Depression, therapy, symptoms, help, support, group, beating depression, fighting depression

DEPRESSION: Recovery & Resilience

The Well Being Project

E-mail: irene@thewellbeingproject.com.au
ABN: 45 195 847 896

Personal Counselling; "Beating Depression" Group Program; Course of Study

The Well Being Project is a private psychology clinic based in Brisbane. Psychologists are registered mental health professionals, so a psychology practice like a medical practice is regulated by legislation and is publicly accountable for the standard of the service. The Well Being Project provides specialist treatment of Depression through individual counselling, group and study programs.

Mission Statement

To provide holistic, evidence-based therapeutic interventions that optimise clients opportunity for recovery from symptoms of Depression, build resilience against relapse, and achieve self- empowerment, life enrichment and greater life mastery; To maximise therapeutic outcomes for clients, through continuing research and program development.

DEPRESSION: Recovery & Resilience

The three programs for the treatment of depressive illness offered by The Well Being Project, personal counselling, “Beating Depression” groups, and the course of study

Applies respected and researched clinical approaches to treatment of Depression
Provides comprehensive, targeted information about Depression, its causes and treatment
Identifies and responds to individual differences in Depression's symptom presentation
Integrates a wide range of proven psychotherapeutic interventions and strategies
Teaches new skills and self-help techniques to address symptoms and causes.
Inspires and empowers clients to self-support

Clients can confidently expect

A more comprehensive understanding of Depressive illness
A deeper understanding of personal symptom patterns, causative and risk factors
Practical tools and strategies for self-help to build resilience and self-empowerment.
>Ways of thinking, feeling and acting to be well again and achieve a richer life experience.
A toolkit of a range of skills for staying well and achieving a greater sense of life mastery.

Professional Personnel

Irene MacFarlane, The Well Being Project Coordinator, is a Registered Psychologist and Member of the Australian Psychological Society. Irene holds an Honours degree in Psychology and Certificates in Gestalt Psychotherapy and Family Therapy. Her caring approach caters for a variety of individual needs and values, and her therapeutic work has earned her a reputation as a highly effective practitioner with specialist skills and knowledge of Depression, its causes, symptoms and treatment. Irene uses a broad range of approaches, from both mainstream and complimentary therapies, including spiritual psychologies. Irene is also an artist and a qualified teacher with over ten years of experience teaching children and adults and in designing and facilitating personal growth courses.

The Well Being Project Programs

Because human beings are holistic organisms we are affected multi-dimensionally by life stressors. Therapeutic efficiency and effectiveness dictates approaches that address the multiple facets of our lives.

There are six dimensions of our being-in-the-world that are explored in The Well Being Project programs.
Focus of treatment

The Well Being Project regards Depression as whole-of-person psycho-spiritual dis-ease. The person presents as in a state of chronic grief about their current life circumstances or aspects of their life history. Depression and its treatment through the Well Being Project is holistic in its focus and addresses all of the following areas:

Physiological (our body and biochemistry)

Cognitive (our thoughts and beliefs)

Emotional (our feelings and sensations)

Behavioural (our actions, what we do, and what we avoid doing)

Relational (our social context)

Spiritual (meaning & values)

This summary isolates skill areas into discrete categories, however the approach taken in the programs is integrative and interactive. Participants find encouragement in the fact that each area affects all other areas, and that making inroads into one will have spin-offs in other areas as well.

An individually targeted "tool kit" is provided that includes:

Cognitive/Behavioural Strategies

Stress Management:

Interpersonal Therapy

Assertiveness skills

Anger Management

Communication Skills

Resolving the Past

Problem-Solving

Because these are skills people need to feed alive and well again.

Developing Attributes for Wellbeing

Research shows six factors are pivotal in wellbeing and are characteristics of resilient people who do not succumb to depression. These are self-acceptance, personal autonomy, environmental mastery, positive relations with others, personal growth commitment, and life-purpose. These are learned (or yet to be learned), personal resources that help prevent depressive illness, underpin recovery and the avoidance of relapse. Clients of The Well Being Project learn how to create and maintain these factors in their life, which empowers them to take charge of their symptoms and to refuse the sense of victimization and powerlessness that symptoms invite.

Other psychological services provided by The Well Being Project: