Depression and Mood Disorders:

Symptoms, Screening Tools, and How Therapy Can Help

Depression and mood disorders are among the most common mental health conditions worldwide. Yet, they are often misunderstood. Many people mistakenly believe they need a major life event or a “good reason” to feel depressed. The truth is: you don’t have to have a good reason to feel depressed. Depression isn’t a sign of weakness or a lack of effort — it’s a real medical condition that can make even the simplest tasks feel overwhelming.

Whether you’re experiencing persistent sadness, lack of motivation, irritability, or just feeling “off” without understanding why, help is available. Our therapy services are tailored to help you better understand your emotions, shift unhelpful thought patterns, and reconnect with the people, activities, and goals that bring meaning to your life.

What Are Depression and Mood Disorders?

Depression is a mental health disorder that impacts how you feel, think, and handle daily activities like sleeping, eating, or working. Mood disorders include not only depression but also conditions like Bipolar Disorder, where individuals may experience alternating episodes of depression and elevated moods (mania or hypomania).

Without treatment, depression and mood disorders can significantly affect relationships, work performance, and overall quality of life. Early detection and treatment are critical for long-term recovery.

Common Symptoms of Depression and Mood Disorders

Recognizing the symptoms of depression and mood disorders is the first step toward getting the help you need. Some of the most common signs include:

  • Persistent feelings of sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness

  • Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities

  • Changes in appetite or significant weight changes

  • Sleeping too much or experiencing insomnia

  • Low energy, fatigue, or feeling slowed down

  • Feelings of worthlessness, excessive guilt, or self-criticism

  • Trouble concentrating, making decisions, or remembering things

  • Restlessness, irritability, or agitation

  • Thoughts of death, dying, or suicide

If you recognize these symptoms lasting more than two weeks, it may be time to seek help from a licensed mental health professional.

Screening Tools for Depression and Mood Disorders

Several mental health screening tools are available to help identify symptoms of depression and mood disorders. These tools are not diagnostic but can indicate whether you would benefit from a full mental health evaluation.

  • PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9): A quick and widely used questionnaire to measure the severity of depression.

  • Beck Depression Inventory (BDI): A 21-question survey that evaluates depressive symptoms and intensity.

  • Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ): A screening tool often used for detecting signs of bipolar disorder.

If you complete a depression screening and receive a high score, consider contacting a licensed therapist or healthcare provider for further evaluation and treatment planning.

How Therapy Can Help Depression and Mood Disorders

Therapy for depression and mood disorders can be life-changing. Professional counseling provides a safe, non-judgmental space where you can process emotions, learn coping skills, and address unhelpful patterns that fuel depressive symptoms.

Our therapeutic approach to depression and mood disorders focuses on:

  • Helping you understand and validate your emotions

  • Identifying and challenging negative or distorted thought patterns

  • Teaching coping skills for managing emotional distress

  • Supporting you in rebuilding relationships and re-engaging in meaningful activities

  • Collaborating with other healthcare providers for integrated care if medication is part of your treatment plan

Evidence-based therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and mindfulness practices are often highly effective for managing symptoms and improving overall mental health.

You Deserve Support

If you are experiencing depression or mood disorder symptoms, know that you are not alone — and you deserve support. Seeking help is a powerful and courageous step toward reclaiming your life.

You don’t have to figure this out alone. Contact us today to learn how therapy can help you overcome depression and rediscover a sense of hope, connection, and purpose.

 What to Expect

  • If you’ve received the client portal invitation, log in and check any messages, fill out paperwork, etc.

    Be thinking of what you would like to talk about, or any questions you have. Feel free to write those down and bring them in.

    Verify your insurance. Click here for more information regarding insurance.

  • Our office is tucked beside/behind Ge’Angelo’s in the. Northern Lights Shopping Center.

    We do not have a receptionist, so feel free to have a seat and we will be with you as soon as possible.

    If there is still paperwork to be done, you may be asked to fill out paperwork before your appointment.

    Each therapist has a private office, so you will be with the same therapist in the same office every session. To increase privacy we leave a noise machine on as well as the bathroom light/fan. These are to muffle noises.

    The lighting in the office LED. If you prefer lamps to overhead lighting, let us know and we will be happy to use lamps instead.

    After your appointment we will work together to decide if you would like to schedule another session. We will also determine if that will be scheduled at that time, or if it will be scheduled later. There is no right or wrong way to do it.

  • Be kind to yourself, you’ve done a lot of hard work.

    You are welcome to contact your counselor with any questions/concerns between session. Email or the client portal are the preferred and most direct ways to get in contact. We are generally in with clients and are unable to answer phone calls much of the time. Please be aware we may not be able to return your message for up to 48 hours.

    You can use the client portal to check your appointments or make/change any appointments.

    Contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or visit your local emergency department if you are having thoughts of self harm or suicide. Vivant is not a crisis center.

 Frequently Asked Questions

  • Age ranges are based on individual clinicians.

    Child specific information:

    Sometimes kids are unable to manage more than 30 minutes. Children’s sessions may seem short, but they are still working.

    All child sessions are unique. Sometimes kids have parents/caregivers in the session, other times they do better without parents in the room. Parents/caregivers are almost always involved in the first session, and we will talk about these options.

    If you are bringing an elementary aged child, we ask that you stay in the building during the session if you are not in the session. If there is a concern we will try to accommodate something. We want your child to be safe.

    If you are bringing an older child that gets dropped off, please be aware of the end time (generally 45 minutes for middle school/high school aged kids) so they can be picked up quickly. Again, we want everyone to be safe and we will likely be in session and unable to monitor safety.

  • We treat a variety of diagnoses including, but not limited to, depression, anxiety, ADHD, and PTSD. Our clinicians have extra training in trauma, and am Basic Trained in EMDR.

    We are not licensed to prescribe medications.

  • Yes. Vivant is LGBTQ+ Affirming

  • While we are not faith based, we welcome all faiths.

  • For ongoing clients, scheduling your next appointment can be done at the end of an appointment, through the client portal, or by calling 515-523-5543. Counselors are not always able to accommodate same day appointments.

    Potential Clients can fill out a potential client request on our scheduling page.

  • Read about our insurance/fees/payments here

  • We take your privacy seriously. This is suppose to be a safe space and confidentiality is vital to that. If you want someone to be able to communicate with us about your services. (including billing) you can sign a release of information. This is also something that can be revoked by you at any time. Best practice includes coordinating with your primary care provider, but again, this is your choice.

    HIPAA (Health Insurance Privacy Portability Act) protects your PHI (protected health information). Our emails use HIPAA compliant encryption. Our client portal and our backup telehalth platform are HIPAA compliant.

    Counselors are mandatory reporters. As such we are mandated by law to report any suspected child abuse.

    Child Specific: During our first session we will go over confidentiality with children. It is my practice to keep conversations private and only tell parents general updates (ex: ____was open and talkative today), unless there is a safety concern or something that I feel the parents/caregiver should know. If this is the case, I try to be transparent with that so the child is not caught off guard.

    42 CFR Part 2 affords special protection when talking about substance abuse. Therefore children 14 years of age and older need to sign a specific release of information for parents/caregivers to obtain information from the counselor about anything substance abuse related.

  • While our emails use a HIPAA compliant encryption, it is safest to use our secure portal to communicate with your counselor. You may call 515-523-5433, however this is not the preferred form of communication as we are often in session and unable to answer phone calls.

    We discourage coming in person without an appointment as we may be unable to help you. Our office space is shared with other counselors, but they are unable to see your information and will likely be unable to help.