Depression Counselling
Depression can affect your energy, interest in everyday life and sense of connection with others. Tasks that once felt manageable may require much more effort. You may notice changes in sleep, concentration or appetite, or find that harsh thoughts about yourself are difficult to set aside.
We offer depression counselling in Calgary for people who are experiencing low mood, losing interest in things they usually enjoy or finding everyday tasks harder to manage. Your counsellor will take time to understand your experience and how it affects your relationships, responsibilities and daily routines.
The work begins with your needs and what feels manageable now. You may want help making sense of recent changes, addressing a longstanding pattern or finding a starting point when motivation is limited. Together, we can consider an approach suited to your circumstances.
If choosing a clinician feels like one more decision to make, call 403-801-4839 and ask for help finding a starting point. If a loss is part of what you’re facing, you can also read about grief counselling.
When counselling for depression may help
Support may be useful when low mood, emptiness, irritability or a reduced interest in things you usually value is affecting your life. You may be withdrawing from people, finding it difficult to keep up with responsibilities or struggling with guilt, discouragement or a sense of hopelessness.
These experiences can have different causes and deserve careful assessment. You can seek counselling to explore what is happening, whether you already have a diagnosis or are unsure how to describe the concern. Where changes in mood or functioning call for medical assessment, your counsellor can discuss involving your doctor as part of an appropriate support plan.
How we support you with depression
Your counsellor will explore your symptoms alongside your history, current pressures and available support. Understanding the context can help identify what needs attention and which approaches are appropriate. Your preferences and capacity to engage with the work are part of that discussion.
Depending on your needs, counselling may include examining patterns of self-criticism, exploring difficult relationships or losses, and identifying small ways to reconnect with daily activities. Goals can be adjusted to the energy and resources you have available, with room to review what is helping.
Psychological support can form part of a wider treatment plan. If other health professionals are involved, you can discuss how their care relates to counselling and whether coordination would be useful. Your counsellor can explain their approach and help you consider the next steps.
What to expect at your first appointment
The first appointment gives you time to describe how you have been feeling and what has changed. Your counsellor may ask about sleep, daily routines, relationships, previous support and the responsibilities that currently feel difficult. They may also ask direct questions about your safety to understand what level of care is appropriate.
You can begin with the concern that is easiest to explain. Together, you and your counsellor can identify an initial focus, discuss the proposed approach and consider any additional assessment or support. Appointment arrangements and confidentiality can also be explained so you know what to expect as the work continues.
Meet the counsellors who specialize in Depression Counselling
Maria Schmid
Registered Psychologist
Maria is a registered psychologist who provides counselling for depression, including when changes in life or relationships are part of the picture. She helps clients talk through how low mood is affecting their day and explore priorities at a pace that feels manageable.
Danielle Smith
Registered Psychologist
Dr. Smith is a registered psychologist with experience supporting people experiencing depression. She considers how mood affects everyday activities and relationships, and how those relationships can help a client feel supported during counselling.
Tricia Thomas
Registered Psychologist
Tricia is a registered psychologist whose general counselling work draws on narrative, interpersonal and cognitive behavioural approaches. She collaborates with clients on goals that reflect how emotional difficulties are affecting their relationships and day-to-day lives.
Nicole Berggren
Registered Psychologist
Nicole is a registered psychologist whose practice interests include depression and the mental health of parents before and after a child’s birth. She works collaboratively with caregivers to understand how changes in mood fit with their personal history, relationships and current responsibilities.
Renata Logan
Registered Psychologist
Renata is a registered psychologist who works with adults facing loss, health changes and questions about purpose. Her approach makes room to consider how those experiences affect a person’s engagement with the relationships and activities that matter to them.
Jason Stein
Registered Social Worker
Jason is a registered social worker with experience counselling people experiencing depression. He works with clients to understand the difficulties they are facing and to choose steps that fit the energy and support they have available.
Sheri Sadowick
Counseling Therapist (AB), Registered Therapeutic Counsellor (BC)
Sheri is a counselling therapist who supports adults feeling overwhelmed or discouraged during difficult relationship and parenting circumstances. Her work attends to the pressures affecting daily life and the sources of support a client can draw on.