Anxiety and Depression
Anxiety and Depression are among the most common mental health challenges people live with, and are often comorbid with each other which means many (but not all) people who have one also have the other. Anxiety and/or depression are some of the most frequent reasons people seek out therapy at The Growth & Wellness Therapy Centre, and there are a number of treatment options available to support you.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety can be described as a strong feeling of fear, uneasiness or dread. Anxiety is a natural response by our body to a situation that it perceives as dangerous or where we’ll have to be careful - it activates our fight-flight-freeze response. We might notice it makes our heart race, our palms sweat, our mouth dry up or even make our legs shake. This anxiety can be helpful to keep us safe when we’re in danger and need to be on alert (for example - when we’re being chased by a cougar) but less helpful when it gets activated by things that don’t actually impact our safety or survival (for example - giving a talk at work, meeting a new person).
Some people experience anxiety so intense it actively disrupts their ability to function day to day. Anxiety that stops them from leaving the house, anxiety that causes an anxiety attack before meeting a new person, anxiety about meeting a new person so intense that the person starts picking at their skin or hair in response.
While it’s true that some anxiety can be productive (for example - some people find anxiety before an exam pushes them to make sure they student) other instances of anxiety are harmful or extremely disruptive. In either case you’re welcome to talk to a therapist (because even productive anxiety can be uncomfortable) who can help you to identify your anxiety triggers, understand why you’re having that reaction, and learn to manage it. Whether you’ve been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder or experience self-identified symptoms of anxiety, we can support you.
What is Depression?
Depression is a type of Mood Disorder that can involve low mood, lack of interest in things or loss of pleasure from things that used to be enjoyable, and lack of energy. For some people it can be described as sadness, for others it can be described as a numbness and full lack of emotion. Some level of sadness or lack of motivation or interest can be a normal part of the ups and downs of life, but if you find the feelings linger for a long time they might be symptoms of depression. It can impact how a person thinks, how a person acts, and how a person feels. Depression isn’t always obvious from the outside either: some people who experience depression are good at covering it up, at putting on a cheery face and keeping to social obligations even when on the inside they feel an indifference to life and a numbing of real emotions. Whether your depression presents as inability to get out of bed or internalized apathy towards yourself and the world, our therapists are trained to support you.
Types of Therapy and Support
There are numerous types of therapy available to support you in dealing with anxiety and/or depression, with the current best practice being focusing on or integrating skills from Cognitive Behavioiural Therapy (CBT). That being said every client has different needs and styles that work for them, and each clinician will have their own approach to dealing with disorders like anxiety and depression. Some of the approaches you might experience at The Growth & Wellness Therapy Centre to address anxiety and/or depression include:
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
Narrative Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
Exposure Therapy
Art Therapy
Mindfulness Practices
Working with a Clinician
Our office has a number of professionals who work with anxiety and/or depression, who you can view below. Once your clinician has met with you and completed their assessment of your experiences, needs and goals they will make a plan with you to address the symptoms or causes that may be negatively impacting your life. This might be processing experiences that triggered your anxiety and/or depression, working to find a way to get out of bed in the mornings, working to recognize and challenge your anxieties, or helping you learn coping or acceptance strategies to improve your quality of life. Therapy is most effective when there is a strong connection between the therapist and client, and because of that we encourage you to meet for consults with as many clinicians as you need to ensure the best fit.
