Depression
Depression Counselling Bowral
Have you ever wondered where the word depression comes from? It comes from the Latin verb deprimere, “to press down” which suggests a pressing down of feelings or even the spirit. In depression counselling Bowral, we explore this pressing down of feelings.
Depression can make us feel hopeless. The feelings of despair which arise from this can immobilise us and can cause physical symptoms of discomfort and pain. It can leave us feeling unmotivated, unfulfilled and sometimes even suicidal. This can be due to the lack of connection that results from withdrawal in shame and dread.
There is usually no one reason for depression. Everyone has their own unique story that is shaped by their past and present experiences. But the feelings and sensations that emerge, including overwhelm, unhappiness and isolation, are some of the common experiences of those who suffer from depression.
Depression – Clinical or Reactive
Depression can be clinical or reactive. The former seems to be a chronic state of dysphoria that has accompanied a person ever since they can remember. Reactive depression occurs in reaction to a specific event or time in one’s life. This can be when a circumstance has a powerful impact on mood.
What to Expect from Depression Counselling
In therapy, we explore the immediate feelings and thoughts that arise in depression. As well as this, over time, we start to locate these states of mind in the context of your life experience. In this therapeutic journey in which we meander at your own pace, we explore how you have seen yourself in relation to others. We also explore how you position yourself in your own life to reveal those deeper wounded parts that feel crushed and leave you feeling low and despondent.
Gradually, over time, the low moods shift very subtly. In depression counselling in Bowral a new space is created in your mind to allow a different way of seeing and experiencing yourself and the world.
Journeying together we find our way through.
Depression and Old Wounds
Sometimes depression points to something older — buried wounds that have never been fully seen or resolved. These might be experiences from childhood or earlier in your life that left a mark: losses that were not grieved, pain that was not acknowledged, parts of yourself that learned to stay hidden.
In therapy, these old wounds are given enough space to breathe. Together, we can look at them, try to understand why they carry the weight they do, and begin to loosen their hold. As that process unfolds, the cloud that has been pressing down can begin to lift — and with it, a sense of vitality and possibility that depression had obscured.
It has been said that the depth of depression is equal to the potential for joy that becomes available when that weight begins to ease. The very capacity that makes the low so low is the same capacity that makes genuine aliveness possible.
What Depression Therapy Involves
Therapy for depression is not about fixing you or talking yourself into feeling better. It is a careful, collaborative exploration of what is happening beneath the surface — the thoughts, the feelings, the stories you carry about yourself and your place in the world.
Sessions move at your pace, following what is present for you. Over time, the work creates a different kind of space in your mind — one where a new way of seeing and experiencing yourself can begin to emerge.
Online sessions are available to clients anywhere in Australia. If you are unsure whether therapy is right for you, a free 15-minute consultation is a good place to start.
Frequently Asked Questions?
Reactive depression occurs in response to a specific event or circumstance — a loss, a relationship breakdown, a period of sustained difficulty. Clinical depression tends to be a more chronic state that has been present for much of a person’s life, often without a clear external cause. Both are worked with in therapy, though the approach may differ.
Yes. Depression is not always simply about what is happening now. It can be rooted in old wounds — unresolved losses, early experiences of neglect or criticism, or parts of yourself that learned to stay hidden. Therapy creates space to look at these older layers and understand the role they are playing.
Psychotherapy for depression works by exploring what is happening beneath the surface — the feelings, the patterns of thought, and the deeper experiences that may be contributing to how you feel. Over time, this process can shift the way you see yourself and create new possibilities for how you experience life.
There is no fixed timeline. Some people notice a shift relatively quickly; for others, particularly where depression has been present for a long time or has deeper roots, the work is more gradual. Sessions move at your pace, and the focus is on sustainable change rather than quick fixes.
Yes. Online sessions with Laura Wilson are available to clients across Australia. You do not need to be in Bowral or New South Wales. Sessions are held via Zoom or another agreed platform, from wherever is comfortable and private for you.
You do not need a diagnosis or a label to begin therapy. If you are feeling persistently low, empty, unmotivated, or disconnected — and it is affecting your daily life — that is enough of a reason to reach out. A free 15-minute consultation with Laura is a good starting point.