Knoxville Depression Counseling

Depression Therapy – Counselors, Coaches and Therapists in Knoxville

In 2014, about 6.7 percent of Americans suffered from a major depressive episode (adaa.org). Millions of people suffer through depression every day, but many never reach out for help, while some people wait months or years to seek help. Thriveworks Knoxville counselors are ready to see you as soon as tomorrow. You don’t have to suffer any longer.

Portraits of Depression

Janelle used to love her job working for the city’s tourism department, but lately she has found it difficult to make decisions that used to come easily to her. Her workload is piling up, and the former stream of encouraging emails has transformed into reminders of repeatedly missed deadlines.

She goes directly to her apartment after work and doesn’t answer her phone when her friends call, since she feels bad about spending half of the conversation apologizing for “dumping” her feelings on them. Instead, she binge-watches entire seasons of TV shows she doesn’t even particularly like — it’s just a distraction. She could spend her evenings planning for future projects, but she doesn’t think any of her ideas are worth pursuing.

Types of Depression

Depression is debilitating to those who experience it, but it is also a source of pain for the depression victim’s friends and family. Understanding the different types, signs, and symptoms of depression will help you identify what you or your loved one might be going through.

Major depressive disorder, also known as recurrent depression, clinical depression, major depression, or unipolar disorder, impedes a person’s ability to live a balanced lifestyle due to overwhelming negative feelings such as hopelessness, sadness, anxiety, and irritability. Normal activities such as sleeping, eating, enjoying favorite activities, working, and studying can all be disrupted by the overwhelming nature of the disorder.

When feelings of sadness, emptiness, hopelessness, or anxiety persist for more than two years, this is known as persistent depressive disorder. You might also be affected by psychotic depression, depression that occurs in conjunction with irrational beliefs, hallucinations, or other delusions; seasonal affective disorder, which is a state of depression incited by fewer hours of daylight; postpartum depression, the severe depressive state mothers sometimes experience after childbirth; or one of the other forms of depression, including bipolar disorder.

Regardless of which type of depression you are living with, many of the symptoms for each are similar. In addition to feelings of persistent sadness, depression can include the following:

  • Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
  • Irritability and bouts of extreme anger
  • Difficulty falling asleep or waking up
  • Loss of appetite or overeating
  • Slowed thinking
  • Inexplicable aches and pains that don’t lessen with treatment
  • Decreased interest in formerly enjoyable activities
  • Suicidal thoughts (or actual attempts)
  • Persistent fatigue
  • Difficulty in making decisions, large or small
  • Difficulty concentrating or focusing on detailed work

Depression Causes and Treatment

Depression has no target audience. It can strike regardless of age, gender, occupation, orientation, or socioeconomic status. Numerous factors can contribute to the onset of depression, such as biology, genetics, psychological temperament, environment, or traumatic experiences.

The specific sources of depression will vary with each individual, but what is most important is that the individual seeks help. The sooner you seek care, the more effective the treatment will be. It should be understood that depression is more than moody feelings or “the blues.” It’s a serious disorder that an individual can’t simply shake themselves out of.

If you’re experiencing depression, the following are some steps you can take immediately to help improve your outlook:

1. Exercise regularly.
Even if it’s just a casual walk around your neighborhood, an active body means a calmer mind.

2. Socialize and find support.
Confide in a friend or family member who has your best interest in mind. Simply having a judgment-free sounding board will relieve some of the pressure, almost like someone is sharing the load with you. If someone knows what you’re going through, they’ll better be able to help.

3. Expect change to be gradual.
Working through depression isn’t like flipping a switch. It’s a potentially long process, but a rewarding one. The sooner you start, the sooner you will experience relief.

4. Replace the negative with the positive.
It’s much harder to “stop seeing the negative” without replacing it with something positive. If you know a certain activity incites depression, avoid that activity by doing something positive instead.

