Depression Counselling in Gulf Islands, BC.

If you are suffering from depression, reaching out for help by looking for a counsellor is an excellent place to start. Research has shown several counselling modalities to be effective for treating depression, with or without the concurrent use of medications. I will tailor therapeutic interventions according to your unique situation, as we consider the role that your mind, body, spirit, and relationships may play in your depression. I will help you find immediate, practical changes you can make to start feeling better right away, as well as explore the possible root causes of your depression. Long-lasting and significant change toward a brighter and happier life is possible.

The circumstances and issues that you are dealing with are unique to you, but you don't have to face them alone. Every individual has different experiences, perceptions, feelings, thoughts, beliefs, values, attitudes, cultural backgrounds and "upbringings". Counselling sessions are private and confidential, and can provide a way for you to explore your problems and really tune in to your feelings. This is an opportunity to speak freely about your circumstances and release pent up feelings, without having to worry about what others think or feel, and without receiving unwanted advise from family, friends or coworkers. At the root of the problem, there are very real, legitimate and understandable reasons for feeling the way you feel, thinking the way...(view profile to read more)

In depression counseling, I work collaboratively with you to understand what's contributing to your depression—whether life circumstances, relationship patterns, past experiences, or feeling disconnected from what matters. Depression often involves losing touch with meaning and purpose, so together we'll explore what gives your life significance and how to reconnect with those things. We develop a practical, step-by-step plan tailored to your situation. This might involve challenging thoughts that keep you stuck, processing difficult emotions, or rediscovering activities that once brought satisfaction. Our therapeutic relationship provides steady support as you navigate this. Clients report gradually regaining energy, hope, and a sense that life feels worthwhile again

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.

Depression results from a chemical imbalance in the brain. It is not the result of a personal weakness or lack of coping skills. The impairment is real and can result in feeling sad, anxious, overwhelmed and in some cases suicidal. Fortunately, depression can be treated with both medication and counseling; the combination usually being most effective. Counselling can help persons who experience depression in providing an outlet for voicing frustrations and obstacles, identifying support avenues, leaning new coping skills and exploring the most recent avenues of treatment. Counselling offers a non-judgemental and confidential sounding board.

Depression can be experienced in a magnitude of ways and is often experienced differently by each individual. Symptoms may range from feeling increasingly irritable, experiencing a sense of emptiness and hopelessness, and an individual often will feel completely overwhelmed, losing interest in activities they once enjoyed. Depression may also be experienced physically. Physical symptoms may include, but are not limited to a lack of energy, problems sleeping, pronounced weight changes, and eventually, even serious illness. In cases of mild to moderate depression, there is an increasing amount of research supporting counselling as effective as medication in improving a person’s mood. Many clients have been referred to counselling by their family doctor when...(view profile to read more)

Clients have talked about being down there in ‘the pit’, not being able to see any light, only darkness with no path. You are doing less and less, you are losing motivation to connect with others, or even get out of bed. Using behavioural activation, where we listen to or thoughts instead of our feelings, we can pull ourselves out of the downward spiral of depression. Sometimes that means treating trauma too. With help, imagine someone throws down some tools and materials, we make a plan to build a ladder, and with support and encouragement, you get yourself out of that pit. I know there's a path and I have helped others find it.

Depression isn’t who you are — it’s a response to pain you were never meant to carry alone. In my counselling practice, I offer a steady, compassionate space to explore the heaviness, numbness, and self-doubt that can feel overwhelming. Together, we listen for what your fatigue and sadness are trying to protect, rebuild connection, and gently re-ignite a sense of meaning. You don’t have to move through the darkness on your own. With care, patience, and support, a way forward becomes possible.

Living with depression can be like wading through mud. Every step requires enormous effort. All the while, the gas tank is empty. For many, the urge is to take to bed, as the world just feels like too much to face. I like to work on the root cause of depression while simultaneously collaborating on small manageable steps to regain confidence and interest in living a valued life. I find that working on what seems to be an unsolvable problem is often the starting point of recovery. My goal is to provide support and guidance that goes beyond just the sense of feeling "better". Rather, my aim is for my client's to thrive, with the newfound capacity to experience joy and happiness.

Therapy with me offers a grounded, compassionate space to explore your experience of depression without shame or pressure. Together, we'll gently untangle the weight you've been carrying, reconnect with your strengths and build tools for navigation daily life. Whether your depression feels like numbness, sadness, or exhaustion, you don't have to face it alone. Our work will focus on hope through relationship, creating space for change, and helping you feel more life yourself again--bit by bit.