Have you suffered from more than one episode of depression?

If “yes,” have you recovered enough to look at ways to prevent future episodes?

When you become sad, do you tend to play the same things over and over in your mind?

Does your thinking rapidly become negative when your mood goes down?

If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, you might find Stress Reduction for Depression helpful.
 

Memorial Counseling Associates offers Stress Reduction for Depression

Stress Reduction for Depression is an eight-week group that provides Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), a treatment that was designed specifically to help people who suffer from depression prevent relapses into future episodes of depression. MBCT combines the mindfulness practices of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) with structured cognitive therapy exercises.

Research has shown that MBCT participants with a history of three or more episodes of depression reduce their rate of recurrence by about half compared to people who receive treatment as usual. People who participate in the program and learn these skills considerably reduce the likelihood that depression will return.

Ruta Kulys, a licensed clinical social worker with more than 17 years experience, will provide instruction in a variety of mindfulness meditation and breathing practices and gentle stretching movements. Group dialogue will also be a key aspect of the program.

For more information about Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, go to www.mbct.co.uk.

General information about the program

The next session of the Stress Reduction for Depression program is scheduled for every Thursday from September 18, 2008 to November 13, 2008 (No meeting on October 9, 2008). The weekly program is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The classes take place at Memorial Medical Center. Most participants are eligible to have the program fee covered by their health insurance. Potential participants are evaluated to make sure the program will meet their needs. Class size is limited.

To register, call Memorial Counseling Associates at (217) 788-4065.

Comments from previous program participants

“I am really shocked at how much my depression has lifted. This is the first time in years I am enjoying living again.”

“The program was a great help. I learned a great deal about options that I was not aware of. The resources learned in the program are incredibly beneficial. The change in myself has been amazing.”

“I had no idea what to expect and almost didn’t participate. I wish I had been able to be a part of a program like this many, many years ago. This has been a very, very hard time in my life, but I would not have made it through without this program.”

“I was truly amazed at the difference this program made in my life. I went into it thinking nothing could help. Boy, was I wrong!”

“I found the group to be the most helpful experience I’ve had in the 20 years I’ve been reading about the lifestyle.”

Can someone benefit from Stress Reduction for Depression if they have not been clinically depressed?
Yes. People can benefit from the program even if they have not experienced clinical depression. We all have times in our lives when we experience difficulty, stress and struggle. Cognitive therapy exercises allow us to identify and work with the automatic, habitual patterns of our minds. Mindfulness practices increase our awareness of our moment-to-moment experience, enabling us to respond rather than react. Although our program is designed specifically to address depression, the mindfulness practices taught in the program have been shown to be beneficial for people who experience chronic pain, hypertension, heart disease, cancer and gastrointestinal disorders, as well as psychological problems such as anxiety and panic.
 

Program Leader’s Biography

  Ruta Kulys received her Masters of Science degree in Social Work from Columbia University in NYC in 1989. She received professional training in 2003 in the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program under the direction of Jon Kabat-Zinn, an internationally acclaimed author, professor and researcher on the topic of mind/body medicine. Ms. Kulys completed additional professional training in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy in 2004. Her interest in mind-body medicine also includes the practice of EMDR (www.emdr.com) therapy for traumatic disorders. She completed Level 2 EMDR training in 2002.

Ms. Kulys has been a practicing psychotherapist for over 17 years and is currently a therapist at Memorial Counseling Associates in Springfield, Illinois. Previously she served as Clinical Director of the Partial Hospital Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago and was the Director of the Stress Reduction Program at Paducah Counseling Center. Ms. Kulys also has expertise in women’s issues, including post-partum depression, and served as a therapist at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Pregnancy and Postpartum Treatment Program for two years.

Click here to read Ruta’s article Meditation, Yoga Can Help - Manage Your Stress and Stay Well, which was published in the Fall 2005 issue of Women’s HeartAdvantage.