If you are not the one suffering from depression, but instead are watching your loved one go through the pain of this serious disorder, there are steps you can take. First, extend emotional support. By letting them know their well-being matters to you and that you recognize and acknowledge the negative feelings they are having, you can provide much-needed affirmation and support. Next, encourage them to seek therapy for their depression. Counseling has long been recognized as a highly effective method for treating depression, but sometimes it takes a little encouragement before a person is ready to reach out to a professional. Finally, if your loved one talks of suicide, take it seriously. Help them get help immediately.

Once in counseling, the therapist will assist you or your loved one in determining the root cause of the depression, developing healthy skills for managing any persistent depression, and changing negative thoughts and attitudes that may be exacerbating the depression.

Why Choose Thriveworks Knoxville Depression Counseling?

At Thriveworks Knoxville Counseling, we believe it should be easy to obtain quality therapy when you need it. It’s one of our founding principles. Therefore, Thriveworks Knoxville counselors operate on a strict no waiting list policy, which means that when you call to schedule your first appointment, you’ll talk to an actual person (not an answering machine) who will help you find a session within the week (if not within 24 hours). Depression is an overwhelming burden to carry alone. Let Thriveworks Knoxville depression counseling share the weight.

Further Reading
“Depression: Understand the Facts.” Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Adaa.org.

Thriveworks Counseling Knoxville

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Overall Rating: 5★★★★★ based on 19 5 1 19 reviews. See all reviews
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Justin Hall was great

★★★★★
I saw Justin for assistance with OCD. He showed me how to look at things in a way that did not allow my OCD to take over. I will would highly recommend him.
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Anxiety

★★★★★
I have been taking my 7 year old grandson to see Justin. He had horrible anxiety. It saddened us to see how bad it was. He had developed tics. Justin was absolutely wonderful with him. He has overcome most of his fears and tics have went away. I would highly recommend Justin.
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Cannot Recommend Enough

★★★★★
Going to Thriveworks for the past year and a half has been the most rewarding counseling experience I’ve had. Seeing Lindsey has had the single biggest impact on my emotional and mental health, especially in healing from past childhood abuse and trauma, and ongoing PTSD. Out of multiple counselors in two states, Lindsey Chandler is by far the one with whom I’ve felt the most accepted, supported, and encouraged by. I am grateful for the Thriveworks space, as it is not at all clinical nor intimidating, but entirely warn and welcoming. It is nearly a scent-free environment, which is vital for the comfort of any highly sensitive persons. I choose to drive an hour from home each visit specifically to stay loyal to a place where I finally feel safe and valued—where in the past commuting five minutes from home to work with a therapist felt like a chore and an ordeal—and I will continue to do so as I work further toward a healthier me.
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Dr Neal is amazing!!

★★★★★
Dr Neal has helped me more in the last 2 months than any other therapist in the last 5 years. Therapy has become a joy instead of a chore. :)
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Justin Hall

★★★★★
Justin Hall is an excellent therapist. Very easy to talk to and genuinely concerned with the patient.
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Amanda Gilliam

★★★★★
Amanda Gilliam has been such a blessing in helping my daughter deal with her anxiety issues. My daughter is much stronger and confident now thanks to Amanda's expertise,dedication, and just willing to talk about whatever my daughter wants to talk about! Great person to call if you in know someone dealing with anxiety!
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Mrs. Amanda

★★★★★
My son saw “Mrs. Amanda” as he affectionately called her shortly after my marriage ended in a high conflict divorce. My son was 6 years old at the time, so it was difficult for him to process his feelings without knowing how to communicate with us. Amanda Gilliam was always there to listen and provide outlets for him to speak openly about his feelings in a way that could be understood. She is top knotch in my book and I would highly recommend her as a professional!
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Justin Hall

★★★★★
I was in sessions with Justin for about a year and highly recommend him. He has a deep grasp of psychology that he is constantly refreshing and renewing, and he was able to help me a lot in understanding what was driving the emotions and feelings of myself and close family members. He was a great help.
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Karen Trotter

