Depression, Mood & Grief

Overview

Do any of these experiences apply to you or your loved one?

• Feeling down or “blue” much of the time?
• Experiencing painful, hopeless, powerless and despairing feelings about yourself, your relationships and/or your life?
• Finding yourself uncontrollably crying without knowing why?
• Noticing changes in sleep, appetite, concentration or decision-making skills?
• Struggling with feelings of grief, sadness or emptiness following a significant loss or life experience?
• Feeling hopeless or helpless about your current circumstances or the future?
• Having self-critical thoughts and negative feelings about yourself (e.g., shame, guilt, worthlessness)?
• Having less interest, pleasure or motivation to participate in previously enjoyed activities?
• Feeling slowed down, fatigued or fidgety?
• Having a lot of energy, being more active or talking more than usual?
• Feeling very happy or overly cheery, more so than your typical ‘good mood’?
• Engaging in more risky or dangerous behaviours (e.g., excessive substance use, sexual activity, shopping, etc.) during periods of elevated mood?
• Having difficulties functioning at home, work, school or in relationships?
• Thoughts about and plans to harm yourself or take your own life? (Please seek immediate help from your doctor or visit the emergency department of your local hospital if this question is answered yes)

How do we help you or your loved one with depression and mood-related concerns, or to grieve a significant loss?

We will:

• Provide you with a confidential, compassionate and caring therapeutic relationship to help you deal with your most distressing thoughts, emotional reactions, behaviours and relationship issues associated with your depression, mood and grief-related difficulties
• Offer you a comprehensive, individually tailored assessment that includes the use of scientific, evidence-based questionnaires and personal history taking to support you in understanding the factors underlying your depression, mood and grief-related issues, and to build a personalized treatment plan
• Collaboratively set treatment goals that are most relevant to your needs and concerns
• Help you identify and build coping strategies, and utilize current social supports to improve your current symptoms and functioning
• Use relevant scientific, evidence-based treatment options to help you meet your goals, including: Acceptance and Commitment, Behavioural Activation, Cognitive-Behavioural, Emotion-Focused and Experiential, Mindfulness, Motivational Enhancement, Psychodynamic-Mentalization-Attachment-based and Systemic approaches
• Offer short, medium and long-term treatment options based on your individual needs and goals
• Identify referrals to other professionals as needed

We help you or your loved ones with depression and mood by supporting you to:

• Stabilize your mood and regain functioning in valued life domains (e.g., family, social, leisure, work)
• Engage in activities that bring you pleasure and a sense of mastery
• Enhance skills to cope with your distress and challenges
• Reach out to your current social supports to help you address current stressors and negative emotional distress
• Understand how your thoughts and feelings about yourself, others and the world around you can influence your mood and functioning
• Address internal self-criticism and establish self-acceptance and self-compassion
• Identify and change the self and relationship patterns that contribute to your depression and mood difficulties
• Access and express feelings and emotions, and assert your needs
• Develop a more positive sense of yourself and others, and learn how to live authentically according to your feelings, emotions, desires and needs
• Acquire greater vitality by living life according to your most important needs, principles and values
• Foster your resilience and sense of hope for the future

We help you or your loved ones with grief and loss by supporting you to:

• Identify, express and resolve your negative thoughts and feelings about losses in the aftermath of separation, divorce and death of a loved one
• Come to terms with personal losses associated with changes in life circumstances (e.g., changes in health, career, future plans and goals, loss of personal identity)
• Enhance skills to better manage difficulties associated with grief and loss, including sleep disruptions, concentration difficulties, appetite changes and loss of interest in everyday life activities
• Explore the deeper meanings associated with significant losses and their impact on your sense of self and identity, and navigate a new sense of self and identity in the aftermath of loss