Depression Counselling in Lions Bay, BC.

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)

I view depression as an internal system of parts in conflict, with exiled parts holding painful emotions and protective parts trying to manage or avoid the pain. When this happens, it's normal to feel disconnected from yourself and others, unable to make progress or find relief because these parts are all working at cross-purposes. Therapy helps you to foster compassion for these parts, heal the underlying trauma, and unburden the emotional weight, leading to more internal harmony and relief from depression.

Depression makes even the simplest tasks feel impossible, but you don’t have to battle it alone. If you're feeling lost, exhausted, or disconnected from the things you once loved, I can help. Together, we will uncover the patterns keeping you stuck, find relief from emotional pain, and help you regain control over your life. There is a path forward, and I will help you take that first step. You deserve to feel better.

Do you feel like you're in a fog and can't see the light? Do you feel like no one cares? Do you feel like you've lost that oomph for life? Do you experience aches and pains, and a loss of energy? According to the World Health Organization, depression has become the 2nd leading contributor to the global burden of disease. But, there is hope! Allow me to help you regain your sense of balance and passion in life again. Call 604-468-7300 now.

Depression is a state of mind that effects most people at some point in our lives. Often, symptoms of depression include a loss of interest in things that once made us happy, sleep disturbance or abundance, change in appetite, and dark thoughts. People can experience depression for many many reasons including postpartum depression, situational, relationship loss or difficulties, loneliness, seasonal affective disorder, teen depression,isolation and many more reasons. There are many treatments for depression, beginning with talking to someone about your experience. In some cases, talking to your doctor about medication helps combined with therapy to help deal with the sadness.

Depression is like a dark shroud that hovers over a person's existence making each day a perpetual struggle. Life in general is disrupted. The smallest daily life routine becomes impossible. People may be predisposed to depression, but there is not a gene that predetermines whether a person will experience the effects of the disease. The four pillars of healthy living include: developing a balanced eating plan; engaging in regular exercise, instilling good sleep hygiene and social connection. Cognitive Behaviour tends to be the gold seal approach when a client present with symptoms of depression. Other modalities also serve to help the client manage his/her/they depressive episodes.

Therapy is a place for all matters of the heart, body and soul. Depression can range from mild to completely disabling, and the root causes varied and individual. While medical support can be helpful, therapy can help us get to the root of what we are emotionally 'depressing'. I believe in the mind/body connection which includes both, helping a client to access practical tools for coping day to day as well as exploring the deeper emotions stored in the body that might be contributing to the depression. From a deeply compassionate and client centred approach within the therapeutic connection the client feels less alone offering them hope as they navigate their depression.

When I use narrative therapy to work with clients experiencing depression, I focus on helping them re-author the stories they tell about themselves and their lives. So often, depression is tied to dominant narratives that make people feel powerless, unworthy, or stuck. Together, we work to externalize the problem—separating them from their depression—so they can see it as something they’re facing, not something that defines who they are. This opens up space for us to explore alternative stories that highlight their resilience, strengths, and values. By shifting the focus from what feels wrong to what’s possible, I aim to help them reclaim a sense of agency and nurture a more hopeful view.

I help client with depressive symptoms by listening and validating their experience and helping them change their negative self talk. This negative self talk that clients experience are contributing to their feelings of depression. I use a technique called cognitive behavioural therapy to help clients release their depressive symptoms. By creating a safe enviornment to talk about their concerns healing and change occurs through the counselling relationship. Dealing with your depression will allow you to have a happy life.

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.

Depression can color how we see the world, ourselves and other people. Activities that used to be fun are not fun anymore and doing small things can feel like a chore. We might lose our sense of meaning and purpose and struggle to motivate ourselves. I want you know that there is hope, even if you cannot fully feel it right now. When working with depression, I help my clients to develop skills to improve their mood . Sometimes making little changes can help you feel better, which results in hope and lead to more hope and create an upward spiral. I also always help my clients heal the roots of their depression since this is an important part of recovering from depression.

Real Solutions to Real Challenges. Common Sense Techniques Get relief from depresion. Depression is a symptom that may stem from an identifyable event, an unfulfilled intention, poor self-worth, perfectionistic traits,or as a result of a trauma such as sexual abuse, bullying, poor attachment . Over time an individuals brain chemistry can physically change. When a depresion trigger occurs it then becomes easier for that individual to go to an even darger place. Hoplessness sets in and the person becomes very discouraged. Martin helps his clients to understand these patterns, reframe beliefs, and discharge the issues that are at the core of the depresssion.

I use cognitive behavioral therapy against depression. This is a very effective tool. Many people feel depressed because their thoughts are negative, catastrophic, black and white or overgeneralized. I believe that negative, irrational thoughts create hopeless and depressed feelings which create negative behaviors. Clients are amazed how much better they feel when they change their irrational thoughts for more rational and realistic ones.