Depression affects millions of people, but it doesn’t always look the way we expect. Additionally, treatment for depression involves more than just addressing psychological symptoms — it requires understanding underlying causes and reframing negative thought patterns. Whether you’re experiencing undeniable symptoms or noticing subtle changes in your daily functioning, professional help can make a significant difference.
Yoana Urbina, a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) at Neuro Wellness Spa in Pasadena, shares insights about depression that might surprise you.
“You know, you go to the gym to work on your body — come to therapy to work on your mind,” says Yoana, highlighting how mental health care should be seen as routine, like physical fitness.
One of the most interesting points Yoana makes is that someone can be diagnosed with depression without necessarily feeling sad all the time. She describes these individuals as “functionally depressed” — people experiencing depression that impacts their daily life, self-perception, and relationships, even if they don’t recognize it as depression.
In this helpful video, you’ll learn:
- What Is Depression? From Diagnosis to Treatment
- How Can a Therapist Help With Depression? Understanding Therapeutic Approaches for Depressive Symptoms
- Understanding and Supporting Depression in Women: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatments
- Understanding and Supporting Depression in Men: Signs and Treatments
- Navigating Depression Diagnosis and Treatment: Challenges and Strategies
- Understanding High Functioning Depression aka Persistent Depressive Disorder
Yoana also discusses how gender differences affect depression treatment, noting that men often struggle more with acknowledging depression.
If you or someone you care about is struggling with depression, Neuro Wellness Spa offers comprehensive depression treatment services with expert therapists providing personalized care. Our compassionate team offers therapy, medication management, TMS therapy, and ongoing support for lasting mental wellness. Call (877) 847-3984 today to begin your journey to better mental health.
Yoana Urbina, LMFT, on Depression Treatment
“You know, you go to the gym to work on your body — come to therapy to work on your mind.”
“Hi, my name is Yoana Urbina, I’m a marriage and family therapist, and I work here at Neuro Wellness Spa in Pasadena.”
Can someone be diagnosed with depression but not feel depressed?
“Yes, we can live depressive episodes or a depressive situation that can make us feel depressed. For example, we’re under a lot of stress because our pet got sick, or we’re under a lot of social stress because there’s a lot of changes in our lives. And then, yeah, definitely people can have depression — the diagnosis of depression — without necessarily feeling depressed. And those, I like to call them ‘functional depressed.’”
“Depression itself — when we diagnose depression — it’s impairing our day-to-day, our interactions with people, our personal views of ourselves, and even work or school — if we’re in school.”
How do genders differ in seeking help for depression?
“One of the biggest differences that I notice in genders is with depression, I would say, because anxiety I think is very similar. But with depression, males have a harder time acknowledging it versus females — they’re like here, let me talk about my feelings. And that’s definitely a cultural factor where we see that men grow up with ‘Don’t share your emotions, suck it up.’”
“And that’s definitely very seen in the [therapy] office. It’s like, hey, it’s OK — this is the space to express yourself. Like, it’s OK to seek therapy, it’s OK to ask for help, it’s OK to acknowledge that something’s off.”
How do you overcome cultural stigma around mental health?
“I think as a clinician myself, I try to identify those cultural similarities with my culture, and then kind of hook from there. Yeah, sometimes I’ll get the resistance, but then open that conversation of ‘Hey, for you — for your culture — what was that mental health conversation?’ And it’s usually like, ‘Oh yeah, that was taboo, we didn’t talk about it.’ And so it’s like, ‘OK, let’s normalize it here — let’s make it a topic of conversation.’
And so usually, when they come to therapy, they’re already like, ‘Hey, is this taboo? I’m not talking about it with my family.’ And then it’s very rewarding when I hear them down the line a few sessions and like, ‘Oh, I told my mom or I told my dad or I told my sister.’ That’s very rewarding because then, it’s like, it gets the conversation going.
I mean, one of the things that I do say to my clients when they start therapy is like, ‘I will never tell you what to do, but I will help you see different perspectives to the one situation that you’re experiencing.’ Right? And that’s in hopes that something will click for you.”