Depression Counselling in Balzac, AB.

That dark suffocating grey fog... When the drugs just mask it and the thinking strategies just delay it, we can walk with you on a very different path of spiritual and emotional healing. Real Christian Counselling for depression is about healing the heart of it, addressing the lies that fuel it and journeying out of the pain that caused it. You can breath free again!!!

I use a combination of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in developing treatment plans for clients who are experiencing Depression. Using tools and strategies form these modalities we developed a synthesis of self-acceptance and change. We work toward validation, tolerance, as well as techniques that will improve and increase positive mood behaviours.

Depression is real, the struggle is invisible and even the smallest tasks seem impossible. It can make feel cut off from joy, purpose, people and even yourself. Your inner critic is already really loud and we don't add more noise. We bring softness, gentle accountability and space for the complex stuff. You are neither broken nor a burden. You are human and healing is possible with the right person in your corner.

Only one in three people struggling with major depression gets the treatment they need – do not be part of the statistics of those who are not treated. Dr Mervin (Paraklesis Counselling) can help you decide on the correct pharmacological intervention that is right for you, and come alongside you in suggesting the best evidence-based therapeutic approach. If you are yo-yoing on and off antidepressants and tranquilizers, you are probably reducing your chances of recovery by doing damage to your brain. By the fifth or sixth major depressive episode, your recovery chances have been compromised and the relapse rate has gone up – effective treatment is available now!

Although I no longer meet the diagnostic criteria for it, I have suffered from major depressive disorder in the past. When all the colours are dull and faded, I can sit with you in the dark and give you the tools to want to get out. The tools and methods that help you may not be the same as the ones that helped me - my role is to determine what will work for you as a person and guide you through the darkness the easiest possible way for you.

Feeling overwhelmed, hopeless, or constantly tired? Are you struggling with a sadness that won't lift, losing interest in things you once loved, or trapped in a cycle of negative thoughts? I get it. Depression is tough. But with the right support, you can find joy again, rediscover motivation, and build resilience. As a clinical counsellor, I'm here to help you reclaim your life with compassionate, results-oriented therapy using proven techniques. Let’s take this journey together. Book your free 15-minute phone consultation today and start moving towards a brighter, more empowered future.

Unlike healthy sadness or a "blue mood", depression is not always connected with a particular loss. It can feel as though someone threw a dark, wet, overcoat on top of us and we are unable to move forward or see the good in ourselves or the world around us. Depression is not something you can just snap out of. Fortunately using cognitive behavioral therapy strategies we can focus on identifying and changing your unhealthy beliefs that may be deepening depressive symptoms. Later as your symptoms improve, we can then focus on relapse prevention.

"Depression" in today's society encompasses a very broad range of experiences - everything from a prolonged sadness to feeling such despair that life no longer feels worth living. It not only affects your mood but can also impact one's physical health, relationships and work. I accompany those struggling with depression to access their natural ability to re-wire their brain towards greater health. Since each person I work with is unique, I tailor my approach to each individual depending on the root cause. This may include things such as: processing past events with EMDR or managing current stressors with mindfulness practices or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

I believe in an approach to helping that starts from building on the strengths of the client; using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Solution Focused, and Problem Solving pragmatic approaches to help the client learn new strategies to initially cope and then delve into changing the way they think about themselves and their world. Breaking and changing ineffective and damaging thinking patterns and replacing them with more effective and sound habits and patterns is the groundwork for change. I also believe that using an existential approach that takes into account searching for and creating meaning is crucial to building success and growing out of depression.

Social anxiety and shyness can easily lead to feelings of depression. If you feel depressed because you feel alone, isolated and have trouble making friends, you might be glad to know that there is a way to learn and practice the social skills you missed learning as a child. You can learn and practice new skills, meet new people, learn how to start conversations and create your own social circle. Life can change and it takes just one step to start the process rolling in the right drection.

Research has clearly demonstrated that mindfulness-based approaches to depression are so powerful that they can reduce the chances of having a relapse by 50%! That's a big deal. A depressed mind is busy creating all kinds of negative thoughts. Mindfulness-based therapy will teach you a new way to relate to your thoughts. You don't have to believe everything you think! Especially the bad stuff, becuse it's often not true.

Depression feels like a deep dark hole that you can't possibly see a way of getting out. Perhaps you have been slowly sliding in for years as life stressors and challenges built up, or maybe it has been a rapid decline with something unexpected knocking you off course. My approach to working with depression includes working towards small, manageable steps to help you feel more confident in yourself and your abilities. Therapy will be like dropping down a ladder into the hole - the path is there and I will help you learn how to climb each rung to get back out again. By the end of therapy, you will find that you can laugh more, have more energy, and enjoy life again.