How Does ISTDP Support Healing from Depression?

If you’re struggling with depression, you’re definitely not alone. And if you’ve tried different things but still feel stuck, you’re really not alone.

Many people carry what feels like an invisible weight, a numbness or heaviness that’s hard to explain or shift. That’s where ISTDP (Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy) can help. It’s a compassionate, deeply human approach that helps you heal from the inside out.

Let’s explore how.

What is ISTDP?

ISTDP isn’t your usual talk therapy. Instead, it focuses on gently uncovering the emotions you may have shut down, feelings like anger, grief, or longing, often without even realising you’re doing it.

In depression, these feelings get stuck or hidden away, creating numbness or a heavy fog. ISTDP helps you safely connect with these emotions, bringing them to light so you can begin to process and heal.

It’s not about overthinking or analysing endlessly, it’s about feeling what was once too painful to feel, with someone who really understands and supports you.

Sarah’s Story: “I just feel numb all the time.”

Sarah was 32, with a good job and friends, but inside she felt blank. “I guess I should be happy,” she said early on, “but I’m not really living.”

Instead of rushing to fix the numbness, we explored it together. What was it protecting her from? What feelings were too hard to face?

Over time, Sarah remembered how she learned as a child to hide anger and sadness to keep the peace at home. With care, she started to feel a deep sadness she’d never allowed herself to express.

The moment she cried for the first time in years, something shifted. It wasn’t dramatic — just real. Her numbness slowly began to melt, and her energy and curiosity for life came back.

This wasn’t magic. It was honest emotional work finally unfolding.

Depression as a Protective Shield

It might seem strange, but in ISTDP, depression is often seen not just as a problem, but as a signal.

That tiredness and joylessness might be your mind’s way of protecting you from feelings that once felt overwhelming. Maybe it’s anger you never had space to feel, or sadness that was too painful to show.

ISTDP helps you listen to those signals differently. Instead of avoiding, you learn to meet your feelings with kindness and care.

David’s Story: Finding Life Beyond the Fog

David, in his late 40s, described his depression as walking through fog. He didn’t think much of his childhood, “nothing dramatic,” he said, but he remembered needing to be the “strong one” when his mother struggled.

He was praised for being mature, but it cost him. He learned to silence his own needs and sadness.

In therapy, as David connected with that long-hidden sadness, something shifted. He felt truly seen, not just for what he did for others, but for what he endured.

That connection lifted the fog. David began to feel alive again.

Why ISTDP Works

ISTDP isn’t about surface-level fixes or just managing symptoms. It works at your own pace, combining deep care with clear focus.

It helps you:

• Notice unconscious ways you avoid or block feelings

• Gently reach buried emotions

• Understand how your early experiences shaped your emotional habits

• Break free from the cycle of depression at its roots

And most importantly, it happens in relationship, your therapist is with you, fully present and supportive, every step of the way.

Ready to explore how ISTDP can help you?

I offer one-to-one sessions in Nottingham and online. If you’re curious about this approach and want to find out more, please get in touch.