Depression Counselling in Summerland, BC.

Depression can be experienced in a multitude of ways and often differently by each person. Depression can leave an individual feeling overwhelmed, a loss interested in activities that they used to enjoy, feel a lack of energy, have difficulty sleeping, experienced pronounced weight changes, and even serious illness. You do not have to suffer or feel alone. We will work with you to uncover the elements to your depression and help you to regain enjoyment and satisfaction in your life.

Depression isolates you from not only your relationships, but from your own feelings and needs. I work with you to discover the roots of your depression, as well as teach immediately usable skills to start freeing you from depression's grasp. I also address the real, physical effects of depression and take a proactive, health oriented approach to minimizing its uncomfortable somatic symptoms.

Depression issues can both result from distress in relationships and precipitate distress. Support in addressing depression issues can have a signifiacant positive impact on overall relationship functioning. The fact that relationships are one of our primary coping mechanisms multiplies the potential distress when depression is present as it impacts the very mechanisms we use to cope.

Depression is tricky. Depression causes a lowered mood, fatigue, and decreased motivation. Sometimes, Depression goes unnoticed by friends and family. It can appear like everything in your life should be fine, but inside, it's a struggle to get out of bed. I provide a non-judgmental space to explore the areas of your life impacted by depression. You will learn alternative coping mechanisms to help ease future symptoms of depression.

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.

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.

The symptoms of depression can be debilitating. You might be struggling to complete even the basic tasks of self-care, feeling hopeless, helpless, but without the energy to do anything about it. Remember, you are not alone, and you don't have to do it all by yourself. Asking for help is the first step towards hope and new perspectives. I can offer you the guidance and support you need, in small, simple steps; to get you back on your feet and feeling more like yourself once again.

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)

I focus on creating a supportive and compassionate environment where you can explore your feelings and experiences without judgment. Together, we’ll work to identify the underlying causes of depression and develop practical strategies to manage symptoms. My approach integrates evidence-based therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness-Based Therapy, helping you challenge negative thought patterns, cultivate self-compassion, and build resilience. Our goal is to empower you to regain control and improve your overall well-being.

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.

We all feel depressed from time to time. It's part of being human and a common experience we share. However living with depression day in and day out, feeling like we can no longer cope, wondering how we can even survive (or if we even want to) is certainly not! It is actually a way your body tells you that some part of you, the inner you, is in overload, and you need to seek some help. I can not only help you find just what it is that is weighing you down and stealing your joy, but also to loose it's hold on you so that little by little, you can be freed to not only survive, but actually thrive again. If you're looking for light at the end of your very dark tunnel, please contact me.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is the Gold standard for working with depressive states. By understanding the dynamic relationship between thoughts, feelings, emotions and behaviours, we can start to see small interventions and change that we can implement in order to successfully engage in our relationships and life intentionally to bring about some relief and enjoy positive emotion again.

I always first check to see if you have visited a physician to rule out thyroid or similar sources of depression. If depression results from circumstances, I use EMDR to desensitize these memories or experiences. I also use cognitive/behavioral therapy: Changing your thoughts changes your feelings which changes your behaviours. This also works in the reverse.