Depression Counselling in Whitchurch Stouffville, ON.

If you find yourself caught in a cycle of feeling stuck, sad, hopeless, and emotionally drained, with a loss of interest and growing self-frustration, know that you are not alone. Depression can be exhausting, but the good news is that it is treated. Drawing upon evidence-based approaches, including Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), I will work with you to not only help you learn new coping skills, but also take you into and through difficult emotions - to increase your self-awareness and reduce feelings of helplessness.

Depression can be a powerful force that can greatly impact our day to day. Depression can cause feelings of sadness, hopelessness, a lack of energy, or even numbness. You may feel stuck in previous patterns of behavior, or like you are running on ‘autopilot’. As a therapist, I know the impacts of these experiences, and I strive to work with you to better understand the depression, so that you can navigate it and develop the necessary tools to manage it. Connect with me today for a free consultation to begin your healing journey and move towards fulfillment, connection, and joy.

Sadness is a common emotion. However, when sadness lingers in our lives, is long term, and affects our day to day life, then it is something to be addressed. I help clients to take steps towards reducing depression through related actions. Alongside this, I work with clients to understand how the depression is controlling them and what strategies we might consider to reduce this control. For example, clients often find it helpful to engage with others, challenge their thinking, consider their past positive experiences, and consider changes to their environment to begin to feel more and more positive emotions and less depressed.

In many cases, I view depression as an "alarm bell" that tells the individual that there is something wrong in their life. Have they turned their anger in life toward themselves? Are they not living their best, or preferred, life? Is there something that's happened in their life that is getting them down, but they don't realize how much power it truly has? Depression can also be about learned helplessness, or having a sense, through experience, that there is no point in even trying at something. Such helplessness can come from feeling defeated, feeling significant guilt about something, & even from self-defeating 'self-talk' that an individual engages in (without completely realizing it).

Depression can feel like a heavy blanket that slowly suffocates our motivation in life. Just reaching out for help can be a major undertaking when living with depression. I validate the true struggle that comes along with depression, and strive to find tools that work for you, to life the fog and get back to feeling like yourself again. You don't need to struggle through it alone, I am here to support you.

Depression is a debilitating illness that can impact every aspect of a person’s life, including their thoughts, emotions, and physical well-being. Some common symptoms of depression include mood changes such as persistent sadness, irritability, agitation, anger, loss of interest in activities, changes in appetite and eating, changes in sleep patterns, loss of energy and motivation, difficulty concentrating, feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, guilt, and at times thoughts of suicide. Therapy for depression typically involves weekly sessions where you will work with your therapist to understand your triggers, develop coping skills, and make positive changes in your life.

Shyamala has extensive experience working with clients that struggle with feelings of sadness and depression, including experience working collaboratively with a medical team. Her approach includes cognitive behavioural therapy to help clients in coping with the symptoms of depression and creating a plan to move forward, as well as exploring patterns of emotional regulation that may lead to longer term success in managing this very common issue.

I use CBT to help improve depression symptoms. We explore: causes, triggers and symptoms to work on. I use behavioral activation to help make a list of enjoyable activities that you can begin with. Having someone to listen empathically is immensely useful. Helping to understand early signs of depression is also essential so that you can intervene to help yourself as early as possible.

In Canada, 1 in 5 people will be experience symptoms of depression with 8% of the total population experiencing major depression in their lifetime (CMHA.ca) I have experience working with clients who are struggling with symptoms of depression such as fatigue, feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness, irritability and loss of things that once brought them joy or pleasure.

"Be positive!" "It could always be worse!" - If you suffer from depression, you hear these invalidating phrases often. Improving your mood takes so much more than just changing your thoughts and behaviours. Sessions with me would first provide you a space to be heard, to explore the root causes behind your feelings, and support you in making connections between your current feelings and your past experiences. We will then fill your toolbox with short-term and long-term strategies that will allow you to find relief, make lasting changes, and achieve your goals.

It feels like you’re stuck in this deep, dark hole and can’t seem to get yourself out. You put on a smile for your friends and family, but in reality you feel empty. You don’t remember what it’s like to be happy and don’t find joy in anything anymore. You feel alone, but also can’t find the will or energy to talk to anyone. Therapy can provide you with a safe, supportive environment so you don’t have to go through this alone. We can explore where these feelings are coming from (past, present, or future) and work towards finding your happiness again. Email me for more information or to book a free consultation today.

Every single person has experienced significant disappointments and losses in their life at one point or another. Afterwards, it's normal and even healthy to feel sadness, hurt, anger or numbness. But when these feelings stick around for a prolonged period of time - and are perhaps joined by thoughts of self-criticism, worthlessness, loss of purpose, or despair - it's the right time to seek help and speak with a professional. My approach is centred fully on your needs in this space. It's important to me that you feel that someone cares about you, and is walking with you through the dark times of life. I am kind, non-judgemental, empathetic, and a great listener. Reach out today to begin.

