Depression Therapy Calgary: You're Not Beyond Help
Even when you can't get out of bed, shower, or see the point. Our depression therapists understand the weight you're carrying and how to help you lift it.
Is Depression Counselling Right for You?
Do you wake up already exhausted, facing another day that feels pointless and empty?
Have activities you once enjoyed become just another chore - or stopped mattering entirely?
Does it take enormous effort to do basic things like shower, eat, or respond to texts?
Do you feel like you're watching life through glass, disconnected from everyone and everything?
Have you tried to "just think positive" or "stay busy" only to feel more exhausted and ashamed?
Do you find yourself wondering, "What if I'm too broken for therapy to help?"
If you recognized yourself in these questions, you're not broken - you're human, experiencing something millions of people face.
Depression lies about everything, especially about your worth. The right counselling can help you reconnect with life and remember what it feels like to actually want to be here.
What Sets Our Depression Therapists Apart
Come As You Are
Can't get out of bed? We'll start there. Can only whisper one-word answers? That's enough. Our therapists work with whatever energy you have today. Some sessions we talk, others we just sit together. Showing up is the only requirement.
We Don't Give Up
When depression tells you you're hopeless, our therapists hold hope for you. We've seen the worst of depression and know that recovery happens - even when you can't believe it yet. No matter how slowly progress comes, we stay committed.
No Toxic Positivity Here
We won't tell you to "look on the bright side" or be grateful. Our team understands that depression is a real illness, not a bad attitude. We sit with you in the darkness while helping you find realistic ways to let light back in.
Depression Treatment Calgary Trusts
“Helped me to grow as a professional and to be a better person.”
“The best therapist I have ever used.”
“Fantastic to work with.”
“Professional, reliable, compassionate.”
“Easy to speak to and non-judgmental.”
“I would refer a family member in a heartbeat!”
Meet Your Psychologists
Rod Mitchell, MC, MSc, Registered Psychologist
Hi! I'm Rod, founder of Emotions Therapy Calgary.
What frustrates me most? How depression treatment often ignores what sufferers really need - someone who believes them when they say they're trying their hardest just to exist.
Our Calgary psychologists get it. They understand that showering can feel like climbing Everest, that "laziness" is actually paralysis, that you're not choosing this. We combine neuroscience with genuine compassion because depression is complex enough to need both.
You deserve psychologists who see your struggle and never judge your pace. When depression says you're worthless, we're here to quietly prove it wrong.
Alexis (Alya) Serghanuk, MSc, Registered Provisional Psychologist
I'm Alya, and I specialize in depression that feels too heavy to explain.
While others might say "have you tried yoga?", I understand that depression is a full-body takeover. Using somatic approaches, I help you reconnect with a body that feels foreign. Through behavioral activation, we find tiny ways to move when everything screams "stay still."
My approach? We start wherever you are - even if that's been the same spot for months. Some days we'll talk. Other days, just being here is victory enough. I know the courage it takes to choose life when your brain suggests otherwise.
You're not too depressed for therapy. Let's prove that together.
Yuchen Zhong, MC, Registered Provisional Psychologist
I'm Yuchen. If your depression feels different from what others describe - maybe it's anger turned inward, or a blanket of "I don't care" - your experience is valid.
Through EMDR and emotion-focused counselling, I help you understand what your depression is protecting you from. Sometimes it's grief. Sometimes it's anxiety. Often it's the unbearable disappointment of life not turning out as planned.
Together, we'll decode your specific type of depression and find what helps YOU - not what works in textbooks. Because your depression has its own language, and I'm here to help translate it.
You don't need to understand it all right now - just be curious enough to start exploring.
Your Depression Therapy Journey With Us
1. Starting in the Darkness
We meet you exactly where you are - even if that's been in bed for weeks. No pressure to be "ready" or have goals. Your first sessions might be mostly silence, and that's okay.
2. Building Your Foundation
Together, we create safety nets for your hardest days. This might include crisis plans, gentle daily structures, or anxiety support. We help you identify what makes things slightly more bearable - small foundations matter.
3. Understanding Your Depression
We gently explore what's underneath the numbness. Sometimes depression is your mind's way of protecting you from overwhelming feelings - understanding this can bring relief, but we never push for insights you're not ready for.
4. Reconnecting to Life
Using counselling approaches like behavioral activation and EMDR, we help you take the tiniest possible steps. We celebrate these moments because when you're depressed, they're actually heroic.
5. Finding Your Version of Okay
Recovery doesn't mean constant happiness. We help you build a life that feels worth living - whatever that means for you. Maybe it's just feeling peaceful. Maybe it's rediscovering one thing you enjoy. Your okay is enough.
6. Maintaining Your Progress
Depression often comes in waves. We prepare you for setbacks without fear, creating strategies for early warning signs. You'll know when to reach out and how to be gentle with yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
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This is depression talking, not reality. We regularly work with clients experiencing severe depression who initially believed they were beyond help.
