Depression is far more than just sadness; it is a persistent and often debilitating medical condition that profoundly affects thoughts, motivation, energy levels, and even physical health. For individuals in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and across the greater East Tennessee region, the weight of depression can feel overwhelming, dimming the light of daily life and making even simple tasks seem impossible.
At Riverwalk Recovery Center in Chattanooga, TN, we understand the pervasive impact of depression. We are dedicated to providing compassionate, evidence-based, and person-centered treatment for individuals experiencing all forms of depressive disorders.
Our mission is to offer clinical stabilization and therapeutic healing for those who haven’t found lasting relief through outpatient therapy or primary care support, guiding them toward a path of renewed hope and meaning.
Compassionate, Clinical Support for Major Depression and Mood Disorders
Riverwalk Recovery Center provides a sanctuary for individuals needing stabilization, comprehensive support, and a clear path toward lasting emotional wellness. Our approach is designed to treat the person as a whole, looking beyond just symptom management to address the underlying factors contributing to depression.
We offer specialized care for various forms of depressive disorders, including:
- Major Depressive Disorder (MDD): Providing intensive support for persistent and severe symptoms of depression that interfere with daily life.
- Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia): Addressing chronic, low-grade depressive symptoms that may last for years.
- Depression with anxious or psychotic features: Offering integrated treatment for complex presentations where depression co-occurs with severe anxiety or symptoms like hallucinations or delusions.
- Depression related to trauma or grief: Providing specialized, empathetic care for depression triggered by specific life events, recognizing the unique needs of these populations.
Located in Chattanooga, TN, our center offers a structured and supportive environment where individuals can find the time, care, and clinical insight needed to overcome the challenges of depression.
When Depression Becomes Unmanageable
While everyone experiences periods of sadness, depression becomes a serious concern when it interferes significantly with daily functioning and leads to a profound loss of well-being. It transforms from a feeling into a pervasive condition that impacts every aspect of life.
Depression becomes a crisis when it interferes with:
- Sleep, appetite, or ability to complete daily tasks: Leading to chronic fatigue, significant weight changes, and an inability to maintain personal hygiene or household responsibilities.
- Relationships, work, or self-care: Causing social withdrawal, difficulty performing at work or school, and neglecting personal needs.
- Causes suicidal thoughts, hopelessness, or loss of interest in life: These are critical warning signs that require immediate professional intervention.
For people experiencing treatment-resistant depression, who have tried multiple therapies or medications without sustained relief, the journey can feel incredibly discouraging, even shameful.
Riverwalk Recovery Center offers a vital reset, providing dedicated time, compassionate care, and profound clinical insight. We focus on rebuilding purpose, regulating the nervous system (which is often dysregulated by chronic depression), and reconnecting patients with hope and meaning in their lives.
Depression in East Tennessee and the Greater Chattanooga Area
Depression is a significant public health challenge in Chattanooga and across East Tennessee, reflecting a widespread need for accessible and effective treatment. High rates of untreated depression persist among various vulnerable populations in our local communities, including adults aged 25–55, mothers of young children, veterans, and those in low-income communities.
In East Tennessee, communities often see the intersection of mental illness with substance abuse, as economic hardship, the opioid crisis, and generational trauma intertwine.
Additionally, Tennessee has one of the highest proportions of citizens living in areas with shortages of mental health professionals—over 3.2 million Tennesseans live in counties lacking adequate mental health services—often leading to delayed or inadequate treatment. The state’s suicide rate is also high, with 1,161 Tennesseans dying by suicide in a recent year.
This highlights the severe consequences of untreated depression and the urgent need for intervention.
What We Treat
At Riverwalk Recovery Center, we provide comprehensive and specialized care for individuals with various complex presentations of depression, understanding that each person’s journey is unique. We offer support for severe or chronic depression that hasn’t responded to outpatient therapy, as well as those with co-occurring anxiety, PTSD, grief, or trauma-related disorders.
We also provide a safe and supportive environment for stabilization and healing for those with suicidal ideation or self-injury risk. Our expert psychiatric team specializes in optimizing medication regimens for individuals with medication-resistant depression or past difficulty with antidepressant management.
We also address co-occurring substance use or loss of function due to mood symptoms, recognizing the complex interplay between depression and other behavioral health issues that impact daily life.
Depression Treatment Approach at Riverwalk
At Riverwalk Recovery Center, our approach to depression treatment is comprehensive, multidisciplinary, and evidence-based, designed to stabilize mood, address underlying causes, and foster long-term well-being.
Get the Help You Need & Deserve
Individualized Psychiatry & Medication Management
Our treatment begins with a thorough evaluation by our expert psychiatric providers to determine optimal antidepressants or mood stabilizers. We focus on careful titration and monitoring to reduce side effects and support a positive response, ensuring that medication is used with precision and integrated responsibly into your overall treatment plan.
Integrated Therapy Modalities
Therapy is an essential component of depression treatment, helping individuals develop coping skills and manage symptoms. Our programs utilize a diverse array of clinically proven, evidence-based therapies:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Helps clients identify and challenge negative thought patterns that contribute to depression, teaching them to reframe anxious thinking and develop healthier coping strategies.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Fosters psychological flexibility by helping clients accept difficult thoughts and feelings rather than fighting them, while committing to actions aligned with their values and life goals.
- EMDR and Trauma Therapy: When depression is rooted in adverse experiences or past trauma, we integrate Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and other trauma-informed therapies to help clients process and heal from these underlying wounds.
Daily Routine and Clinical Milieu
Structure, stability, and rhythm are critical for depressive recovery. Our programs incorporate a structured daily routine and therapeutic milieu. On-site clinicians provide daily check-ins, ensuring consistent support and monitoring. Support groups offer a peer environment for sharing experiences and reducing isolation, and skills training empowers clients with practical tools for emotional regulation and relapse prevention. We also emphasize restorative routines, including healthy sleep hygiene, balanced nutrition, and community-building activities to support overall well-being.