★★★★★
Karen has been so AWESOME in assisting with my daughter’s healing process. It’s been a blessing having so many diverse avenues for myself & my daughter to communicate with Karen & her immediate responses 😘. I tried to rate Karen as 5 + but it wouldn’t let me 😁
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Not the place for me

★☆☆☆☆
I have attended one session alone and a second session with my then girlfriend at her urging me to seek couples therapy, in this session I was basically felt like all the relationship issues were my fault and as I was pressured more and more about my issues I walked out of the session to collect my thoughts as I was being bombarded by both my girlfriend and my therapist. Apparently after I stepped out the therapist told my girlfriend that I was worse than an addict and she was sorry but didn’t feel I was worth attending counseling with, this resulted in the end of that relationship before We even left the office. I have other issues and have realized that I am suffering from depression due to other issues and this has added to my depression. At this point I have no intention of returning to see this counselor or any other counselor there as they have added to my problems leaving me feeling like I am not good enough. Honestly if this is how they make their clients feel then as far as I’m concerned this office shouldn’t even exist. I need to find out how I can be refunded at Least a portion of the money I’ve “wasted” on this experience and hope I can find someone else who is willing to help me work through my issues and not feel persecuted.
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Makes Getting Better Easy

★★★★★
I can't thank Amanda Brooks enough. She's an amazing person and is an amazing place. After calling about 15 therapists and getting immediately turned away, returned my call within the hour and Amanda was hand-picked for me and my situation. I got an appointmentheduled that day. There's ALWAYS time for me andheduling/canceling is never a hassle. There's a therapist on call 24/7 and Amanda always makes time for me when I need it. The office is a lovely, calming place and I always feel comfortable and welcome. It makes getting better easy.
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Amanda genuinely cares

★★★★★
Amanda helped/helps me is so so many ways. No matter what I come into the office with she helps me problem solve and always genuinely cares about what I have to say or about how I feel. I feel like I can come to her with anything and there will be no judgement. She always welcomes me with a smile and helps me dig deep in every session and I couldn't ask for a better support.
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Perfect Therapist for My Child

★★★★★
Amanda Brooks has been a wonderful and supportive therapist for my child who was suffering from depression and anxiety. My child is very picky about who she trusts and Amanda has been the perfect therapist; she immediately put my child at ease and has been there for emotional support whenever we needed her help.
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Definitely Recommend

★★★★★
I have been very pleased with my experience at Thriveworks. Amanda has helped my children and I learn to deal with some major life issues. She has provided us with a listening ear and helpfulsolutions. She has helped us all develop skills to deal with life's ups and downs in a productive, positive way. I highly recommend her!
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Shocked

★☆☆☆☆
Justin was very rude to us when he was the one who didn't listen and made aheduling error. He was inappropriate to me in front of my son. Wouldn't recommend.
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Peace Keeper

★★★★★
Amanda Brooks has been such an excellent help to me throughout the past 2 1/2 years I've had her as my therapist. Ive been able to speak to her like I haven't even my closest friends. She's helped me to work through & over come many different obstacles, as well as past trauma in my lifetime & continues to help me find peace with my past, present & future. She's been my peace keeper through it all.
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Life Changing

★★★★★
Justin Hall has changed my life and the way that I approach it. He has a way of helping one redirect behaviors and ideas in order to improve overall quality of life. I would recommend him to anyone who wants positive change in thinking.
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Helped me out in a bad situation.

★★★★★
My work environment had become extremely difficult over the last 5 years. Justin helped me deal with a very dysfunctional system. Nothing has changes as far as circumstance, but my approach and thinking has changed. Things are much better. Very practical. Would recommend Justin to anyone looking for help.
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Excellent

★★★★★
My experience with Dr. Williams has been more than helpful. I initially came to her for couples counseling, but ended up seeing her one on one and finding my sanity again. My experience has been more than helpful. I highly recommend her.
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  • 10434 Jackson Oaks Way
    Knoxville, TN 37922

  • Mon-Fri:7:30AM-9PM
    Saturday:7AM-6PM
    Sunday:8AM-5PM

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