Does psychotherapy help?

  Psychotherapy can be helpful. But it requires psychologists to have the skills to be able to start psychotherapy for the illness. And not just be able to address the psychological problems, the psychological distress of people who are not sick. Psychotherapy for depression must require the doctor to have such skills, skills that can address the treatment of the disease. It is not the same thing as psychological counseling.  There are many ways of psychological treatment of depression. Just like we have many kinds of antidepressants. There are some internationally recognized effective treatments, like cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive therapy, and so on. These treatments are very important in the treatment of depression if it is individualized. General counselors may not be able to master such skills to treat. And one of the problems in psychotherapy is also a suggestion for patients seeking medical treatment. If depression is suspected, it is recommended to seek a psychiatrist first to determine the diagnosis, and then receive medication and psychotherapy under the guidance of a psychiatrist. The first thing for any disease is to determine the diagnosis of the disease first. And it is the psychiatrist’s job to be the most professional when it comes to disease diagnosis.  The treatment of depression is not just a matter of two people, the doctor and the patient; it requires the construction of a therapeutic alliance. In this therapeutic alliance, it covers a multidisciplinary team of professionals, such as doctors like psychiatrists, psychotherapists, rehabilitation therapists, case managers, etc., and even community doctors. In addition, we need to build a strong social support system for the patient. We need to involve the patients themselves, their families, friends, and even colleagues in the treatment process to provide a comprehensive and effective psychological support for the patients. The construction of such a therapeutic alliance is very important for the regression of depression, his recovery, and eventually his return to society.