Light Therapy for Depression: Natural Treatment for Depression

If you’d like to learn more natural, research-backed ways to treat depression and anxiety, check out my course Change Your Brain: Neuroplasticity and Mental Health

Light therapy is an effective natural treatment for depression with less side effects than medication. Multiple peer-reviewed RCT have shown that light therapy is as effective or more effective than medication at treating non-seasonal depression.

In this episode, I’m going to teach you how light impacts your brain and influences your mood and how you can use light therapy as a natural, non-medicinal way to treat seasonal depression (aka winter blues or SAD). I'll also teach you how rigorous research has shown that light therapy can be as effective as antidepressant medication at treating non-seasonal depression.

Check out Bright Light Therapy Lamps at Carex:
Discount code: NUTSHELL20

Check out my favorite books for mental health:

Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC, and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.

About Me:
I’m Emma McAdam. I’m a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and I have worked in various settings of change and growth since 2004. My experience includes juvenile corrections, adventure therapy programs, wilderness therapy programs, an eating disorder treatment center, a residential treatment center, and I currently work in an outpatient therapy clinic.

In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.

Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC
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[riverpsalmdarksteel]

Light therapy has changed my life. I can't express how important it is for depression.

[blazemordly]

Emma emits light to our lives every time she posts.
It’s one thing to find a good therapist, another altogether when she’s a blessing too.

[amann]

Sunlight doesn’t just help prove with SAD, but with normal depression or anxiety too. It does everything you explained in this video.

The sun literally resets my brain and all of its emotions, clears my congestion in my nose, cures my diet pattern. And makes me FEEL more, wherever I’m depressed. I live for the sun

[k.l.]

I can only praise everything said in this video. I have suffered from SAD since I was in my teens (now in my early 40ies), because I live in Sweden where we have really dark winters. Last Christmas I got a large light box, and what a difference it makes! Even my cat sits in front of it and enjoys the light, so I think it works for real 😅😁 I got a similar large model, tested and labelled "best in test" that year.

I take vitamine d, go for walks during my lunch breaks and sit in front of my box all morning. Keeping SAD away that way ☺️

[debanwitahajra]

I am a recent graduate. I had a lot of problems and issues previously. I want to thank you, because as I watched your videos I became aware of what actually happening in my mind that caused so many issues like attention seeking behaviour, poor time management and something as severe as OCD.

Thank you so much Emma ma’am . :)
I am and have been low and in achieving goals (naturally, yes.) Trying to better with help from your videos. You are really so nice.

[SnowCityTarot]

I'm so thankful for your videos. Because of your videos I've become more aware of my mental health. I've been denying my background depression for many years and this year was the last straw. I'd been doing natural alternatives and they worked for a little while but this month I took the plunge and tried wellbutrin and omg... I went from being unable get up off my couch for days to having positive thoughts of the future, difficult tasks don't seem so daunting anymore. It's amazing. I'm also incorporating the natural alternatives as well, I got a red lightbulb for my bedroom to keep my circadian rhythm. My sleep has gotten so much better. I actually dream at night again. Anyway. Thank you for your channel.

[GoADHDGo]

Lighting has a massive effect on my ADHD brain. That’s why I have 15 colored smartbulbs throughout my house.

I can use my iPhone to make each lightbulb any color I want.

I also have a “sunlight” light but for some reason I don’t like it. Not sure why. But I sure love using my colored smartbulbs to enhance my mood.

[SvetlanaMinina]

Light therapy is great, I feel better after 15 minutes of it. My severe psychotic depression didn't get much better with pills, but natural treatments (diet, light therapy, exercise and supplements) changed everything!

[kimwieczorek]

I go to bed real early now to wake up early to get more light. Its working

[needisaymoore]

This video is exactly what I've been needing to hear. I grew up in South Texas and I just moved to Philadelphia. I was raised by hard-working parents so I've been giving myself a hard time about not wanting to do anything and just knowing this is normal for you northerners help me get off my own back. Thumbs up

[picashlio]

100% sleep and light impacts depression. When I was working overnights and early mornings inside a concrete building where I got no sun and had a consequencely poor sleep schedule...I spiraled into depression. When I finally threw my hand up and quit my job entirely (I didn't work for 8 months straight) I was able to reset my sleep schedule to waking with the sun. I found sleep easier and my depression resolved. I no longer take antidepressants now that I sleep more and have a better job with regular hours that allows me to rise with the sun. I also am starting to use a light therapy lamp. It's really a far cry from the last few years where just getting out of bed was an insurmountable chore.

[iboremytherapist]

THERALITE AURA is cheaper on amazon than on the Carex website.
I look forward to you videos, Emma. I wish I had you as my therapist,
but I am still grateful for your videos as they come out.

[nadiaa.b]

I could lay in the sun for ever. I absolutely hate fall and winter, and here in Norway the winter season is so long and dark

[theggre]

You channel is a God-send. Dealing with depression seems unbearable at moments but listening to your videos is very helpful.

[anonanon]

So sad that summer is ending. The number one thing I did when feeling sad was go to a park and lay in the sun. Now it's too cold to do that 😭

[taylorann]

Great reminder to start using my lightbox again.

[vasudevpranadas]

Thank you. I will make sure I get my daily dose of perfect light therapy by getting some sunlight everyday. God is good.

[LBarrioV]

Thank you so much for the discount code. I used it to buy one of their lamps and have just received it. I can't wait to try it out tomorrow. ❤

[Angels-xist]

Good idea to get a bit ahead of any curve we might already be a little behind on. Conscientious and just good thinking. Winter is coming, but there’s no need to be nervous, get a lamp and if you can, get into the sun while you’re able, but don’t worry, it will still be out in the winter too.

[deni]

Went on vacation to beach house for a week spent most of the week in sunlight came back, mood transformed feel awesome for no reasons what’s so ever. Everything she says is absolutely true just got to give it a week outside for 8 hours.