You may feel like life has lost its lustre and colour, even in the relationships and hobbies that once brought you joy, which can deepen these feelings of despair and isolation even further. Sadness, despair, and hopelessness are all part of life and oftentimes make sense. It’s normal and okay to grieve and feel sad about things that haven’t gone as we hoped, in our personal lives or the world around us. This shows that we care, that we’re human.

Depression is when these feelings persist, and it feels like you’ve lost touch with your normal self who was once able to enjoy life. This can happen due to a major change, such as a loss or intense stress, or it could be that everything seems fine, and depression crept up completely out of the blue.

Some other signs that you may be experiencing depression include:

  • Sleeping way more or less than usual
  • Feeling fatigued a lot of time, and having low energy
  • Losing interest or joy in things your normally enjoy
  • Difficulty focusing, remembering things, or making decisions
  • Lack of appetite or a heightened appetite
  • Feeling like you’re moving more slowly through the world
  • Having thoughts of ending your own life (see FAQs for “What happens if I share that I’m having thoughts of suicide?”)

Therapy for Depression

My approach to depression includes exploring what’s going on in your life that may be contributing, finding ways to bring some spark back, and taking small achievable steps towards reconnecting with life. This may include multiple therapeutic modalities such as CBT, Polyvagal Theory, mindfulness, and self-compassion, which can be effective at addressing depressive feelings and thinking.

Schedule a consult with me to share more about what’s been going on in and discuss what approaches may be helpful in counselling to bring some joy and sunlight back into your life.