“Exceptional Personalized Care”
Toronto Psychotherapist
As an experienced Toronto Registered Psychotherapist I incorporate a multi-theoretical approach in helping individuals understand the underlying factors of their depression. Together we will sensitively explore the roots and buffers against depressive symptoms. There are several successful therapeutic approaches developed and studied that can be provided. Psychotherapy will help you comprehend the underlying factors, often out of conscious awareness, contributing to your depression.
Many people suffer with the symptoms of depression without realizing there are effective treatments. Your doctor may have discussed antidepressant drug therapy in terms of effectiveness. Psychotherapy is a good adjunct to the medication you may be taking.
Brain imaging studies (MRIs, CT scans, PET scans) are indicating that effective psychotherapy can robustly change brain functioning in specific brain areas related to cognitive control, self-referential processing, and reward-based decision-making. In our work together, you will become aware of your automatic patterns and learn ways to counter your conditioned patterns that can lead to depression.
I find a combination of theoretical approaches that may be most helpful in offering a tailored and personalized treatment plan for the individual.
Toronto Depression Therapy
Psychotherapy offers people the opportunity to identify the factors that contribute to their depression and to deal effectively with the psychological, behavioural, interpersonal and situational causes. A trained psychotherapist, such as myself, can help individuals understand which aspects of their problems they may be able to solve or improve. Depressed patients begin to identify options for the future and set realistic goals that enable these individuals to enhance their mental and emotional well-being.
Negative or distorted thinking patterns can contribute to feelings of hopelessness and helplessness that accompany depression. For example, depressed individuals may tend to over-generalize, that is, to think of circumstances in terms of ‘always’ or ‘never.’ They may also take events personally. My goal in therapy is to help nurture a more positive outlook on life.
Some depressed individuals may prefer psychotherapy to the use of medications, especially if their depression is not severe. Depression can seriously impair a person’s ability to function in everyday situations. But the prospects for recovery for depressed individuals who seek appropriate professional care are very good. By understanding what underpins your depression you can begin to regain control of your life.
What is Depression
All of us have experienced sadness, the undesired emotion which accompanies undesired events, such as loss of a valued object or individual, or failure to achieve a desired goal. Healthy people do report days when they are “a bit down” for no apparent reason, deeper and longer-lasting sadness occurs only as a reaction to disturbing and troublesome events. In the mood disorders, the mood shifts excessively in response to minor events, or in the absence of presenting events, and once established the pathological mood is sustained. Read more about depression.
My goal is to help individuals understand their behaviours, emotions, their mind and ideas that contribute to his or her depressed state. At times life problems or events—like a major illness, a death in the family, a loss of a job or a divorce will contribute to depression. In therapy one learns to understand which aspects of those problems they may be able to solve or improve. Through processing the painful event one is able to regain a sense of control and greater quality of life.
Psychoanalysis for Depression
Psychoanalysis is both a theory of human nature and a therapeutic treatment of psychological disorders. Psychoanalysis attempts to reveal unconscious (out of our awareness) aspects of a person’s nature that may contribute to psychological distress such as depression. As a human being, we go through various developmental stages throughout the life cycle. Your childhood influences your adolescence which then affects your adulthood.
Our past experiences influence our psychological development. Psychodynamic therapy is based on the assumption that a person is depressed because of unresolved, generally unconscious conflicts, often stemming from childhood. The goal of this type of therapy is for the patient to understand and better cope with these feelings by talking about the experiences.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Depression
Cognitive behavioural therapy helps people with depression to identify and change inaccurate perceptions that they may have of themselves and the world around them. Therapy helps patients establish new ways of thinking by directing attention to both the “wrong” and “right” assumptions they make about themselves and others.
Interpersonal Therapy
Interpersonal therapy focuses on the behaviours and interactions a depressed patient has with family and friends. Unhealthy relationships affect our happiness. The primary goal is to improve communication skills and increase self esteem.