We are ready to help. Let’s get started on your tomorrow.
Most Insurance Accepted
We work with most major insurance carriers and offer a range of options to fit your lifestyle and financial means
Levels of Care for Depression Treatment
Riverwalk Recovery Center offers a comprehensive continuum of mental health care, ensuring that individuals receive the right level of support at every stage of their healing journey for depression.
Residential Mental Health Program
We partner with our sister facility, Summit at Harmony Oaks, in nearby Newport, TN, to provide a Residential Mental Health Program. This offers 24/7 supervised care in a peaceful, clinical setting and is ideal for individuals needing acute stabilization, medication initiation or adjustment, and daily clinical programming away from external stressors.
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
Serves as a step-down from residential care or as a primary intensive treatment option. It offers structured full-day treatment (typically 5–6 hours/day) with continued psychiatric oversight and clinical engagement, while allowing clients to live off-site, often in comfortable partnered supportive housing.
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
A flexible step-down option for those transitioning back into life, work, or school. Clients engage in therapeutic sessions 3–5 days per week, supporting their reintegration while maintaining robust clinical support.
Step-down model: Our comprehensive step-down model allows patients to build confidence and coping skills progressively before full discharge, ensuring a seamless transition and sustained well-being.
Specialized Services for Depression
Our commitment to holistic healing extends beyond core therapies, integrating a range of specialized services to support comprehensive well-being for individuals with depression.
Nutrition and Physical Wellness
We emphasize the connection between physical and mental health. Our programs incorporate education on balanced meals, gentle movement, and crucial sleep hygiene practices to support overall well-being and combat the physical symptoms of depression.
Psychoeducation and Relapse Prevention
Empowering clients with knowledge is key to long-term recovery. We provide psychoeducation on managing thought spirals, tracking warning signs of relapse, and building personalized crisis plans to maintain stability.
Family Involvement
Depression impacts the entire family system. We offer family involvement through education and counseling sessions, helping loved ones understand the realities of depression and learn how to best support the healing dynamics at home.
Peer Connection and Group Therapy
Combatting the isolation, shame, and distorted self-perceptions often associated with depression. Group therapy fosters a sense of community, allowing individuals to connect with peers who share similar experiences, reducing feelings of loneliness and providing invaluable mutual support.
Why Riverwalk Recovery Center is Different
Choosing the right treatment center for depression is a critical decision. Riverwalk Recovery Center in Chattanooga stands out as a premier choice due to our specialized approach and unwavering commitment to individualized care.
We are not a general psychiatric hospital—we’re a mental health facility purpose-built for deep therapeutic work. Our calm, therapeutic setting is designed to reduce overwhelm and foster emotional safety, creating an environment where true healing can flourish. Our experienced staff is extensively trained in managing depression, suicidality, trauma, and grief, ensuring expert and compassionate care for complex presentations.
Riverwalk Recovery Center is fully licensed in Tennessee and conveniently located in Chattanooga, making us easily accessible from across the region. We work with most major insurance providers and offer clear, honest pricing for private pay options, ensuring transparency and accessibility.
Take the First Step Toward Relief
If you or someone you love is struggling with depression that won’t lift, or if you’ve been surviving in silence, Riverwalk Recovery Center is here to help. Our specialized programs in Chattanooga, TN, offer comprehensive, evidence-based care designed to stabilize mood and foster lasting emotional balance.
Contact our admissions team to begin a confidential screening and explore treatment options. You don’t have to keep surviving in silence—healing starts with one call. Our compassionate team is available 24/7 to listen, answer your questions, and guide you toward the support you need.
Take the courageous first step toward lasting relief today.
Frequently Asked Questions About Depression Treatment in Chattanooga, TN
What types of depression do you treat?
Riverwalk Recovery Center treats various forms of depressive disorders, including Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia), depression with anxious or psychotic features, and depression related to specific life events like postpartum or trauma/grief. We also address depression that co-occurs with other mental health conditions or substance use.
Is medication always necessary for depression treatment?
Medication, particularly antidepressants or mood stabilizers, can be a highly effective component of depression treatment for many individuals, especially when combined with therapy. However, it is not always required. Our psychiatric team provides expert evaluation and medication management, and we will discuss all options with you, including therapy-only approaches, to create a personalized plan that aligns with your needs and preferences.
How long does depression treatment typically last?
The duration of treatment varies based on individual needs, the severity and chronicity of symptoms, and the level of care. Our Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) can range from several weeks to several months, with ongoing outpatient support extending for longer. Your personalized treatment plan will outline the recommended duration.
Do you treat severe depression with suicidal thoughts?
Yes, Riverwalk Recovery Center provides a safe and supportive environment for individuals experiencing severe depression, including those with suicidal ideation or self-injury risk. Our programs offer clinical stabilization and intensive therapies designed to manage these acute symptoms and foster safety and healing. For immediate crisis, always call 911 or 988.
What if my depression is linked to trauma?
Riverwalk Recovery Center is deeply rooted in Trauma-Informed Care. We recognize that depression can often be rooted in adverse experiences or past trauma. Our programs integrate specialized trauma therapies like EMDR and trauma-focused CBT to help you process these underlying wounds, providing a more comprehensive path to lasting relief from depression.
Take the courageous first step toward lasting peace and balance today. Call Riverwalk Recovery Center confidentially
Contact us for help today
We Have A Program To Fit Your Lifestyle
Whether you are struggling with depression, addiction, an eating disorder or some combination of these, we can help. All you need to do is make the first move and reach out to us. Let’s get you better, together.