West Vancouver Depression Counselling
When Getting Out of Bed Feels Impossible
You used to love things - your job, your hobbies, spending time with friends. Now nothing feels worth the effort. Getting out of bed is exhausting. Showering feels like climbing a mountain. Everyone thinks you're fine because you're still showing up, but inside you're numb, empty, just going through the motions. Or maybe you're not even managing that anymore - you're calling in sick, avoiding people, spending whole days in bed scrolling your phone because you can't make yourself do anything else. West Vancouver depression counselling helps you understand what's happening, address what's driving the depression, and build skills to actually feel alive again instead of just surviving.
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Creekside Counselling helps people throughout the North Shore - from Bowen Island to Cove Cliff - who are dealing with depression that's stolen their energy, their joy, and their sense of who they are. Depression counselling gives you support when your brain is lying to you and telling you nothing will ever get better.
Benefits of Depression Counselling
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The biggest benefit? Someone who gets that you can't just "think positive" or "exercise more" your way out of depression. Those things might help eventually, but first you need someone who understands that depression is a real condition affecting your brain chemistry, not a character flaw or laziness.
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Depression counselling addresses both symptoms and root causes. We teach you tools to manage the immediate symptoms - getting out of bed, basic self-care, challenging negative thoughts that make everything worse. But we also explore what's underneath - unprocessed trauma, chronic stress, relationship problems, life circumstances, biological factors, patterns from childhood that set you up for depression.
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We work with the specific ways depression shows up for you. Some people are numb and can't feel anything. Others are overwhelmed with sadness and cry constantly. Some have the energy to fake it at work but collapse at home. Others can't function at all. West Vancouver depression counselling adapts to your specific presentation instead of using one-size-fits-all approaches.
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Depression counselling helps you challenge the lies depression tells you. That you're worthless. That nothing will ever get better. That people would be better off without you. That there's no point trying. These thoughts feel true when you're depressed but they're symptoms, not reality. We help you see them for what they are - depression talking, not truth.
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We address the isolation that makes depression worse. When you're depressed, you withdraw from people, which makes you more depressed, which makes you withdraw more. It's a vicious cycle. Depression counselling helps you understand this pattern and gradually reconnect with people and activities even when your brain says there's no point.
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For people dealing with seasonal depression during West Vancouver's dark, rainy winters, counselling provides strategies specific to seasonal patterns. Light therapy, activity scheduling, recognising triggers, preparing for difficult months before they hit. The grey November through February stretch hits hard here and having support makes a difference.
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Depression counselling also coordinates with medication when needed. Therapy and medication together work better than either alone for moderate to severe depression. We can help you figure out if you need to see a psychiatrist and support you through the process of finding the right medication.
Creekside Counselling's Approach to Depression Counselling
First we assess what you're dealing with. How long have you been depressed? What triggered it or did it come on gradually? How severe are symptoms - can you function or are you barely surviving? Are you having suicidal thoughts? Understanding the full picture helps us create a treatment plan that addresses your specific needs.
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Depression counselling uses cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to challenge the thought patterns that fuel depression. Catastrophic thinking, all-or-nothing thinking, personalising everything, filtering out any positive. We identify your specific patterns and build healthier ways of thinking that don't create and maintain depression.
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We also use behavioural activation - getting you doing things even when you don't feel like it, because waiting to feel motivated keeps you stuck forever. We start small - maybe just getting dressed or going outside for five minutes. These tiny actions start shifting brain chemistry and building momentum for bigger changes.
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Depression counselling addresses any trauma underlying your depression. Lots of people develop depression after traumatic experiences that never got processed. EMDR therapy helps resolve trauma so it stops fueling current depression. Once trauma's processed, depression often lifts significantly.
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We work on sleep, which both affects and is affected by depression. Insomnia makes depression worse, depression disrupts sleep. Breaking this cycle with sleep hygiene strategies, addressing rumination that keeps you awake, and sometimes coordinating with doctors for sleep support makes a big difference in mood.
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Depression counselling helps you rebuild activities and connections that give life meaning. What used to matter to you before depression? What small steps can you take toward those things now? We don't wait for you to feel better before engaging with life - engaging with life helps you feel better.
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For severe depression where you're struggling to function or having frequent suicidal thoughts, we focus on safety and stabilisation first. Creating a safety plan, involving support people, possibly recommending intensive outpatient programs or hospitalisation if needed. Your safety always comes first.
