Depression Counselling in Thorold, ON.

When working to treat depression, I like to focus on a holistic approach, targeting all aspects of healing from the physical to the mental to the spiritual. Depression manifests differently for everyone so we will work together to target your triggers, your motivators, and a balance between responsibilities and fun, creating a life worth living for you.

Experiencing depressive symptoms, low mood, low affect, low-ness is hard. Using psychodynamics and person-centered, strengths based therapies, I strive to aid clients in understanding the patterns of these symptoms so we can, collaboratively work together to process these feelings and devise ways that work for you to regulate and improve mood over time.

One of my passions in life is to help guide people through the process of recovering from depression. In many cases, the ways that people try to get themselves out of depression, paradoxically end up causing more problems. I will help you sidestep these habits that can develop (ex. 'thinking' your way out of it, being overly self-critical, isolating yourself and discontinuing activities you used to enjoy). I will help you learn how to more skillfully manage the difficult/ unpleasant emotions and thoughts that are part of the 'territory of depression'. You will learn how to be less self-critical, to tap back into positive emotions, to take much better care of yourself & feel 'alive' again.

My therapy sessions are used to teach strategies designed to help people better cope with negative thoughts or process difficult experiences. I focus on identifying cycles, triggers and patterns towards effective healing. I work with clients that are experiencing situational, chronic or acute episodes of depression that are short or long term at this stage in their life.

While we all have days where we feel sad and 'depressed', if it goes on day after day so that negative thoughts make us feel exhausted, powerless, empty, discouraged and hopeless, then we need help. Leaving depression untreated can lead to several physical and mental complications and even suicide. Fortunately, trained counsellors can assist us in retraining our mind and teach us new skills to challenge depressive thinking so that we can lead a confidently depression free life.

Depression hurts and is becoming epidemic in our society. However, depression is a treatable condition and there are effective approaches that can help you break the cycle of chronic unhappiness so you can keep moving forward, learn how to face life’s challenges with greater resilience and regain a sense of well-being. I work from the best evidence- based therapies for depression: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Interpersonal therapy (IPT), Solution Focused Therapy and Art Therapy to help you overcome the mental habits leading to despair, rumination, and self-blame so you can repossess the sense of hope, joy and life balance.

When one is depressed the range of thoughts and feelings encompass a wide spectrum. Sadness and despair might be pervasive. One can feel as if they have fallen into a deep dark pit where everything is covered in negativity and hopelessness. In this state, one can feel inadequate, discouraged, unable or unwilling to make decisions. In addition, guilt, shame, profound low self-esteem and loss of interest in relationships, sex, career and even life itself are commonly found. A variety of evidence-based tools, specific to the needs of the individual, applied skillfully at the right time, can dramatically lift one out of that deep, dark pit and help avoid relapse.

Depression can be extremely debilitating for many people, leaving them feeling hopeless, unmotivated, and without feeling. My approach to working with people with depression is to first understand the factors that have shaped the person and their live, while at the same time exploring strategies to bring in experiences that are based in previously valued activities and identities.

Depression is a struggle to manage for may people. You are not alone in your questions, struggle or Journey in understanding your experience with depression. Depression can result from something or a situation occurring to or around people, or on other occasions may simply be occurring. Understanding how your experience with depression may be effecting you, and how you can continue on a journey of change, can be done though therapy modalities of embodiment and talk therapy. Movement can be offered to support your understanding of how depression maybe impacting you- body, mind and heart to help you choose your healing journey.

The quagmire of depression can feel impossible to escape. Getting started is the hardest. In counselling we first explore ways you might change the situation. Initially you may not succeed. But even the effort will energize you and may lead to other actions, other arenas where you have more options. You will learn something new. Best of all you will feel more alive, more involved with other people and with daily life. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy & it's offshoots are well-tested approaches to changing depression by altering your actions or expanding your thoughts. Another approach, Mindfulness, can give a broader perspective. Counselling helps you explore and discover what works for you.

Depression not only affects your mood state, but also your -- *behavior, *the way you look at yourself, *relationship with people around you and *physical and organic function. Gestalt therapy emphasizes your capacity to develop your potential. In therapy with me change will take place through the relational experience, and increased awareness, this process, is what gives meaning to discovery to you. In Gestalt therapy, what is considered is your totality, a combination of your sensorial, affective, intellectual, social, and spiritual dimensions (Brownell, 2010). Studies show that the patients treated with Gestalt demonstrated fewer depressive symptoms following the intervention.

Depression can be mild moderate or severe. It need not be severe in order to ask for help. Wherever your depression is along the continuum of severity, we can work together to develop strategies to help you work toward rediscovering motivation, increase energy levels, let go of the tendency to dwell on negative thoughts and feel more connected in your life and your relationships.

Clients struggling with depression benefit from our compassionate and evidence-informed therapy approaches. Our skilled therapists provide a supportive space to explore emotions, identify underlying causes, and develop effective coping strategies. Using techniques, such as cognitive-behavior therapy, mindfulness, and strength based approaches, we help clients gain motivation, improve mood and rebuild a sense of purpose. We empower client to navigate their journey toward healing and emotional well-being.

Depression can affect people in lots of different ways. It is more than just being sad or having the blues. It affects one’s mental state and all aspects of one’s life. Mastora focuses on changing negative styles of thinking and behaving and re-purposing the thinking process toward a more positive response. In addition she focuses on understanding and working through personal relationships that may cause or make depression worse.

You may be feeling stuck and alone in your pain; but, I promise, many of us have felt this pain, and you are most definitely not alone in feeling this way. You may be carrying old wounds that keep resurfacing making it difficult to focus on the here and now. I provide a nonjudgmental space where you can explore the root of this pain and begin to connect with yourself and the world around you. Together, we can work on developing a compassionate inner voice, get curious about what this pained part of you might need, and find ways to cultivate hope for healing. Please reach out so you're not navigating this alone...

In depression counseling and treatment, my approach centers on creating a compassionate and non-judgmental space where clients feel heard and understood. By integrating various therapeutic modalities such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy, and mindfulness techniques, I collaborate with clients to explore the root causes of their depression and develop personalized strategies for healing and growth. Through this process, clients gain insight into their thought patterns, learn effective coping skills, and develop resilience to better manage their symptoms. By addressing depression holistically, clients not only experience relief from their distress but also cultivate a sense of empowerment, self-awareness, and hope for a brighter future.