Counselling for Depression
When even getting out of bed is difficult, the thought of going to work, making dinner or showing up for your children may seem impossible. Depression can deplete your energy levels and leave you struggling to find even an ounce of motivation.
- Understand what’s contributing to your depression
- Learn tools to manage difficult emotions and thought patterns
- Reconnect with yourself and the people who matter to you
What is depression?
Depression is more than feeling sad, low, or having a difficult week. It is a mood condition that affects how you feel and think, how your body functions, and how you navigate daily life. Women often describe it as a heavy cloud, a numbness, or no longer being interested in things that used to make them happy. It can affect your motivation, concentration, sleep, appetite, energy, and self-worth, sometimes making even basic tasks feel overwhelming.
Sadness or grief can happen when life throws you curveballs like illness, a breakup, or work stress. However, depression tends to linger. Symptoms show up most days for at least a couple of weeks. Your mind gets foggy, your body feels worn out, and you start avoiding or withdrawing from friends and family. Depression is a mind-body experience, shaped by a combination of biological, hormonal, psychological, and environmental factors.
How therapy can help with depression
Therapy can be a powerful and supportive space if you’re living with depression. It’s not about “fixing” you but meeting you where you are, making space for relief, and giving you tools that actually help.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) / Parts Work
IFS helps you understand the different parts of yourself, including those that protect, criticise, or strive. It supports greater self-compassion and a more balanced, connected sense of self.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
Emotion-focused therapy helps you access, express, and process underlying emotions, supporting deeper healing and more attuned, responsive relationships with yourself and others.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive behavioural therapy helps you notice and shift unhelpful thought patterns and behaviours that contribute to low mood.
Psychodynamic Therapy
Psychodynamic therapy explores deeper patterns and past experiences shaping how you feel and relate today, helping build insight and lasting change.
Inclusive Support
We're committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We're allies of LGB2TQIA+ and BIPOC individuals, and support those who self-identify as women, non-binary or gender non-conforming.
Personalized Care
Your needs and experiences are unique to you. Our counsellors are trained in a wide range of therapeutic techniques to ensure you receive the effective, high quality support you deserve.
Qualified Professionals
Every counsellor on our team is a licensed professional with a masters-level education and extensive experience supporting the needs of women.
Find a counsellor who can support you with depression
Get help from a counsellor experienced in supporting women navigating depression and low mood.
View all counsellors
Each counsellor has their own unique skill set, experience and area of expertise.
- Master's level education
- Registered with a provincial body
- Extensive experience supporting women
Memberships & Certifications
Not sure who to book with?
Get matchedTypes of depression
Depression doesn’t look the same for everyone. Many women experience overlapping symptoms or move between depression types over time. Here are some common types of depression.
This is what most people mean by “clinical depression.” MDD involves ongoing low mood and loss of interest that significantly affect daily life.
A long-term, lower-grade depression where symptoms persist for at least 2 years and become part of the background in your life.
Depression that occurs during seasonal changes, usually in the darker, colder months like fall and winter.
This comes on after a big life change or stressor; while it can be short-term, it still feels heavy.
Depression that occurs during pregnancy or after birth. It goes beyond the “baby blues.” It can affect your mood, bonding with your baby, and your day-to-day functioning.
PMDD isn’t having a rough week before your period. It is a severe, cyclical mood disorder tied to hormone changes. Symptoms like heavy sadness, hopelessness, and irritability occur after ovulation and shortly after your period begins.
Why depression affects women differently
Depression affects women at significantly higher rates than men, and this isn't because they're "more emotional" or "less tough." It's due to a combination of biological factors and relational and social pressures that women carry over a lifetime.
Women deal with gender-based stress, including unfair expectations, financial strain, discrimination, and the nonstop emotional work that no one sees. Hormones and life stages can shape how depression shows up. Changes related to your cycle, PMDD, pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause, and menopause can all affect mood, sleep, energy, and emotional regulation.
What’s on your mind?
Everything you need to know about our counselling services.
Everyone feels down after a tough event or season. Depression is different — it sticks around. If feelings of sadness, numbness, exhaustion, or hopelessness last most days for two weeks or longer, and begin to affect your energy, motivation, relationships, or sense of self, it may be more than a temporary rough patch. Trust your gut. If something feels off, it’s worth reaching out.
Absolutely. Depression doesn’t always show up as a big crisis. Many women with depression are high-functioning, juggling work, kids, and home while feeling empty or overwhelmed inside. Depression is about how you’re feeling and functioning internally, not how your life appears from the outside.
When left unaddressed, depression can deepen over time. It can severely affect your physical health, work, relationships, and self-esteem. It can increase your risk of anxiety, burnout, drug dependence, and thoughts of self-harm. Getting support early often leads to better outcomes and makes things easier.
It’s different for everyone. Some episodes are shorter, while others can be more persistent, especially without support. But with the right care, many people find relief and learn tools to manage symptoms long-term.
Not always. Some people do well with therapy alone. Others find that adding medication helps. It’s a personal decision, best made with a doctor or psychiatrist, and with support from your therapist.
Listen. Don’t try to fix. Validate how they feel, check in regularly, and encourage them to get help, but don’t push. Small things matter like texts, meals, or just being there quietly. Those acts of presence can be a lifeline.
Take the first step toward feeling like yourself again
Crisis support
If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide, you’re not alone and support is available. You can call or text 9-8-8, the Suicide Crisis Helpline Canada, to connect with a trained responder 24/7, anywhere in Canada.
In British Columbia, you can also reach out to The Crisis Intervention & Suicide Prevention Centre of BC at 604-872-3311 or 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) for immediate support.
If you are in immediate danger, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department. Reaching out can feel difficult, but there are people ready to listen and help keep you safe.