Therapy for Depression in Duncan, BC and Online Across Canada
Depression is not a weakness. It is not a lack of gratitude, motivation, or effort. It is not something you can simply “think your way out of.”
Depression is a complex health condition that affects the mind, body, and nervous system, and it doesn’t show up the same way for everyone.
Many people I work with carry shame alongside their depression, wondering why they feel this way, or believing they “should” be able to feel better on their own. Part of our work together is gently untangling those beliefs and helping you understand what’s actually happening in your system, with compassion rather than judgment.
Types of depression
There isn’t just one kind of depression. Understanding which type (or types) you’re experiencing can be an important part of healing.
Situational or Reactive Depression
This type of depression can develop in response to life stressors such as loss, trauma, relationship changes, burnout, illness, or prolonged stress. While the feelings make sense given what you’ve been through, they can still become overwhelming or persistent, especially if your nervous system hasn’t had space to recover.
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
MDD is a clinical diagnosis characterized by ongoing symptoms such as low mood, loss of interest or pleasure, changes in sleep or appetite, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness. For many people, MDD has a strong biological or genetic component. It is not caused by a lack of willpower or resilience.
Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia)
Some people describe feeling “low-grade depressed” for much of their life — functioning on the outside while feeling flat, heavy, or disconnected inside. This longer-term form of depression is often overlooked or minimized, even though it can deeply impact quality of life.
PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder)
PMDD is a hormone-sensitive mood disorder that causes significant emotional and psychological symptoms in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. This can include intense depression, irritability, anxiety, hopelessness, or even suicidal thoughts that lift once menstruation begins. PMDD is a biological condition, not an emotional overreaction, and it requires informed, compassionate care.
Perinatal Depression
Depression during pregnancy or after birth is far more common than many people realize. It is not a reflection of how much you love your baby or how capable you are as a parent. Many new parents feel extremely conflicted during this time of life, because they feel like they “should” be 100% happy and grateful.
Perinatal depression can occur during pregnancy or in the months (and sometimes years) following birth. It may show up as persistent sadness, numbness, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, irritability, guilt, disconnection, or a sense of overwhelm that feels impossible to escape. Hormonal shifts, sleep deprivation, identity changes, birth experiences, trauma history, and nervous system stress can all play a role.
For some, perinatal depression is primarily biological or hormonal; for others, it’s shaped by life circumstances, support systems, or past experiences. Often it’s a combination of all of these. Struggling during this season does not mean you’re doing something wrong. It means your system is under immense demand and needs care.
A combination of factors
For many people, depression is not purely situational or purely biological, it’s a combination. Genetics, neurochemistry, trauma history, chronic stress, hormonal shifts, and life circumstances can all interact. Two people can experience similar stressors and be impacted very differently, depending on their nervous system, history, and biology.
How depression might show up
Depression doesn’t always look like sadness. It can show up as:
Emotional numbness or emptiness
Exhaustion that doesn’t improve with rest
Loss of motivation, pleasure, or interest in activities that used to be enjoyable
Irritability or increased self-criticism
Brain fog or difficulty making decisions
Feeling like everyday tasks require enormous effort
Many people blame themselves for these experiences, when in reality their system is doing its best under an extremely heavy internal load.
What does therapy for depression look like?
Because depression has many possible roots, effective treatment is not one-size-fits-all. I take a collaborative, integrative approach, tailoring therapy to you — your symptoms, your history, and your nervous system.
Depending on your needs, our work may include:
Nervous system–informed therapy to support regulation, energy, and capacity
Trauma-informed approaches when depression is connected to chronic stress, attachment wounds, or past trauma
Parts-based work (IFS-informed therapy) to address inner critics, hopeless parts, or shutdown responses with compassion
Somatic approaches to work with depression that lives in the body as heaviness, collapse, or fatigue
Cognitive-behavioural approaches are often extremely helpful with depression, teaching tools like identifying and challenging automatic negative thoughts, and behavioural activation
Psychoeducation to help you understand what’s happening biologically and emotionally, reducing shame and self-blame
Collaboration with medical care when medication, hormonal support, or further assessment may be helpful. We also focus on meeting our basic needs which are the four building blocks of mental health: sleep, nutrition, movement, and connection.
For PMDD, therapy often focuses on cycle-aware support, nervous system stabilization, self-compassion during symptom peaks, and reducing the secondary shame that so often accompanies this condition. For perinatal depression, we might explore ways you can build up support around you. For situational depression, we might explore your values and how you can move towards being more aligned with them.
“If you know someone who’s depressed, please resolve never to ask them why. Depression isn’t a straightforward response to a bad situation; depression just is, like the weather.
Try to understand the blackness, lethargy, hopelessness, and loneliness they’re going through. Be there for them when they come through the other side.”
— Stephen Fry
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