The big problem with depression is that very often people who suffer from it cannot find any valid reason for it; they are just depressed and don’t know why; they cannot get out of their depression alone. 

A residential tutor, living with the family full time, has the time to get to know the child very well, can readily feel what his pupil is feeling all the time and can help them find out the reasons for their depression. Once he knows the pupil – and only by living with his pupil full-time can he do so – he can try to find out what is causing these feelings. Without over-analyzing the cause, he can inspire the child by his presence and outlook on life. Clearly a tutor who tutors a child on an hourly basis has no hope whatsoever of doing this. 

By playing the child’s favourite games, going to the cinema together, doing sports together the tutor gets into the child’s inner thoughts and feelings and can try and get rid of the depression. Once the source of the depression is no longer the focus – and very often the causes are very irrational – the tutor can persuade his pupil to see for himself that there is no reason to be depressed and he can direct his energies to creative activities. 

Clearly the tutor has to get to know the pupil very well in order to be able to help and only by spending all day every day over a few weeks does the tutor have a chance of doing this. Residential tutors are the answer to this and Tutors from England have had great success in helping their pupils get over their depression so that it is a thing of the past.

Read more about a teen's struggle with depression in our Tutor Talks.