Depression hurts.
It is a dark and difficult journey that many people will make at some point in their lifetime. But depression is not a journey you need to make alone.
You May Be Experiencing:
- trouble concentrating on tasks, remembering things and making decisions
- a decrease in your regular amount of energy — feeling fatigued
feeling guilty, worthless, hopeless, pessimistic or helpless - trouble sleeping, or a change in sleeping habits
- easily irritable or more restless than normal
- loss of interest in things you used to enjoy doing
- a change in eating habits — over- or under-eating, not by your choice
- aches, pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive troubles
- feeling sad, anxious, or “empty”
- suicidal thoughts
Understanding Depression
Depression hurts. It is a dark and difficult journey that many people will make at some point in their lifetime.
For some, depression may be a persistent low mood over a long period of time, and for others an immediate, debilitating condition that makes living a normal life seem impossible. Depression may fluctuate with the seasons or the situation of one’s life, or it may be a constant shadow looming regardless of circumstances.
But depression is not a journey you need to make alone.
Counselling can help you understand:
- how thoughts, emotions, and life experiences can reinforce patterns of depression
- how isolation and negative thinking can deepen feelings of hopelessness
- how your nervous system responds to prolonged stress, grief, or loss
- how learning new responses and coping strategies can gradually restore balance
Depression doesn’t usually lift on its own. With support, the patterns that hold it in place can start to change.
How Counselling Can Help
Depression counselling can help you:
- Find your inner motivation and strength to live your life
- Engage in activities that are proven to help alleviate symptoms of depression, such as exercise, good nutrition and meditation
- Uncover and explore the life problems that contribute to your depression
- Overcome isolation and reconnect with significant people in your life
- Identify and challenge negative thinking patterns that lead to feeling helpless and hopeless
- Control your thoughts and feelings so they no longer overwhelm you
- Help you draw on your own emotional, mental and spiritual resources in the process of healing from depression
Our Therapeutic Approaches
We draw on a range of evidence-based approaches, grounded in a flexible, collaborative, and client-centred way of working that adapts to what is most helpful for you.
This allows us to shape our work around your needs, experiences, and goals, drawing from different therapeutic modalities as needed. Learn more about our approach to care.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT looks at the thinking patterns that keep depression in place — things like “nothing will ever change” or “this is just who I am.” The work is to surface those beliefs and test whether they actually hold up.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT helps individuals learn how to relate differently to painful thoughts and emotions while reconnecting with the values and activities that give life meaning.
Emotion-Focused Therapy
This approach helps people understand and process deeper emotional experiences that may be contributing to depression.
Strength-Based and Compassion-Focused Therapy
We emphasize your strengths while fostering self-compassion. Learning to respond to yourself with understanding rather than criticism can significantly support recovery from depression.
Depression has a way of telling you that nothing will help. That’s part of the depression talking. Counselling can be a starting place when you’re ready.
If you are in immediate crisis or having thoughts of suicide, please call 911. The Distress Line (780-482-HELP / 4357) is also available, or you can visit our [emergency resources page] for additional options.
Meet Some Of Our Counsellors Who Work With Depression
Sabrina Roach
Rebecca Bonham
Eskay Ilori
Alissa Caskey
Alissa firmly believes in the transformative power of therapy to enrich lives at any stage. She empowers her clients to take proactive steps toward a fulfilling life, providing a healing space where individuals feel heard, understood, and supported on their journey toward growth and well-being.
Sasha Seliga
Webinars on This Topic
Frequently Asked Questions About Depression Counselling
There’s no threshold. People come in at all points — when depression is debilitating, when something feels low and stuck, when they’re not sure if it’s depression at all. Earlier is often easier, but later still works.
Yes — they often work well together. Medication can shift the chemistry. Counselling works on the patterns and what’s underneath them. For a lot of people, both together work better than either alone.
Some people see meaningful shifts in a handful of sessions, especially with focused approaches like CBT or behavioural activation. Others use longer-term support — particularly when depression has been around a long time or has roots in earlier experiences. Your counsellor will talk with you about what makes sense as you go.
Depression makes everything harder, including counselling itself. Most therapists who work with depression are very familiar with this. We pace sessions gently, and the truth is showing up tends to be the hardest part. Once you’re in the room, the work usually moves on its own.
Even long-standing depression can improve with support, new strategies, and meaningful changes in daily life.