The complaint of depression frequently leads people to seek treatment. Often demoralization or discouragement might be a better descriptive term for the mood they are experiencing. Rather than an illness, the negative mood is in response to life difficulties such as in relationships, work, adjustment to change. Dr. MacRoy approaches this difficulty by reviewing with a client the history and circumstances of their negative mood, the impact on the client and significant others, and what self help measures they have taken prior to seeking treatment. Treatment also addresses patterns of thought and responses to life circumstances which underlie the mood problem. Dr. MacRoy believes that people have the capacity and resilience to change their coping/management styles in a positive manner.
Although many, if not most, people experience improvement without medication, when appropriate Dr. MacRoy collaborates with a client’s physician or psychiatrist to monitor and assess the effectiveness of prescribed medication. A vast body of research indicates that, especially for mild to moderate depressive symptoms, psychotherapy is as effective as medications. Additionally, the research indicates that there is a much higher relapse rate for people who only use medication.