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We also address the shame and self-judgment that often comes with depression. Feeling like you should be able to snap out of it, like you're weak or broken, like you're letting everyone down. Depression isn't your fault and counselling helps you separate who you are from what depression is doing to you.
Pricing Information
Depression counselling sessions are $165 per 50-minute session. Most people start with weekly sessions for consistent support and momentum. As depression improves, we can space out to biweekly or monthly for maintenance and relapse prevention.
Length of treatment depends on depression severity and what's driving it. Some people see significant improvement in 3-4 months. Others need 6-12 months or longer, especially for recurrent depression or when trauma or life circumstances are involved. Depression treatment is a marathon, not a sprint.
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We provide receipts for insurance. Most extended health plans in BC cover counselling and depression absolutely qualifies. Check your benefits - many West Vancouver employers offer good mental health coverage.
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Some people qualify for additional support through disability benefits if depression is severe enough to affect work, or through EAP programmes offering free sessions. We can help you figure out what resources are available.
Areas We Serve
We are located in West Vancouver and work with people dealing with depression throughout the North Shore. Our depression counselling clients come from all West Van neighbourhoods - Horseshoe Bay, Ambleside, Dundrarave, Eagle Harbour, Caulfeild, Whitby Estates, British Properties, Cypress Village, Gleneagles, Bayridge, Chartwell.
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We also see people from North Vancouver, Lions Bay, and throughout Metro Vancouver struggling with depression. Many of our clients look successful from the outside - good jobs, nice houses, seemingly perfect lives - but are falling apart privately with depression.
Virtual depression counselling works well, especially when getting to an office feels impossible during severe depression. We can meet you wherever you are, even if that's literally still in bed having your first session.
Frequently Asked Questions About Depression Counselling
How do I know if I'm actually depressed or just going through a rough patch?
If symptoms last more than two weeks and are affecting your ability to function - can't work, can't maintain relationships, can't take care of yourself - it's likely clinical depression. But even if you're still functioning, persistent sadness, numbness, loss of interest in things you used to love, changes in sleep or appetite, feeling hopeless - these suggest depression worth treating.
Do I need medication or can therapy alone treat depression?
Depends on severity. Mild to moderate depression often responds to therapy alone. Severe depression or depression with suicidal thoughts usually needs both therapy and medication for best results. We help you figure out what you need and can coordinate with psychiatrists or family doctors.
Will therapy make me feel worse before I feel better?
Processing difficult emotions or trauma can temporarily increase distress, but we pace things carefully to prevent overwhelming you. You should notice some improvements within the first month - better sleep, slightly more energy, fewer suicidal thoughts. If therapy's making you consistently worse, we adjust our approach.
What if I don't have energy for therapy homework or practicing skills?
We work with where you're at. When depression is severe, just showing up to sessions is enough. As you improve, we add small homework - maybe just noticing thoughts or trying one tiny behaviour change. We never pile on expectations that set you up to fail and feel worse.
Can depression counselling help if I've been depressed for years?
Absolutely. Chronic depression is harder to treat than acute episodes but it still responds to therapy. It might take longer and require addressing deeper patterns, but people who've been depressed for decades can and do get better with the right treatment.
What if I'm having suicidal thoughts? Should I wait to get help?
No. Suicidal thoughts mean you need help now. Call a crisis line (1-800-784-2433) if you're in immediate danger. Otherwise, book a session ASAP. Depression counselling addresses suicidal thoughts directly - creating safety plans, reducing hopelessness, giving you reasons to keep going while we treat the underlying depression.
How is depression counselling different from regular therapy?
Depression counselling uses specific evidence-based approaches (CBT, behavioural activation, possibly medication coordination) targeted at depression symptoms and root causes. Regular therapy might be more exploratory or focus on other issues. That said, there's overlap - lots of "regular therapy" addresses depression too.
Will I be on antidepressants forever if I start them?
Not necessarily. Some people take them short-term (6-12 months) while doing therapy, then taper off once depression's under control. Others need longer-term medication for recurrent depression. It depends on your situation and biology. Therapy helps either way, whether you're on meds or not.
You don't have to keep living in the fog. West Vancouver depression counselling helps you address what's driving your depression and build skills to feel alive again instead of just surviving. Book your session today - depression lies when it tells you nothing will help. Treatment works.