Therapist Questions for Depression

In this article, we will be discussing therapist questions for depression, questions for depression, how to answer your therapist’s questions and frequently asked questions about depression.

When one comes into a therapy clinic, the client or the client’s company (possibly for minor clients or for those unable to speak) will be asked several questions regarding the individual’s background and health, including mental conditions.

Before someone is diagnosed with depression or any psychological disorder, clinicians make assessments and conduct tests and evaluations.  

Some tools such as battery of tests, test questionnaires, mental status examination forms used are adopted from other mental health professionals, others have been widely used as it is established while others produce their own. But it should be a reliable and a valid instrument before utilizing it in the practice.

Questions your therapist might ask

–          What made you seek therapy?

–          How have you been coping with the issue/s you encountered or encountering that led you to therapy?

–          Have you been to therapy before?

–          What was it like growing up as a child in your home?

–          Have you ever thought of injuring yourself or ending your life?

–          How have you been getting along with others?

–          What do you anticipate and hope to achieve in the therapy?

Therapist Questions for Depression

In clinics, there are different tools mental health professionals use before they begin their first appointment or when in the middle of intervention or sessions with their client.

Here are a few:    

The following statements/questions from Patient Health Questionnaire (Kroenke, Spitzer, Williams, & Löwe, 2010) pertaining to the client’s past two weeks will be asked to them and should be answered with the responses not at all, several days, more than half the days or nearly everyday:

–	Little interest or pleasure in doing things.
–	Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless.
–	Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much.
–	Feeling tired or having little energy.
–	Poor appetite or overeating.
–	Feeling bad about yourself—or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down.
–	Trouble concentrating on things such as reading the newspaper or watching television.
–	Moving or speaking so slowly that other people could have noticed? Or the opposite—being so fidgety or restless that you have been moving around a lot more than usual.
–	Thoughts that you would be better off dead or of hurting yourself in some way.

If you answered above, the question how difficult have these made you work with things at home, in school at work or get along with others should be answered with the following:

–          Not difficult at all

–          Somewhat difficult

–          Very difficult

–          Extremely difficult

Beck Depression Inventory – Second Edition (Dozois, & Covin, 2004) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger, 2010). The statements below should be answered according to frequency of the experience.

Never	Sometimes	Frequently	Almost Always
I feel pleasant.	1	2	3	4
I feel nervous and restless.	1	2	3	4
I feel satisfied with myself.	1	2	3	4
I wish I could be as happy as others seem to be.	1	2	3	4
I feel like a failure.	1	2	3	4
I feel rested.	1	2	3	4
I am “calm, cool, and collected.”	1	2	3	4
I feel that difficulties are piling up so that I cannot overcome them.	1	2	3	4
I worry too much over something that really doesn’t matter.	1	2	3	4
I am happy.	1	2	3	4
I have disturbing thoughts.	1	2	3	4
I lack self-confidence.	1	2	3	4
I feel secure.	1	2	3	4
I make decisions easily.	1	2	3	4
I feel inadequate.	1	2	3	4
I am content.	1	2	3	4
Some unimportant thought runs through my mind and bothers me.	1	2	3	4
I take disappointments so keenly that I can’t put them out of my mind.	1	2	3	4
I am a steady person.	1	2	3	4
I get in a state of tension or turmoil as I think over my recent concerns.	1	2	3	4

Cognitive-behavioral therapy aims to intervene in thoughts and behaviors that are contributing to the distressing symptoms and emotions of a person. The Antecedents, Behavior and Consequences (ABC) Model help both parties identify the issue and work from there.

This therapy facilitates the person in identifying and examining their thoughts by asking the following questions that pertains to:

Antecedents:

–          What did you feel before doing it? (affective)

–          What did you physically feel before it happened? Did you feel uncomfortable or sick in any way? (Somatic)

Behavior:

–          What did you feel after doing it? (Affective)

–          Did you feel any bodily sensations after it happened such as shaking? (Somatic)

Consequences

–          Did this behavior startle you or significantly catch your attention in some way?

–          Can you identify the good that happened as a result of the behavior?

These questions and tools are just one of the many examples used by therapists during sessions with clients. A therapist may also create their own, adopt their colleagues’, or opt to utilize established tests and questionnaires.

These questions may be asked verbally during sessions, by using pen and paper or computer-assisted testing. Some may also be answered through a battery of tests which may take more time than expected.

How to answer your therapist’s questions      

Mental health professionals vary on their approaches in therapy. While this is so, it is important to know what to expect and how you hope the therapy will go as you move forward. If you are not sure yet, it will be good and will be easier by letting your therapist know about this.

Therapists may ask a lot of open-ended questions. Being ready and willing to answer their question will facilitate the process. This is also one of the many ways therapists do to make the client feel comfortable and safe during sessions as the client therapist relationship is also key to having an efficient intervention.  

While you want the therapy to go smoothly on the first session, there are times or even other people who are not yet ready to be as open and honest as they can during the first appointment. However, therapists are more eager to make you feel more comfortable than make you feel uneasy, especially during the first appointment.

There might also be questions that you are not ready to answer yet or not willing to open to your therapist and that is okay. You have the right for privacy and you can disclose only what you are comfortable to your therapist.

Moreover, note that the therapy session is a safe haven. It is a place where this person is keen to listen and acknowledge your condition and your stories and is willing to help you in the best way possible to better your condition.

If you feel uncomfortable with the process, especially during the first session, that is fine. This is a normal thing for others especially during the first time, especially for those who are reserved or anxious. Nevertheless, there will come a moment you will feel to be in sync or complementary with your therapist. If not, do not worry as you will eventually find one that matches you.

A person might also feel uncomfortable and even worse during the first few sessions. This is possible and do know it is normal. Sometimes it takes time for the therapy to work well and better for the client and even for the therapist. So patience, openness and willingness are keys.

BetterHelp: A Better Alternative

Those who are seeking therapy online may also be interested in BetterHelp. BetterHelp offers plenty of formats of therapy, ranging from live chats, live audio sessions and live video sessions. In addition, unlimited messaging through texting, audio messages and even video messages are available here.

BetterHelp also offers couples therapy and therapy for teenagers in its platform. Furthermore, group sessions can also be found in this platform, covering more than twenty different topics related to mental health and mental illness. The pricing of BetterHelp is also pretty cost-effective, especially considering the fact that the platform offers financial aid to most users.

FAQs: Questions Your Therapist Might Ask About Your Depression

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed therapist questions for depression, questions for depression, how to answer your therapist’s questions and frequently asked questions about depression.

References

https://positivepsychology.com/common-therapy-questions/

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/questions-therapist-first-session_l_5d165604e4b082e55368cc5f?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGaIaLRenErh0fLXrCahwCivZ8vB7Y-JZ9kZR70sxtcjHZSOeb05ISGiyYDjWytlxFS1n67b7vJCdvN695i39X9JwvebaCD8DmSl_y5yjhi5axx92t2C4SBLAp7JPCN3F-atd610z4nhbS2xsyJGysIH5w0WO1g4o4NP9BHmqpJN

https://positivepsychology.com/common-therapy-questions/