As a psychotherapist, I approach the symptoms of depression—such as continuous low mood, feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, low self-esteem, irritability, and lack of motivation—with empathy and understanding. In our sessions, I create a safe space for clients to express their emotions, whether they’re feeling tearful or guilt-ridden. We explore these feelings collaboratively, identifying the thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to their sense of hopelessness. By employing techniques from Trauma-Informed Care and Client-Centered Therapy, I help clients challenge negative beliefs about themselves and regain a sense of agency.

Depression is like falling into a deep hole and you can't seem to get out. Using a combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, and Emotion Focused Therapy, I can help you manage your depression so that it won't negatively impact your relationships, jobs, and health. Even as little as a few sessions, you will see that you are not as stuck and able to make movement in life. You will gain a sense of control and joy into your life.

If you are reading this profile, you are probably concerned about yourself to the point that you want to seek help. You may feel depressed, hopeless and helpless. You are frustrated that you cannot do or enjoy things you used to be. You may want to be heard and get supported but do not want to be around with people etc... You probably even know that you are experiencing symptoms of depression but not sure if how to feel better, like your normal self again. With over 12 years of clinical experiences, I humbly and wholeheartedly want to support you to get better. There are evident-based and effective approaches. Please don't hesitate to reach out and start to get the help you need now.

Many years ago depression was called melancholia and was not considered so negatively as it is in our current "performance" focused culture. We are expected to be "up" continuously in today's busy life-styles, with work, children, relationships, and even in our playtime. The result of this sort of expectation can be debilitating and certainly can lead to long bouts of feeling out of control, unfulfilled, unmotivated and ultimately immobilized. Depression can certainly be dealt with through very effective therapeutic techniques. I work with clients to better understand the root cause of their sadness and help them to look at the possible meaning behind their depression and how to best cope.

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.

I use Cognitive-behavioural Therapy (CBT) for depression and it starts with education about depression and helping the client establish structure around daily activities (behavioural activation), to become more aware of their mood and challenge intrusive thoughts in order to engage in pleasurable activities. The client and I continue to work together to replace intrusive thoughts with more balanced thoughts the client holds about the self, the world, and the future, which may contribute to feelings of hopelessness.

The difference between depression and pain is often misunderstood. We get stuck in a process that should come to a natural completion. We get stuck because our environment does not encourage us to respect our feelings, to honour our process and to discover our own way to live. I believe no one would suffer depression if they could express themselves fully and be heard. Therapy can teach you how to receive this respect, then you naturally begin to give yourself the compassion and understanding you need to allow your process to reach completion. To remember or rediscover emotions, from laughter to anger to tears; To allow flow to replace the fear that fed the depression and hopelessness.

Depression is typically an outcome of a current or past life event, or both. It might be due to grief or a recent disappointment. Depending on what we explore together to be the cause, we will work with action plans and strategies to set your life area in the direction that you want to improve. Further, if there are issues from your past, which is frequently the case, we will identify these upsets, identify schemas that you have formulated that impact how you think, feel, and behave, and we will work to improve your mood. Further, we may work through various worksheets and processes to understand what your thoughts and behaviors are and how these are helping or hurting your mood.

Winnie's approach to depression draws primarily from Cognitive- Behavior Therapy. If you feel that you don't have the energy to do things, or even get up in the morning, then come in for counselling. Counselling can help you to explore what is the bothering you emotionally, understand yourself better, and learn how to see or understand the issues from a better perspective

Aside from bio-chemical imbalances in one's body, depression can arise from a number of situational and relational factors. We can explore how any of these can be understood, responded to, and lived with in a way which can help to alleviate depressive challenges. It can be difficult to gain awareness of what's not right, and how to get things right, when you're battling just to survive. Our work together can help to clarify what's happening, and how to put helpful coping practices to work.

People are often faced with moments of sadness which can sometimes lead to chronic sadness. My work with clients could involve deep reprocessing of certain memories related to depression which allow clients new insights into how to face their depression. Further to this, by guiding clients on their recovery from depression, we are able to pinpoint aspects that must be addressed to help the recovery process which may include mindfulness, thoughts, and/or behaviors.

Are you tired of feeling trapped in a constant state of sadness and hopelessness? Depression can be an overwhelming burden that consumes every aspect of your life. However, there is hope. I work with clients to help them discover that hope. I offer a safe and supportive space where you can explore the root causes of your depression, and develop new tools to feel joy, happiness, freedom, and hope again. Though it might seem far away now, by working together you can begin to reclaim a life of joy.

Often the sense of hopelessness, the inactivity, isolation, sleep and eating issues, and sadness associated with depression benefit from work in therapy, where clients can explore the thoughts associated with these symptoms, and can work to manage or change them. Often negative core beliefs about oneself, learned in the past, can be roadblocks to allowing the depressive symptoms to ease. Working on these can lead to a sense of empowerment and to change. Overwhelming feelings benefit from being heard and understood. Sometimes a diagnosis and medication are required to assist in the therapy process. I refer to a physician for medication, if you and I think that is necessary.