A lot of depressed people have anxiety about seeing a professional and simply won't do it. This can come from fear of doctors because of past experiences or possibly they can't even afford professional help. They would be better served by talking to SOMEONE rather than just bottling it up. Sometimes when you're depressed and you see "go see a professional" it comes off as uncaring. Your advice doesn't have to cross every t and dot every I to help them feel better about themselves, it just has to be empathetic and human. I think almost anybody is capable of making another person feel better about themselves even if it's just for a short while.