Dealing with a Young Woman Struggling with Depression
by Bryan Carlson
As biblical counselors, our primary goal is to provide a safe and supportive environment where individuals can share thoughts, feelings, and concerns and to provide real help through the Word of God, prayer, the Holy Spirit, and the fellowship of the Saints. To find out more information, our team would use a variety of means to gather more information, such as:
Assessment Tools: We will use our Personal Intake Form to gather more information about this young woman, her background, her stage of life, her symptoms and their severity, her medical history, her spiritual beliefs and practices, big things going on or big transitions that have taken place recently, and past abuse and trauma.
Medical History: We will ask her about her medical history, including any previous mental health conditions, medications, or treatments.
Personal History: We will ask her about her personal history, including any significant life events, past traumas, or family history of mental illness.
Active Listening: Our team will listen attentively to her and try to understand her concerns, feelings, and beliefs. This involves using active listening skills, such as reflecting back what she says, asking open-ended questions, and seeking clarification. Proverbs 20:5 says, "The purposes of a person's heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out."
Spiritual Life: As biblical counselors, we will inquire about her spiritual life and how it relates to her depression. This involves asking about her faith, prayer life, involvement with other Believers, any serving she does in the Body of Christ, and any spiritual struggles she may be experiencing.
By gathering this information, we will better understand this young woman’s current problem and develop a personalized treatment plan that addresses her unique needs and concerns. It also helps us to identify any underlying issues that may be contributing to her depression and tailor the treatment approach accordingly, including appropriate homework to assign during our times together.
In ongoing meetings, it may be appropriate to bring in other people to the conversation to gain more insight, such as her husband, one or more of her children, or one of her friends to act as an advocate—someone that can provide support, prayer, and ongoing discipleship and accountability. We will discuss the importance of being in a growing, healthy Christian community (Hebrews 10:24-25) and the importance of serving others rather than being served (Matthew 20:26-28; Philippians 2:1-11). We will work to identify any potential sin issue in her life that may be causing the depression and help her understand the importance of confessing sin, putting off sin, and putting on righteousness, and the importance of the renewing of her mind (1 John 1:9; Ephesians 4:22-24; Romans 12:1-2; Philippians 4:8-9). Over time, if it proves that she is not a Believer, we will encourage her to repent of her sin and turn to Christ for forgiveness and salvation.
