“ A leader is a dealer in hope. ” - Napolean

Here are a few handouts that I've put together over the years to provide background information about depression.  The development/maintenance diagram is probably the handout here that I use most - both to explain issues about depression and also for many other psychological disorders as well. 

“ The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt. ” - Frederick Buechner

Here are a series of forms that I use almost every session with clients, or for screening and orientation at the start of therapy:

“ God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. ” - Reinhold Niebhur (adapted)

Making a formal psychological diagnosis can be a mixed blessing. It has several potential advantages. If many of my symptoms can be accurately grouped under a specific psychological diagnosis, it may well help to understand what is happening, to clarify the likely time course of my symptoms, and to choose treatments that have the best chance of being effective. It's worth noting that often people suffer from more than one psychological disorder at the same time - this is called comorbidity and it is common.

The young man sitting in front of me thought he was going mad.