Depression Counselling in Thornhill, ON.

You have been down for such a long time, or maybe you go in and out of feeling blue and want to get off the rollercoaster. I use Emotion Focused Therapy to help you explore and experience safely the emotional spectrum that underlies depression. I will work slowly and carefully with you to help you to resolve the heaviness that has robbed you for too long so that you can be more resilient and joyful in life.

Experiencing depressive symptoms, low mood, low affect, low-ness is hard. Using psychodynamics and person-centered, strengths based therapies, I strive to aid clients in understanding the patterns of these symptoms so we can, collaboratively work together to process these feelings and devise ways that work for you to regulate and improve mood over time.

Sometimes we just don’t feel quite right. We can feel stress and change mounting out of our control. Maybe this is a feeling you have had before, or maybe it is a new feeling. Either way, we can help you to navigate this by working on understanding why it is happening, learning skills to cope, and resolving its root causes. Contact us and we can help you on a path to feeling more connect to life and to yourself again.

Depression can feel like a never-ending dark tunnel in which hope, purpose, joy, and motivation to live life can seem impossible. Depression can also lead us to feel disconnected from the very things that make life worth living and it can also make reaching out for help challenging. Should you decide to reach out for help, I will work with you to safely explore how depression has been affecting you and identify some of the factors that may have led you to feel depressed. I will also support you in developing tools to cope with depression so that you can experience a greater sense of connection and purpose within your life. Contact me or book a free consultation if you wish to learn more.

I use Cognitive-behavioural Therapy (CBT) for depression and it starts with education about depression and helping the client establish structure around daily activities (behavioural activation), to become more aware of their mood and challenge intrusive thoughts in order to engage in pleasurable activities. The client and I continue to work together to replace intrusive thoughts with more balanced thoughts the client holds about the self, the world, and the future, which may contribute to feelings of hopelessness.

I use an integrative non-pathologizing approach that validates the human condition. We all experience low mood and may live with symptoms of depression but I work with clients to accept and understand how they can be curious about what it is that keeps them feeling stuck in that low mood when they are in need of deep rest. Learning how to regulate our emotions supports our ability to maintain a balanced life. We have the power to switch from our fight/flight/freeze state to our rest/relax/digest state. Mindfully and with compassion, we can find a way through this together. Depressive symptoms often shows up with anxious symptoms and vice versa.

Struggling with mood disorders can make life very challenging. The most basic tasks can feel overwhelming and unmanageable. I understand this from personal experience as well as years of work with clients who are diagnosed with depression or bipolar disorder. It can be difficult to explain to others in our lives what it feels like to live with depression. I will validate and support you while helping you explore your feelings and find positive coping strategies that are the right fit for you. Book a free consultation to see if we are a good fit.

If you are depressed \you may think that you are weak and should be able to snap out of it. Depression has to do with chemicals and something that triggers the depression. Having someone to talk to, who can help you work out the issues that are bothering you and get on with your life. DEPRESSION IS TREATABLE. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SUFFER. YOU HAVE A CHOICE.