Efficacy of Psychotherapy for Depression/Anxiety?

You need to attack Anxiety/Depression with the 'Big 5': Medication (if needed), therapy, diet, exercise and good quality sleep. Omitting therapy and focusing on the other 4 will never 'cure' you. You will treat the symptoms, but you will never resolve the underlying issues.

Therapy works if you put a lot of effort into it. You really need a good therapist who you can relate to and open-up to. I have a good one now and he's guided me to discover underlying issues I had which have significantly helped me in resolving my Depression and Anxiety. The journey is not finished yet, but we have made substantial progress. I believe we will get there.

Hi, I done a intensive psychotherapy group which was for approximately 18 months. I got to meet other people who had the same diagnosis of Borderline personality disorder. We had a strong support network as we all got to know each other really well, we helped comfort each other and showed compassion. There were plenty of times when we would clash with other members of the group and tentions would run high but we would have to confront the issues head on with guidance from our support workers and the psychiatrist. Sadly during my time in therapy, one of our group committed suicide and it was a huge blow to our group and it made me doubt whether there really is any hope of living with BPD. We had quite a few incidents that occurred during my time in therapy. Even after I had finished doing the therapy I still find that everyday is still a struggle. I'm on medications which are helping me to be able to cope with my thoughts and feelings even though I do have days that are worse than others, I never know how I'm going to feel from one day to the next. I hope this is what you wanted to know.

Hi Dr.d, you need to find out why these problems are so deep seated and tackle them from very beginning. I am having to have counselling for my problems which were never tackled when they occurred originally. My problems are eventually sortable but it will take a good while. You need to give in and get the help you need.i hope you do. It might be the best move you ever made.

I am 63 Dr.D, so my issues are decades in the making. Therapy needs to be looked at not so much as a procedure, but as a process. I expect I'll be in therapy probably the rest of my life, progressing slowly with each session.

I think it's rare for someone to just reach a point in therapy where everything is understood and resolved. It's a slow process and occasionally you'll have back-steps where you go back to your old ways of thinking. You need to look at it as a continual process of self-improvement, IMO.

Well I have had 10 sessions  each about 45mins of psychotherapy and it hasn,t helped  my depression and anxiety.  he is suggesting I now try CBT  personally I think my medication needs changing  but the psychiatrist wants me to try this first.

I’ve been in therapy for 15 years.   So...I am still in therapy.