DBT Center of Wisconsin LLC

Treatment for Depression

Treatment for Depression

What are Some Symptoms of Depression?

  • Feeling sad, empty, hopeless
  • Loss of interest in things you enjoy
  • Significant weight loss or gain
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Others observe physical agitation or slowing down
  • Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day
  • Feeling worthless or inappropriate/excessive guilt
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Recurrent thoughts about death (i.e., with or without a suicide plan or suicide attempt)

How Does DBT Help?

DBT is a comprehensive treatment that assists clients in developing skills that can both decrease the severity of their symptoms and improve their quality of life. At the start of therapy, clients meet with their therapist and develop an individualized treatment plan. DBT for depression typically involves attending both individual and DBT Skills group sessions. Specifically, during DBT Skills group sessions, clients learn mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness skills. During DBT individual sessions, clients learn how to apply the skills to their daily lives. The length of treatment depends on the unique treatment needs of each individual client. However, treatment typically lasts six months. Depending on clients’ needs, DBT PE trauma therapy is an option as well.