Depression Counselling in Mill Woods, Edmonton, AB.

In working with clients who are experiencing depression I tend to avoid recommending medication (except when necessary). For clients who are currently on medication, many come looking to work towards healthy functioning without medication. One of the most difficult parts about healing from depression is how difficult it can be to feel motivated to take action to care for yourself. I understand that, and I won't push you to do anything you aren't ready for. Making an appointment and attending the session is one of the most difficult steps. When you make it in, we will be able to develop an understanding of the underlying issues that lead to your depression and a plan to overcome it.

Do you feel like you're stuck in a never-ending cycle of sadness, hopelessness, and fatigue? Do you struggle to find joy in things you once loved? Do you feel isolated and alone, even when surrounded by family and friends? If you're struggling with depression, know that you're not alone and there is help available. As a specialist in depression counselling, I have the expertise and experience to support you in overcoming your challenges and reclaiming your life. Through my personalized approach, I will work with you to identify the root causes of your depression and develop a plan to help you manage your symptoms, explore practical strategies to boost your mood, and find lasting relief.

Depression is on the rise in not only Canada but around the world. There a variety of reasons why this is - I have come to believe its the rise of a society that is busy and not taking care of themselves emotionally and physically. We are focused on the future and not enough on the present. Counselling allows a person to slow down and be in the present. People can then receive care and support as they walk through their feelings, thoughts and stories of their life.

I help clients to challenge problematic thoughts, capitalize on positive coping skills, and teach new ways of coping in order to help them manage feelings of despair, hopelessness, and helplessness. Together, we develop a plan for how to combat fatigue, problems with appetite and sleep, low motivation, a negative focus, and suicidal ideations. I support my clients in implementing, evaluating, and adjusting these plans as they work their way through depressive episodes. Additionally, creating a plan for relapse is essential for long-term success.

In our sessions, we will explore the factors that contribute to feelings of depression and low mood and practice skill-building. We can learn to identify and shift the thinking patterns, accept and process our emotions, and detach ourselves from any expectations that may be keeping us stuck. We can also learn new ways to relate to ourselves and support ourselves through depression.

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 is a common problem, but this makes it no less difficult to overcome. It takes a lot of effort and great courage to enter counselling for depression, as you need to muster up the strength and hope to open up to a stranger with such a deep and vulnerable pain. I offer a few approaches to depression, one of which is CBT, a proven therapy that helps people identify certain thought patterns and beliefs, as well as some behaviors that are contributing to their feeling "stuck". These strategies have been proven to be very helpful to clients. Most importantly, I believe that providing a safe environment to explore all that is on your heart and mind, is the best gift I can offer.

Grey Matters International, Inc. and the work of Kevin J. Fleming, Ph.D. handles depression and other emotional disorders in a very unique way. Most of therapy or counseling processes utilize validation, unconditional positive regard, and reframing as common techniques to get someone to heal from their depression. Though this can be helpful, it rarely fixes the core problem behind it and for tough cases we then refer them usually to a psychiatrist for medication which can have tons of side effects. Instead, why not try a natural and arguably more effective way to not just change your mind, but change the brain--where the depression is rooted. Contact us at kevin@kevinflemingphd.com.