Biblical, Holistic, and Psychological Counseling and its Effect on Women with Depression in the United States

By: Tahleen Wright

My Goal

• My primary goal is to look at how biblical, psychological, and holistic counseling methods differ and why they cannot be combined (specifically in regards to counseling women with depression).

What is Depression?• By definition depression is

defined as, “mental illness or mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for an extended period of time.”

• Depression is caused by a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and other factors.

What is Depression? (Cont)Symptoms of Depression Include:

• Little interest or pleasure in doing things• Feeling down, depressed or hopeless• Feeling tired or having little energy• Poor appetite or overeating• Feeling bad about yourself, 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 in that you are 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

Women & Depression

• Depression in women is very common. In fact, women are more than twice as likely to develop clinical depression as men.

• This means that up to one in four women is likely to have an episode of major depression at some point in life.

How can Depression be Treated?

There are Three Main Forms of Counseling:

• Psychological Counseling

• Holistic Counseling

• Biblical Counseling

Works Cited (Images)• "Counseling Options." Frostburg. Frostburg State University,

n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2014. <http://www.frostburg.edu/counsel/?forceAbsoluteURLs=false&skipGA=false>.

• "Depressed Woman." DrAxe. DrAxe.com, 2 Apr. 2015. Web. 8 Apr. 2014. <http://draxe.com/category/depression/>.

• "Sad Smiles." Clear Mind Group. Clear Mind Group, 1 Mar. 2012. Web. 8 Apr. 2014. <http://clearmindgroup.blogspot.com/2012/03/depression-common-but-not-normal.html>.

Works Cited (Research)• Beck, James R. "Collaboration between Biblical Studies and

Counseling: Five Crucial Questions." Journal of Psychology & Christianity 25.2 (2006): 101-10. Academic Search Alumni Edition. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.

• Bulkley, Ed. Why Christians Can't Trust Psychology. Eugene: Harvest House, 1994. Print.

• Cass, Hyla. "Women and Depression: Choosing Complementary Care." Total Health (1999): 33-39. Academic Search Alumni Edition. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.

• Formanek, Ruth, and Gurian Anita, eds. Women and Depression: A Lifespan Perspective. New York: Springer, 1987. Print.

• McGrath, Ellen, ed. Women and Depression: Risk Factors and Treatment Issues. Washington D.C.: APA, 1990. Print.

Works Cited (Research) Cont.• National Institute of Mental Health U.S. Depression: What Every

Woman Should Know. Washington D.C.: National Institute of Mental Health, 1995. Print.

• Stensrud, Robert, and Kay Stensrud. "Holistic Health through Holistic Counseling: Toward a Unified Theory." Personnel & Guidance Journal 62.7: 421-24. Academic Search Alumni Edition. Web. 1 Apr. 2014.

• Weissman, Myrna M., ed. The Treatment of Depression: Bridging the 21st Century. Washington D.C.: American Psychopathological Association, 2001. Print.

Further Questions• Does my theme and information seem clear and concise?

• Am I focusing on too many counseling methods? Should I narrow them down to just two?