Feeling depressed can be a normal reaction to situations involving stress, grief, or challenging life adjustments. For some people however, feeling depressed is more than just a temporary response to life stress and can start to take over one’s life. Depression can be experienced in different ways. A wide range of symptoms can be experienced and these can include: feeling sad, hopeless, gloomy, or irritable; inability to experience joy or pleasure; crying often; difficulty with making decisions; poorer than usual memory or concentration; changes in appetite; negative thinking; lack of energy or motivation; feelings of guilt or self-blame; sleep disturbances. While depression is the most commonly experienced mood disorder, other problems with mood include Bipolar Disorder and Dysthymia.

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder is a mood disorder that involves alternating periods of depression and mania, i.e. an elevated mood or a “high” feeling. Those suffering from Bipolar Disorder often feel they live their life on a rollercoaster, with sudden up’s and down’s in mood. When having a depressed episode, people can become profoundly depressed and feel helpless. When having a “high”, people can become overly excited, do not get adequate sleep, and can engage in impulsive, risky or reckless behaviours. Therapy can help those suffering from Bipolar Disorder to help regulate their mood more effectively and become more familiar with identifying early warning signs for depressed or manic phases. 

Compulsive or Unwanted Behaviours

Therapy can help individuals who experience distress and impairment caused by various compulsive behaviours. Such behaviours can include skin picking and hair-pulling (trichotillomania), or strong impulses to eat, use alcohol or other substances. These concerns are usually a result of problems with impulse control, where people find it hard to resist urges or impulses to engage in potentially harmful patterns of behaviour. Therapy can help those wanting to reduce these unhelpful behaviours and establish more healthy responses to the urges.

Stress

Stress itself is a natural, necessary and often unavoidable reaction to life events. Problems can arise when stress is felt excessively and frequently, and when responses to stress become unhelpful. Responses to stress can become unhelpful when the reaction seems exaggerated, or is extended over a long period of time, subsequently making one prone to feeling irritable, low or anxious. Identifying triggers for stress and improving emotional and behavioural responses to stress can go a long way in better managing life’s hurdles.  

Poor Self –Image

Sometimes the source of people’s unhappiness or anxiety can be caused by problems with poor self-image. Self-image refers to the view one has of themselves, or the relationship one has with themselves. If this view of self is negative, it can lead to problems with anxiety, relationships, mood and overall life satisfaction. One can gain great benefit from working on improving issues related to low self-worth, feeling undeserving, low self-esteem, low confidence, and even concerns about body image.

Trauma

Trauma in early life can have devastating emotional, social, and relational consequences for later life. It contributes to making a person less resilient in the face of stressful life events later in life. Exposure to a traumatic event more recently (such as natural disasters, military combat, personal tragedy, accidents, assault or violence) can lead to an increased risk for developing trauma-related anxiety and stress, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. 

Relationship / Interpersonal Problems

The ability to connect and relate meaningfully with others in a universal human need. It therefore makes sense that when our relationships are not healthy, or when it’s difficult to connect with others, our need for connectivity and intimacy is not met. Such relational or interpersonal problems can have wide-reaching negative emotional, psychological and social effects. In therapy, exploring unhelpful patterns of relating as well as addressing themes such as trust, feelings of rejection, communication, and problems with intimacy can be useful in improving relationship satisfaction.   

Motivational Problems / Life Direction

At certain times in life, it can feel as though we are at a cross road, unsure of which direction to head in, whether that be regarding work, relationships, study, or general pursuit of values . This confusion can sometimes lead to a lack of drive or motivation to pursue any path at all and a feeling of “stuckness” can ensue. Related features of this problem can also include indecision, lack of clarity about needs and wants, persistent self-doubt, procrastination and avoidance.

Other Services:

Treatment is offered for returning servicemen and servicewomen, and veterans referred under DVA. Help is also offered for clients looking for psychology services under Works Compensation.