Here's what we know:
No one is "too depressed" for the right counselling support
We start wherever you are - even if that's rock bottom
Tiny improvements count - sleeping 6 hours instead of 16, having one moment of "not terrible"
Our Calgary team’s approach works even when you can't engage in traditional talk therapy. Sometimes progress means just showing up and breathing for 50 minutes.
Many clients tell us they felt hopeless about their mental health before starting. Now they're living proof that even a treatment-resistant depression disorder can improve with the right support. Your brain might be convinced you're unfixable, but that's the illness lying to you.
The fact that you're even reading this shows a spark of hope. That's enough to start.
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Being honest about suicidal thoughts won't automatically result in hospitalization. In fact, we need to talk about these feelings to help you stay safe.
Here's our actual approach:
We explore these thoughts together without panic
Create practical safety plans that really help
Only involve emergency services if there's immediate danger
Work collaboratively - you're part of every decision
Most clients with depression experience some level of suicidal ideation. Our mental health team is trained to hold space for these feelings without overreacting. We know the difference between passive thoughts ("I wish I wasn't here") and active plans.
Hiding these thoughts from your therapist only makes them stronger. By discussing them openly, we can address what's driving them and develop strategies that actually work. Many clients find that simply voicing these thoughts reduces their power.
Your safety matters, but so does your autonomy. We'll always try the least restrictive approach first.
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Silence is completely acceptable in depression counselling. Sometimes words feel impossible, and that's okay.
Your therapist might:
Sit quietly with you - presence matters more than words
Offer gentle prompts or yes/no questions
Use creative approaches like writing or drawing
Simply witness your experience without pressure
Many clients with depression struggle to find words for the emptiness. Our specialists are comfortable with silence and won't fill it with uncomfortable chatter or push you to "open up." Sometimes the most healing sessions involve very few words.
Depression already makes you feel like you're failing. In our counselling sessions, there's no way to "do it wrong." Just showing up is enough.
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Absolutely not. We know you've heard the "just go for a walk" advice a thousand times. If it were that simple, you'd have done it already.
While lifestyle factors can support mental health, we understand:
Depression makes self-care feel impossible, not optional
You need help with the depression first, then habits follow
Shame about not exercising makes everything worse
Generic mental health advice dismisses real suffering
Our depression therapists focus on what's actually keeping you stuck - trauma, brain chemistry, life circumstances, chronic stress. We address root causes, not just symptoms.
If movement or nutrition come up, it's collaborative and realistic. Maybe it's sitting outside for two minutes or eating one meal. But this is never the focus when you're fighting to survive each day.
You deserve therapy that treats depression as the serious mental health condition it is, not a lifestyle problem.
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There's no minimum suffering requirement for depression counselling. High-functioning depression is still depression.
You deserve support if you're:
Pushing through each day but exhausted by evening
Maintaining work/family duties while feeling empty inside
Smiling publicly but struggling privately
Comparing your pain to others and feeling "not sick enough"
Many clients worry they're "taking a spot" from someone worse off. But depression that lets you function isn't less valid - it's often harder to get help for because others don't see your struggle.
Our Calgary team understands the unique challenges of hidden depression. The energy spent masking your mental health symptoms is energy stolen from healing. You don't need to hit rock bottom to deserve care.
If depression affects your quality of life in any way - even if you're still achieving - that's serious enough. Your functioning doesn't erase your pain.
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Past therapy experiences don't predict future success, especially with different approaches and therapists.
Common reasons therapy hasn't worked:
Poor therapeutic fit or lack of depression specialization
Generic approaches instead of targeted treatment
Timing - you weren't ready or depression was too severe
Missing underlying issues like trauma or medical conditions
Our mental health professionals use specific depression-focused methods including EMDR, somatic approaches, and behavioral activation. We also understand that trust takes time after disappointing experiences.
Many clients who felt "therapy-proof" found success when we:
Addressed trauma beneath the depression
Used body-based methods, not just talk therapy
Adjusted our approach to their specific type of depression
Simply offered better therapeutic chemistry
Your previous attempts weren't failures - they were information about what doesn't work for you. That actually helps us customize an approach that will.
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Sometimes, yes - but we prepare you for this possibility and never push faster than you can handle.
Why temporary increases in difficult feelings happen:
Numbness lifting can mean feeling everything again
Talking about avoided topics brings them to the surface
Your defenses (even unhelpful ones) kept you safe
Our approach to managing this:
We go at your pace - no forced breakthroughs
Build coping skills before processing difficult material
Monitor your mental health between sessions
Adjust if therapy feels overwhelming
Many clients describe it like cleaning an infected wound - it hurts during treatment but allows real healing. However, you're in control of the process. If things feel too intense, we slow down or try different approaches.
Some clients need months of stabilization before deeper work. Others dive in immediately. Your Calgary therapist will help you find the right balance between gentle progress and necessary discomfort.
The goal is sustainable healing, not therapeutic overwhelm.
You don't have to carry this alone anymore.
Book your free consultation - or have someone book it for you. We'll take it from there.