Pastoral counseling for depression

1. Joy in the Morning: Overcoming
Depression
Mari Plank, Rhema Life Coaching
Become the Very Best YOU!
7755 Center Ave, #1100, Huntington Beach, Ca 92647
877 250 7056

2. You will learn:
• Symptoms of depression
• Causes of depression
• Know your limits as a pastoral counselor
• What is the wholeness approach?
• Empower with God’s love
• Empower with choices
• Strengthen belief system

3. Symptoms of
Depression

4. Depression Inventory
Scale of 1-10 (ten the worse)
Please rate on a scale of 1-10. 10 is the highest
1. loss of interest in favorite activities
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Score_____
2. sadness and or irritability
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Score_____

5. 3. loss of interest or pleasure in everyday
activities
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Score_____
4.loss of appetite—or increase in appetite
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Score_____
5.feeling hopeless, irritable, anxious, or guilty
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Score_____

6. Scale of 1-10 (ten the worse)
6. difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and
making decisions
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Score_____
7. fatigue and decreased energy
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Score_____
8. feeling sad or "empty“
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Score_____

7. Scale of 1-10 (ten the worse)
9. sleep disturbances—either insomnia or excessive
sleeping
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Score_____
10. suicide thoughts or ideations
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
(5 or higher, seek professional help)
Score_____
Total Score: 50 or more, please advise counselee to
seek professional help from a medical doctor or
counseling professional.

8. What causes
depression?

9. Medical causes of depression
• Chemical , brain imbalance
• Medical
• Pharmaceutical
• mixing of prescriptions
• side effect of medication
• Geriatric
• Spirit of depression
• Can lead to clinical depression

10. Nutritional causes of depression
• Sugar and refined products impact our brain function
including mood, cognitive processes, problem solving
• Sugar consumption also triggers a cascade of chemical
reactions in your body that promote chronic
inflammation. In the long term, inflammation disrupts
the normal functioning of your immune system, which is
linked to a greater risk of depression
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/01/
21/sweetened-beverages-increase-depression-risk.aspx
• Recommend 10 day detox to clients, cutting out sugar ,
processed foods and caffeine.

11. Other causes of depression
• Situational
• Loss, change or grief
• Frozen rage
• Spirit of depression
• Generational curses

12. Know your limits

13. How is the clients
functioning?
High
Moderate
Low

14. When do I refer?
• When you are not
comfortable
• When client functioning
goes higher than a 5 on
depression inventory
• Document your referral
and clients cooperation.
Who, what, when.

15. Who do I refer to
and why?
• We refer to a licensed
physician or psychiatrist
for medication
evaluation. They are
the only ones who can
prescribe medication.
• Clients safety is priority
• State of California will
hold you accountable if
client safety is
compromised.

16. Wholeness
approach
addresses our 3
part being.
• Depression is a multi-
dimensional issue and
should be dealt with
accordingly.
• Our approach should
incorporate all three
aspects:
• body (physical)
• soul (mind, feelings,
intellect)
• spirit

17. The wholeness approach: Body
• Nutrition
• Exercise
• Medical reasons
3 John: 2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper
in all things and be in health just as your soul
prospers.

18. The wholeness approach: Soul
• Soul: (nephesh) a life, living being, self,
person, personality, inner desires and feelings.
• Prov. 10: 3. The Lord will not allow a righteous
soul to famish. 3 John 3
Prov. 13:2, 3 A man shall eat well by the fruit of
his mouth. I have talked myself out of feeling
depressed.

19. The wholeness approach: Soul
Prov. 23:7 As a man thinks so he it.
Correct negative thought patterns, it is an
effective treatment for anxiety disorders,
depression, relationship problems and even
overeating. Rick Warren

20. How we distort our thoughts
1. Over generalize
2. Think with our feelings. Assume feelings is
true
3. Predicting the future, worse case scenario
4. Blame self or others
5. Denial
6. Focusing on negative

21. What is the
wholeness
approach?
BODY SOUL
SPIRIT

22. Wholeness
approach
addresses our 3
part being.
• Depression is a multi-
dimensional issue and
should be dealt with
accordingly.
• Our approach should
incorporate all three
aspects:
• body (physical)
• soul (mind, feelings,
intellect)
• spirit

23. Part 1:Body
BODY

24. Nutrition can
cause depression

25. The wholeness approach: Nutrition
• Lots of refined sugar and refined
carbohydrates (meaning white bread, pasta,
rice and most processed foods,) is also linked
with depression because these foods not only
supply very little in the way of nutrients but
they also use up the mood enhancing B
vitamins; turning each teaspoon of sugar into
energy needs B vitamins.

