Dr. Stacy L. Wright, PSY.D., H.S.P.P.

Yes, absolutely. As always, it’s important to rule out any underlying medical condition first, before treating depression.

That question is very difficult to answer because everyone is different and responds differently to treatment. It also depends on the treatment. Is he taking antidepressant medication? Is he engaged in counseling?
Statistically speaking, medication alone is not as effective as when it's paired with counseling and if you could only choose one, counseling is more effective and more likely to produce long term benefits. Certainly, if you do not (and he does not) see any improvement within 4-6 weeks, I'd suggest discussing your options with your providers.

Being able to explore and talk to a counselor can assist you in uncovering where your intense fear of falling asleep originates. Phobias can typically be traced back to some type of real or perceived trauma. Seeking a good counselor is the best thing you can do to address this fear and overcome it.

If you believe that your grandson will be unable to support himself sufficiently, should something happen to your or your wife, then I would by all means apply. At the same time, many adults with high functioning autism are able to go to school, work, and be very successful in caring for themselves. The psychiatrist should be able to give you his/her opinion on the matter as well. The main goal is that your grandson receive whatever support and resources he needs in order to thrive and live a fulfilling life.

Thyroid issues can certainly contribute to changes in mood. It's most important to communicate these mood swings to your doctor who is treating and monitoring your thyroid issues.

I doubt that those feelings are coming from nowhere. Our emotions are always linked to our thinking. To whom or what is your jealousy directed? What life circumstances and people are these emotions related to in your life? These are issues a counselor can help you work through. Those types of feelings can be normal, however, we should understand where they come from and they certainly aren't healthy to keep around. A counselor can help you learn to sort through those feelings and learn alternative ways of managing negative emotion.

Severe stress can cause this, so can hormone changes. It's best to be evaluated by your primary medical doctor to rule out any other causes. Once you're able to rule out any medical condition, then seeking counseling to assist you with managing the emotional stressors in your life may be very beneficial.

Emotional and mental fatigue can be caused by a number of different things. It's always wise to first be evaluated by a medical professional in order to rule out any underlying medical condition that may be causing your fatigue. If you are cleared medically, then it's time to look at your life and your current stressors. Seeking counseling to gain support in working through difficult circumstances certainly doesn't hurt and may be just what you need to gain some clarity.

Although you're calling it "thinking," it's more than likely that you are worrying. Worry is a precursor to anxiety. Journaling can be helpful, especially before bed. Taking the time to write down everything you can think of that is on your mind is a one way to get it out of your head and onto the paper. This exercise may help you to get some sleep. Prayer is one of the best ways to alleviate worry. It's not possible to pray and worry at the same time. Worry accomplishes nothing and steals everything. Prayer is a much more productive exercise. If you haven't given that a go, I highly recommend it!

I think it all depends on the issues that the counselee presents. Obviously, some issues are more severe than others and would logically require a longer time frame to work through in counseling. It also depends greatly on the client and their willingness to work not only in session but outside of session. Change is hard, there's no magic bullet and it takes time. Typically, both the counselor and the therapist can agree when progress has been made and goals are met. At that time, I often will decrease session frequency gradually, starting at once a week, decreasing to every other week, and then once a month up until counseling is mutually agreed upon to discontinue.

I'm not sure what question you are asking? Are you asking if you should seek counseling for your son? All kinds of things can cause tempter tantrums, from stressful life events to inconsistent discipline. I'd need more information to understand what might be going on with your son. First, make sure you are using consistent discipline methods with your 5-year-old. There's a lot of great resources out there on managing meltdowns. If you adjust your parenting and you still find your child is not able to manage his emotions, I suggest seeking an evaluation by a counselor trained in working with young children.

If you are experiencing nightmares that are disturbing your quality of sleep and impacting your social or occupational functioning, I would certainly recommend seeking at least an updated evaluation by a qualified counselor. If the death of your family member was traumatic, that would account for the PTSD diagnosis and related nightmares. Just because the nightmares have returned doesn't necessarily mean that past counseling wasn't helpful. It sounds like it was helpful at the time it was done. Any number of things could be triggering the current nightmares (even stress) so it's worth getting re-evaluated so you can get back to enjoying your sleep again!

Psychologists are bound by confidentiality laws. For the most part, what is said in counseling, stays in counseling. Client confidentiality is a requirement that therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and most other mental health professionals protect their client's privacy by not revealing the contents of therapy. However, there are a few exceptions. "Duty to warn" is a legal term that requires a counselor to inform third parties or authorities if they have reason to believe that a client poses a threat to him or herself or another identifiable individual. Duty to warn is designed to keep people safe and a counselor is bound by law to violate confidentiality if they believe someone's safety is in jeopardy. So unless you expressed intentions to harm yourself, someone else, OR you named names of others you know who may harm someone, then there should not be a reason for your information to be discussed with anyone without your express permission (typically written permission).

This is an interesting question and the reality is that it greatly depends on the personal and professional style of the counselor. You can call several counselors and ask them to tell you about their counseling style and inquire about whether or not their sessions are structured. It sounds like you'd benefit from a highly structured style of counseling. Oftentimes, the only way to know whether or not a counselor is going to be a good fit is to schedule a session with them and find out first hand.

I can't speak for all psychologists, but I think most understand how difficult it is for people to open up to a complete stranger. There's usually a decent amount of time spent building rapport and a good counselor isn't going to push you past your comfort level with regard to the therapeutic relationship. At the same time, a little pushing is sometimes just what we need to step out and make healthy changes. One thing I'm sure of, if you don't try, you'll never know.

If you are experiencing symptoms of depression, talking with a counselor can be very beneficial in alleviating those symptoms. It's not uncommon for there to be a period of adjustment post-retirement. Retirement can bring a mix of emotions and it's important to have a strategy or plan as you go through the transitioning from structured days of work to the unstructured days of retirement. A mental health counselor will be able to evaluate the source of your depression and assist you in find meaning and purpose in this new season of life.

First and foremost, you should be evaluated by a medical professional. Although chest pain can be related to panic attacks, any underlying medical condition must first be ruled out. If an underlying medical condition is ruled out, then seeking counseling for your anxiety is the best thing you can do. The counselor will help you learn how to decrease your anxious symptoms and ultimately get at the heart of what prompts the anxiety in the first place.