gain
  • Changes in sleep, insomnia or hypersomnia
  • Feeling restless or slowed down
  • Changes in cognitive functioning- difficulty concentrating, making decisions, focusing
  • Thoughts about death or suicide
  • For an individual to meet criteria for Major Depression, they must experience five or more of these symptoms for at least two weeks. However, there are different forms of depression that can be equally difficult to contend.

Different Types of Depression

  • Dysthymia, which is characterized by at least two of the symptoms above accompanied by feelings of sadness or depression for at least two years
  • Bipolar Depression which is similar to above but is preceded or followed by an opposite state of mania or hypomania
  • Schizoaffective disorder in which changes in mood can occur before or after the presence of delusions or hallucinations
  • Postpartum Depression in which the depression occurs within four weeks of childbirth
  • Co-Occurring which is when depression is experienced in conjunction with alcohol or substance abuse issue

Treatment Modalities

Individual Therapy:

At BlueSky we believe that an essential part of mental health recovery can establish a therapeutic connection with a provider. Unlike other treatment facilities, BlueSky ensures that clients have adequate time meet with their therapist, typically twice a week for hour-long sessions. The therapists at BlueSky support their clients in processing their life experiences, working through complex trauma and co-occurring issues, developing insight and making connections, all the while helping them put the pieces back together in their life.

Medication Management:

Research shows that using medication in conjunction with talk therapy is one of the most effective treatments for depression. There are many different types of anti-depressants such as the newer serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) as well as, the older, but effective, tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). Our psychiatrist is well versed on the research published and the new medications that are being introduced to the market.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy:

This is a short-term, goal-oriented psychotherapy treatment modality that has been proven effective in treating different forms of depression by exploring the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. CBT helps clients challenge cognitive distortions that interfere with emotional well-being and can lead to self-destructive behaviors. CBT is a well-tested, evidence-based treatment approach that works for many different mental health issues.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy:

This treatment modality fuses together eastern and western approaches to mental health. Our clients learn different skills to help regulate mood, manage distressing emotional states, and become more mindful and interpersonally effective. DBT has been proven to help treat borderline personality disorder, suicidal ideation, depression and mood disorders, intense emotional states that accompany trauma.

Creative Arts Therapy:

We use a variety of creative art therapies such as music, visual arts, performing arts and writing. Creative art therapy has been used for over 70 years as a therapeutic treatment approach for depression and trauma that allows for self-expression while enhancing one's ability to process and gain insight into sensory-based experiences. Clients not only tend to enjoy these different creative activities but find they also help in the alleviation of stress and anxiety, symptoms commonly manifest in conjunction with depression.

Peer Support:

Since depression can lead to isolation, peer support is beneficial in the restoration of social and emotional functioning. Clients at BlueSky find the connections they create with their peers are essential in the healing process, aiding in personal growth and the building of self-esteem.