26. The wholeness approach: Nutrition
con’t
• In fact, a study of 3,456 middle-aged civil
servants, published in British Journal of
Psychiatry found that those who had a diet
which contained a lot of processed foods had
a 58% increased risk for depression, whereas
those whose diet could be described as
containing more whole foods had a 26%
reduced risk for depression.
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2011/
07/13/why-sugar-is-dangerous-to-depression/

27. Medical reasons
can cause
depression

28. The wholeness approach: Medical
Side effects of:
• Medication
• Illnesses
• Geriatric (elderly)
• Hormonal
• Post partum depression
• Chemical imbalance

29. Lack of exercise
can cause
depression

30. The wholeness approach: Exercise
Improved self-esteem is a key psychological benefit
of regular physical activity. When you exercise,
your body releases chemicals called endorphins.
These endorphins interact with the receptors in
your brain that reduce your perception of pain.
Endorphins also trigger a positive feeling in the
body, similar to that of morphine. For example,
the feeling that follows a run or workout is often
described as "euphoric." That feeling, known as a
"runner's high," can be accompanied by a
positive and energizing outlook on life

31. Part 2:Soul
BODY SOUL

32. The wholeness approach: Soul
• Soul: (nephesh) a life, living being, self,
person, personality, inner desires and feelings.
• Prov. 10: 3. The Lord will not allow a righteous
soul to famish. 3 John 3
Prov. 13:2, 3 A man shall eat well by the fruit of
his mouth. I have talked myself out of feeling
depressed.

33. Depression can be
caused by grief

34. Depression caused by grief
• loss of a loved one in death or divorce,
displacement due to a natural disaster such an
earthquake
• loss of limb ,mastectomy loss of sensory
• loss of hoped-for event that does not
materialize

35. Depression caused by grief con’t
• the diminishment of perceived options (e.g.,
inability to follow a certain career path),
• loss of specific types of freedoms, or the
collective loss one can experience when there
is a local or national tragedy

36. Depression can be
caused by our
thoughts

37. Our thoughts contribute to depression
Prov. 23:7 As a man thinks so he it.
Correct negative thought patterns, it is an
effective treatment for anxiety disorders,
depression, relationship problems and even
overeating. Rick Warren
The more I think about how depressed I am, the
more depressed I feel.

38. Depression can be caused by distorted
thoughts
1. Over generalize
2. Think with our feelings. Assume feelings is
true
3. Predicting the future, worse case scenario
4. Blame self or others
5. Denial
6. Focusing on negative

39. Part 3:Spirit
BODY SOUL
SPIRIT

40. The wholeness approach: Spirit
1. Pray regularly research shows prayer calms
stress and enhances brain function.
2. Attitude of Gratitude, I Thes. 5:16-18
3. Think on God’s character
4. Stay in fellowship, community,
5. Speak God’s promises out loud
6. His Word frames our world Heb. 11:3

41. The wholeness approach: Spirit
Gratitude:
Yale University research study evaluated more
than 2,000 veterans between the ages of 60
and 96 to assess which traits helped them age
successfully. Gratitude and purpose were the
most significant traits associated with
successful aging. R.H. Pietrzak, J. Tsai, et. Al,
“Successful Aging among Older Veterans in
the United States.

42. Knowledge of
God’s love will
heal low self
esteem and
unworthiness

43. Deep, intimate
knowledge of
God’s love will
heal low self
esteem.
• People who are
depressed may feel
unworthy, unloved.
• Our identity in Christ
gives unconditional love
and acceptance,
confidence, hope, joy,
peace, wisdom and
grace.

44. •I am loved and blessed with every spiritual
blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
Eph. 1:3
•I am loved because I am chosen in Him
before the foundation of the world. Eph. 1:4
•I am loved so I am holy and without blame
before Him in love. Eph. 1:4

45. • I am loved and I am accepted in the Beloved.
Eph. 1:6
• I am loved and I am a vessel of honor, clean
and useful for the Master, 2 Timothy 2:21
• I am loved and nothing can separate me from
his love. Rom. 8:39
• I am loved so Christ dwells in my heart
through faith and I am rooted and grounded
in love. Eph. 3:17

46. Empower with
choices.

47. We have the
ability to choose
• Small choices can are
the pathway to bigger
victories.
• God has given us the
ability to choose life or
death. Deut. 30: 19
• Feeling powerless
increases depression
and depression
increases powerless.
• God’s promises will help
us to feel powerful in
Him.

48. Empower with Choices
• I can choose to think on the good, the lovely
things in my life, Phil 4:8
• I can choose to be thankful
• I can talk to a nutritionist
• I can talk to my doctor
• I can change my beliefs
• I can forgive
• I can make small steps towards wholeness

49. Strengthen belief
system

50. Identify my Negative Beliefs
• What do I think about myself? What does God
say?
• What do I think about the situation? What
does God say?
• What do I think about my future? What does
God say?
• What could I do to change my situation?

51. God’s Truth to Combat Depression
• I am accepted and chosen in the Beloved. Eph. 1:1-4
• God will strengthen, help and uphold me. Isaiah 41:10
• God’s grace is sufficient, in my weakness He is strong.
2 Cor. 12:9
• God will help me with heavy burdens and give me rest.
His yoke is easy. Matt. 11:28
• God is in my midst, He will rejoice over me and quiet
me with his love Zeph. 3:17
• Come boldly to the throne of grace and obtain mercy in
time of need. Heb. 4:16
• Feed on his faithfulness and delight myself in the Lord
Ps. 37:4