Anxiety and Depression

ANXIETY

Fear is a normal, natural, and vital emotion that tells us when we are in danger. Anxiety is when our fear response is activated despite a lack of real danger. Some people struggle with anxiety over specific situations (i.e., health, social, phobias, etc.) while others experience more generalized anxiety.

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TREATMENT

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is highly effective for treating anxiety. CBT looks at the connection between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours and teaches you how to challenge distorted cognitions, calm yourself using relaxation techniques, and face situations that have previously caused you anxiety.

DEPRESSION

Feelings of depression (whether clinically diagnosed or simply periods of feeling down) can leave you feeling hopeless and helpless. Depression causes you to struggle with sleep (too much or too little), eating (too much or too little), decreased motivation, decreased sex drive, feelings of sadness and/or anger, forgetfulness, etc. For some people, these feelings will come after a specific event (i.e., a death) and will linger, while for others, depression can happen for no apparent reason.

TREATMENT

I generally use an eclectic approach to treat symptoms of depression, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). This allows me to help clients learn the connection between distorted thoughts and their mood as well as teach valuable skills for managing difficult symptoms.