Depression Counselling in Lake Cowichan, BC.

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.

As someone who has a history of depression personally and intergenerationally, I am well aware of the great challenges and opportunities for growth that this experience can bring. For those struggling with depression, healing can feel elusive, as if nothing will ever work. It often requires a wider lens, an eye for patterns and a deeply supportive and holistic orientation to shift this dynamic. My approach comes from my years of experience moving through and finally out of my own depression and integrating the ancestral patterns that laid the foundation for it in my life. I now come to you with a wide-reaching tool kit to support you in your journey.

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.

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.

Olivia is passionate about supporting individuals struggling with depression and the deep isolation it often brings. Using a cognitive behavioral therapy approach, she helps clients identify and understand the underlying causes of their depression, challenge negative thought patterns, and develop healthier perspectives. Olivia also provides practical, actionable steps to help clients re-engage with life, rebuild connections, and rediscover joy. With empathy and expertise, she creates a supportive space for clients to navigate their emotions, regain hope, and work toward meaningful change. Olivia’s goal is to empower her clients to move forward with resilience and a renewed sense of purpose.

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)

Depression can be deeply painful, robbing you of energy, motivation, and hope. It creates a negative view of life, your self, and your future. It typically disrupts sleep patterns, appetite, emotions, and your thinking ability. I use the clinical practice of cognitive behavioural therapy to help people regain healthy control over their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and reclaim a sense of influence over their life style and life situation's. Coaching you to refocus, set small daily goals, celebrate your successes, and learn new behavioral and thinking skills can take time but the good news is that once you have acquired these skills you have them for life.

If you're up against depression, we'd collaborate and become a team of sorts. Through thoughtful questioning and listening, we'd begin to identify alternative narratives that challenge your depressive story. By attending to your strengths, resilience and prior successes, you can begin to foster a sense of hope and feel empowered to envision a future where you can live beyond the limitations of depression.

Many people experience periods of depression in their life time. There are different types and they are diagnosed and treated differently. Situational depression may be caused by a traumatic event or life change, can be resolved with time, is more common than clinical depression, and appears to have a smaller impact on day to day life. Talk therapy can treat it on its own. Clinical Depression is often longer term and chronic, more difficult to treat, can be connected to brain chemistry differences, interferes with daily functioning, and is often treated with both therapy and medication. If you want to learn more about your mood and how we can help, book a free consultation.