Understanding Depression

Depression is more than feeling sad. It can affect how you think, feel, and function day to day. Some people describe it as emptiness or numbness, while others experience persistent sadness, hopelessness, or a sense of guilt and worthlessness. Depression can also show up physically, including changes in sleep, appetite, energy, and concentration.

When you are depressed, your mind often becomes biased towards negative interpretations. You may withdraw from activities, avoid people, and lose routines that normally support wellbeing. Unfortunately, these changes can keep depression going, even when you are doing your best to cope.

The good news is that depression is treatable. Therapy can help you understand the patterns maintaining low mood and build practical steps towards relief and recovery.

Common Signs of Depression

• Feeling low, tearful, empty, or emotionally numb
• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you used to enjoy
• Low energy, fatigue, or feeling slowed down
• Sleep changes, including insomnia or oversleeping
• Changes in appetite or weight
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
• Feeling hopeless, worthless, or excessively guilty
• Withdrawing from friends, family, or work

You do not need to experience every symptom to benefit from therapy. If low mood is affecting your life, support can help.

How CBT Helps With Depression

CBT is one of the most effective, evidence-based therapies for depression and is recommended by the NHS and NICE guidelines. CBT focuses on the link between your thoughts, emotions, body sensations, and behaviours.

Depression often creates a loop:

• Negative thoughts (for example, “Nothing will ever change”, “I’m not good enough”)
• Painful emotions (sadness, shame, emptiness, anxiety)
• Changes in behaviour (withdrawing, avoiding tasks, losing routine, reduced activity)
• Reduced reward and connection (less pleasure, less achievement, more isolation)

In CBT for depression, we work together to break that cycle. You will learn how to spot unhelpful thinking patterns, develop more balanced perspectives, and make small, realistic behavioural changes that improve mood over time. This is not about forcing “positive thinking”. It is about understanding what is happening, building self-compassion, and taking steps that genuinely support recovery.

What We Work On in Therapy

Your therapy is tailored to you, but common areas we explore include:

• Behavioural activation to gently rebuild routine, motivation, and connection
• Identifying negative thought patterns like all-or-nothing thinking, self-criticism, and hopeless predictions
• Challenging unhelpful beliefs and developing more balanced, realistic alternatives
• Managing rumination and the “stuck thinking” that keeps mood low
• Improving sleep and daily structure where these are impacting wellbeing
• Building coping strategies for difficult days, including relapse prevention planning
• Addressing underlying themes such as perfectionism, people-pleasing, low self-esteem, or past experiences that have shaped how you see yourself

Depression can also overlap with anxiety, trauma, panic, or low self-esteem. If those areas are relevant for you, we will incorporate them into the plan in a way that feels manageable.

Why Choose Online Therapy for Depression

• Accessible – attend from home or any private space, anywhere in the UK
• Consistent – it is often easier to keep momentum when therapy fits your routine
• Comfortable – many people find it easier to open up in a familiar setting
• Effective – online CBT can be just as effective as in-person sessions

Michelle offers sessions via secure online platforms, with links provided for MS Teams.

How Treatment Works

1. Free consultation – a short 15-minute call to discuss what is bringing you to therapy and whether CBT feels like the right fit.
2. Understanding your depression – we build a clear picture of the patterns maintaining low mood, including triggers, thoughts, behaviours, and daily impacts.
3. Skills and strategies – you learn practical tools to reduce rumination, challenge self-criticism, and take manageable steps towards recovery.
4. Maintaining progress – we focus on confidence, resilience, and a plan for handling setbacks so you can keep moving forward.

Sessions are 60 minutes and tailored to your goals. Many people begin to notice improvements within 6-10 sessions, depending on the nature of the difficulties and the work between sessions.

Book your free consultation

Why Work With Wyke Therapy

• Fully accredited CBT therapist
• Over a decade of experience in the NHS and private practice
• Evidence-based CBT delivered with warmth, clarity, and empathy
• Online sessions that are flexible, confidential, and convenient
• A collaborative approach that goes at your pace