R116: Treating Depression: It Takes More than a Pill

This Reading Course is based on the premise that depression is much more than a chemical imbalance - it's a lifestyle that systematically involves all dimensions of a person's experience, including physiology, cognitive style, relationship patterns, and emotional and behavioral habits. Michael Yapko challenges the idea that medications are a miracle cure for depression. Margaret Wehrenberg shows how mobilizing a depressed client to take the fist step can be the key to treatment. Peggy Papp explores the relationship patterns that underlie depression. Bruce Ecker and Laurel Hulley demonstrate a brief therapy approach with depressed clients.

Course Readings

Turning “I Can’t” into "I Will": How to Motivate Depressed Clients by Margaret Wehrenberg

Deep from the Start: Profound Change in Brief Therapy Is a Real Possibility by Bruce Ecker/ Laurel Hulley

Stronger Medicine: A New Generation of Antidepressants Hasn't Made Therapy Obsolete by Michael Yapko

Listening to the System: To Successfully Treat Depression, We Must Understand It in Context by Peggy Papp

Learning Objectives

1. Describe how biological psychiatry has changed depression treatment
2. Analyze the impact of a client's life context on his/her depression
3. Identify three ways to motivate a depressed client into action
4. Discuss the importance of symptom coherence in treating a depressed client