Depression Counselling in Ottawa, ON.

Sadness and Depression are often challenges we may encounter in our lifetime. Feelings, thoughts and behaviors associated with them can at times overwhelm and even paralyze us with their power. In a supportive and empathic environment I help clients understand these feelings, progress through their isolation with them, find a way through their tight hold and learn to live productively again.

Every now and then life throws a curve ball at us which could leave a person feeling confused, alone, and unenthusiastic to complete daily tasks. Like George Harrison says, "It's all in the mind". I genuinely believe that asking for help is a sign of strength, and it means you are aware enough to take care of your mind as you do your body. Let's work together.

Do you wake up or go to bed feeling the blues? Do you feel dread and wonder how you will get through the day? Are you experiencing negative thoughts? I can help. Not only do I use talk therapy with my clients I help clients by using a technique called CBT Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. CBT can help you notice triggers and events that effect both thoughts and mood restoring balance.

Depression can often feel debilitating and manifest in a variety of ways bringing on feelings of hopelessness, overwhelm, and low mood. Building awareness, coping, and resiliency can be important first steps to starting to find our way back to the things that are most meaningful to us. Together let’s develop a roadmap toward managing your unique situation to help you regain joy and balance again.

Depression can feel isolating and that every day tasks and social interactions require a lot of mental and physical effort. The approaches that will be used are cognitive behavioural therapy and narrative therapy. There will be a particular focus on a change in behaviour as it influences one's thoughts and therein offering an alternative decision-making process.

Depression is problematic in several ways and can feel impossible to break out of. My goal for working with clients struggling with depression is to start imagining a better future. My interest lies in getting to know my clients specifically, because while there may be some general truths about depression treatment, the more specific we can tailor the healing, the more it will fit and sustain itself.

The Depression & Mood Service at the Centre for Interpersonal Relationships offers children, adolescents, adults and couples psychological assessment and treatment of depression and other mood disorders. Finding a path toward recovery can be challenging, but the good news is that depression is treatable; recent research indicates that psychotherapy is extremely important in your recovery from depression.

Through our work together you will experience a shift in your understanding of the cause of your depressive symptoms. My clients often experience a sense of relief, a release of shame and guilt when we explore how their depression has come to exist. The experience of depression can isolate you from yourself, your family and even your future. Together we understand how you came to feel depressed and actively work on releasing the feelings that you've held onto for so long.

When I work with people who are weighed down with symptoms of depression, I find that it is important to remember two things: go slowly, and go together. Employing a trauma informed, family systems and somatic lens to what you are experiencing can help provide insight into how to move through and manage it. Journeying with clients through their depression is a great honour, and is something I take very seriously. I find that for many people, holding onto hope that things could be different, is something that can seem too much. Part of my commitment to working through depression is that, until you are ready, I will hold onto hope for both us.

I believe that depression is one of the most common mental health issues and I always tell my clients how it is normal to experience emotions like heavy sadness. I will work with you to find the root causes of the depression. We will work to better understand your triggers and how those link to the types of thoughts you are getting. From there we can plan new responses to the thoughts that are the result of a collaborative effort to ensure the new responses will work for you specifically!

The combination of schema therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective approach to dealing with depression. The CBT aspect of the therapy provides insight into HOW depression affects our lives. The schema portion of the therapy addresses the question of WHY depression exists in our lives. The therapy is comprehensive and intense and I encourage you to give it a try.

Getting to the root of one's depression, why it occurs, and how it presents itself is imperative in understanding how one can remedy it. By working with clients to explore and comprehensively understand their depression, we will be able to better manage, mitigate, or eliminate the cognitions, behaviours, and feelings tied to our depression. How we became depressed is only the first step in ones work on depression; figuring out how to create change, support, and maintain change is the bulk of it.

We provide a safe and supportive space to explore and address the underlying causes of depression. We can help individuals develop coping strategies, enhance self-awareness, and learn healthy ways to manage symptoms. We also offer a non-judgmental environment where individuals can express their emotions, gain insights, and work towards personal growth. Additionally, therapy can provide valuable support, validation, and guidance throughout the recovery process. Remember, seeking professional help is an important step towards improving mental well-being.