Counseling tips to heal those who are depressed.

1. Joy in the Morning: Overcoming
Depression
Mari Plank, Rhema Life Coaching
Become the Very Best YOU!
7755 Center Ave, #1100, Huntington Beach, Ca 92647
877 250 7056

2. You will learn:
• Symptoms of Depression
• Causes of Depression
• Know Your limits as a lay counselor
• What is the wholeness approach?
• Empower with God’s love
• Empower with choices
• Strengthen Belief System

3. What are the
symptoms of
depression?

4. How severe is the depression?
Scale of 1-10 (ten the worse)
Scale of 1-10
•Always access functioning, if symptoms last longer than 2 weeks,
consider a referral
•Goes above a 5, refer to a psychiatrist. Safety issue
•Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions
•Fatigue and decreased energy
•Feeling sad or "empty"
•Feeling hopeless, irritable, anxious, or guilty
•Loss of interest in favorite activities ...
•Sadness and or irritability
•Loss of interest or pleasure in everyday activities
•Loss of appetite—or increase in appetite
•Sleep disturbances—either insomnia or excessive sleeping
•Suicide thoughts or ideations. ..

5. Depression Inventory
On a scale of 1-10 ( 10 is the highest)
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering details,
and making decisions 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
• Fatigue and decreased energy
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or
helplessness 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
• Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

6. Depression Inventory con’t
• On a scale of 1-10 ( 10 is the highest)
• Irritability, restlessness 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
• Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once
pleasurable, including sex 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
• Overeating or appetite loss 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
• Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or
digestive problems that do not ease even with
treatment 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
• Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings
• 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
• Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts
• 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

7. What causes
depression?

8. Medical causes of depression
• Chemical , brain imbalance
• Medical
• Pharmaceutical
• mixing of prescriptions
• side effect of medication
• Geriatric
• Spirit of depression
• Can lead to clinical depression

9. Nutritional causes of depression
• Sugar and refined products impact our brain function
including mood, cognitive processes, problem solving
• “ Boosting brain function often has a positive
effective on mood. Many of the Daniel Plan choices
have anti depressant properties. Exercise, eating
right, taking supplements such as fish oil, and
learning not to believe every thought have been
shown independently to boost mood”. The Daniel
Plan, Chapter 6: Focus.
• Recommend 10 day detox to clients, cutting out
sugar , processed foods and caffeine.

10. Other causes of depression
• Situational
• Loss, change or grief
• Frozen rage
• Spirit of depression
• Generational curses

11. Know your limits

12. How is the clients
functioning?
High
Moderate
Low

13. When do I refer?
• When you are not
comfortable
• When client functioning
drops below 5 on
depression inventory
• Document your referral
and clients cooperation.
Who, what, when.

14. Who do I refer to
and why?
• We refer to a licensed
physician or psychiatrist
for medication
evaluation. They are
the only ones who can
prescribe medication.
• Clients safety is priority
• State of California will
hold you accountable if
client safety is
compromised.

15. Soul
Spirit
BodyWhat is the
wholeness
approach?

16. Wholeness
approach
addresses our 3
part being.
• Depression is a multi-
dimensional issue and
should be dealt with
accordingly.
• Our approach should
incorporate all three
aspects:
• body (physical)
• soul (mind, feelings,
intellect)
• spirit

17. Body
Body

18. The wholeness approach: Body
• Nutrition
• Exercise
• Medical reasons
3 John: 2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper
in all things and be in health just as your soul
prospers.

19. Soul
SoulBody

20. The wholeness approach: Soul
• Soul: (nephesh) a life, living being, self,
person, personality, inner desires and feelings.
• Prov. 10: 3. The Lord will not allow a righteous
soul to famish. 3 John 3
Prov. 13:2, 3 A man shall eat well by the fruit of
his mouth. I have talked myself out of feeling
depressed.

21. The wholeness approach: Soul
Prov. 23:7 As a man thinks so he it.
Correct negative thought patterns, it is an
effective treatment for anxiety disorders,
depression, relationship problems and even
overeating. Rick Warren

22. How we distort our thoughts
1. Over generalize
2. Think with our feelings. Assume feelings is
true
3. Predicting the future, worse case scenario
4. Blame self or others
5. Denial
6. Focusing on negative

23. Spirit
Soul
Spirit
Body

24. The wholeness approach: Spirit
1. Pray regularly research shows prayer calms
stress and enhances brain function.
2. Gratitude, I Thes. 5:16-18
3. Think on God’s character
4. Stay in fellowship, community,
5. Speak God’s promises out loud
• Frames our world Heb. 11:3

25. The wholeness approach: Spirit
Gratitude:
Yale University research study evaluated more
than 2,000 veterans between the ages of 60
and 96 to assess which traits helped them age
successfully. Gratitude and purpose were the
most significant traits associated with
successful aging. R.H. Pietrzak, J. Tsai, et. Al,
“Successful Aging among Older Veterans in
the United States.

26. Knowledge of
God’s love will
heal low self
esteem and
unworthiness

27. Deep, intimate
knowledge of
God’s love will
heal low self
esteem.
• People who are
depressed may feel
unworthy, unloved.
• Our identity in Christ
gives unconditional love
and acceptance,
confidence, hope, joy,
peace, wisdom and
grace.

28. •I am loved and blessed with every spiritual
blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
Eph. 1:3
•I am loved because I am chosen in Him
before the foundation of the world. Eph. 1:4
•I am loved so I am holy and without blame
before Him in love. Eph. 1:4

29. • I am loved and I am accepted in the Beloved.
Eph. 1:6
• I am loved and I am a vessel of honor, clean and
useful for the Master, 2 Timothy 2:21
• I am loved and nothing can separate me from his
love. Rom. 8:39
• I am loved so Christ dwells in my heart through
faith and I am rooted and grounded in love. Eph.
3:17

30. Empower with
choices.

31. We have the
ability to choose
• Small choices can are
the pathway to bigger
victories.
• God has given us the
ability to choose life or
death. Deut. 30: 19
• Feeling powerless
increases depression
and depression
increases powerless

32. Empower with Choices
• I can choose to think on the good, the lovely
things in my life, Phil 4:8
• I can choose to be thankful
• I can talk to a nutritionist
• I can talk to my doctor
• I can change my beliefs
• I can forgive
• I can make small steps towards wholeness

33. Strengthen belief
system

34. Identify my Negative Beliefs
• What do I think about myself? What does God
say?
• What do I think about the situation? What
does God say?
• What do I think about my future? What does
God say?
• What could I do to change my situation?

35. God’s Truth to Combat Lies
• Eph. 1:1-4 I am accepted and chosen in the
Beloved
• Isaiah 41:10
• 2 Cor. 12:0
• Matt. 11:28
• Zeph. 3:17
• Heb. 4:16
• Ps. 37:4