Summit Counselling Services — Specialty
Depression TherapyYou don't have to keep white-knuckling through it. There is another side.
Depression makes everything feel heavier — getting up, reaching out, believing things could be different. Our registered psychologists provide personalized counselling for depression in Edmonton, St. Albert, and Windermere. Let's find the way through together.
You Are Not Alone
Depression is common, treatable — and you don't have to manage it alone.
Has Depression Left You Feeling Stuck?
Depression affects your thoughts, feelings, and body.
Is it difficult to live your life due to a depressed mood, a lack of energy, and a general apathy toward everything? Have you wondered why you simply can't "snap out of it"? When you try to stay positive, do feelings of hopelessness keep cropping up?
Whether you have felt this way for a long time or a short while, functioning with depression is exhausting. The feelings associated with depression — sadness, hopelessness — can leave you physically drained and numb. You may also feel aches, pains, and headaches. You probably have trouble falling asleep, sleep longer than needed, and have difficulty getting out of bed.
Depression can involve indecisiveness and the inability to concentrate, which can lead to feelings of guilt and worthlessness. Sometimes you may isolate yourself and not want to spend time with friends or family. You might feel like a burden to others and think they're better off without you — even though people in your life are still rooting for you.
You don't have to experience depression indefinitely. You can experience feelings of worthiness and connection again, see the good in the world, and find the energy to live the life you want. We can help.
"When you feel like it won't get better, it may be your depression talking. Hopelessness is a symptom — not a verdict."
Signs you might be experiencing depression
- Persistent low mood, sadness, or emptiness that won't lift
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you used to enjoy
- Fatigue and low energy — even simple tasks feel effortful
- Sleep difficulties — too much, too little, or unrefreshing
- Changes in appetite or weight
- Difficulty concentrating, making decisions, or remembering things
- Feelings of worthlessness, guilt, or self-blame
- Withdrawal from friends, family, and social connection
- Physical symptoms — headaches, aches, digestive issues with no clear cause
- Irritability, restlessness, or feeling slowed down
- Feeling like a burden to the people around you
- Thoughts of not wanting to continue, or of death or suicide
Understanding Depression
A depressed mind has many causes
Depression doesn't always have an obvious external cause — and when it does, the cause alone doesn't determine how difficult it is to recover from. Whatever has brought you here, therapy can help.
Trauma & Life Events
Experiencing an upsetting or stressful event can overwhelm the mind's ability to cope — and when the mind has trouble returning to a functional state, depression often follows. Trauma and depression are frequently connected. See also our trauma therapy page.
Hopelessness & Circumstance
Sometimes depression develops due to a lack of hope about our circumstances — when we feel we can't change a situation we're in, or when life hasn't gone the way we planned. Grief, loss, and major life transitions can trigger depression even when no single traumatic event occurred.
Brain Chemistry & Biology
Sometimes depression has no external cause at all — it's a matter of brain chemistry, hormonal imbalance, genetics, or physical health. This form of depression deserves just as much care and is just as treatable. Depression is not a choice or a character flaw.
Social Comparison & Expectations
In a world of comparison, social media, and the constant push to achieve more, it's hard not to feel inadequate. Seeing the highlight reels of everyone's lives when you can barely get through the day is genuinely painful — and hardwired expectations ("I should be married by now," "I should have my life together") can compound this significantly.
Grief & Loss
The loss of a person, a relationship, a career, a sense of identity — grief can deepen into depression when it becomes stuck. Grief and depression can look similar but require different approaches, and a skilled therapist can help you understand what you're experiencing.
Postpartum & Perinatal
Depression during or after pregnancy is extremely common and often undertreated. The hormonal, relational, and identity shifts of the perinatal period can trigger significant depressive episodes. See our postpartum and perinatal mental health page.
How Therapy Helps
Therapy for depression can help you get back to being you.
Everyone experiences depression differently — which is why at Summit, we work with you to determine the best treatment for your specific situation, matching you with a therapist who suits your needs based on what has led to your depression.
During sessions, your therapist will work with you to get to the root causes of your depression and help you understand all the ways it may be affecting your daily life. They'll equip you with coping skills and mental exercises to help you see the light at the end of the tunnel — challenging negative beliefs and finding the motivation to live your life as you wish.
Counselling is about finding hope again. It's about showing you that there is another side to your circumstances, even if it doesn't feel like that today. Seeing yourself in a positive light can have a profound impact on your relief and recovery.
Treatment Methods
Our treatment methods are tailored to your needs
We have registered psychologists and therapists who work in a variety of specialties. Some of the main treatment methods we use for depression include:
Person-Centred Therapy
Based on the concept that you deeply wish to combat your depression and regain a sense of normalcy in your day-to-day functioning. You are the expert on your own life and can be trusted to guide the direction of your therapy sessions and treatment goals. We tailor your experience to you — no matter the circumstances.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT involves identifying negative beliefs that sustain your depression — some of which you may not even be aware of before starting therapy. Once you notice the thought patterns that keep you in a depressed state, you can challenge them with trusted exercises that reframe your thinking and help you form new habits. One of the most extensively researched treatments for depression.
Solution Focused Therapy
With a focus on solving problems and setting and reaching goals, solution-focused therapy helps you heal by looking forward rather than dwelling in the past. You'll learn to keep your eyes on the future while formulating a plan, motivating yourself, and sustaining behavioural change. Particularly effective for depression with clear situational triggers.
EMDR
When depression is connected to traumatic experiences or overwhelming memories, EMDR can address those roots efficiently — processing the underlying experiences so they no longer carry the same charge. A powerful option when traditional talk therapy approaches haven't produced the relief you were hoping for.
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT addresses depression by changing your relationship to difficult thoughts and feelings rather than trying to eliminate them — reducing avoidance, building psychological flexibility, and helping you move toward what matters most even when depression is present. Particularly effective for depression involving withdrawal and loss of engagement with life.
Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT)
Works with the emotional experience of depression at depth — the grief, shame, loneliness, and hopelessness that sit underneath the surface — helping to transform the way those emotions are held. EFT helps people access and process the deeper emotional experience of depression rather than managing it from the surface.
Book a Session
Depression counselling in Edmonton, St. Albert & Windermere
Depression therapy is available in person at all three Summit locations, and virtually for anyone in Alberta. When leaving the house feels impossible, virtual sessions mean you can start without that barrier.
Wîhkwêntôwin ᐄᐧᐦᑫᐧᐣᑑᐃᐧᐣ (Oliver)
Grandin Plaza, 2nd Floor
Edmonton, AB
Common Questions
Depression therapy — your questions answered
Our Therapists
Summit therapists who specialize in depression
We have a talented team of Edmonton, St. Albert, and Windermere psychologists and therapists with specialized training in depression treatment who would be honoured to walk beside you on your journey. Start with a free consultation to find the right fit.
If You Need Immediate Support
Crisis & emergency resources
Summit is not a crisis centre
If you are afraid of harming yourself or are experiencing emergency crisis symptoms, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. The following crisis lines are also available:
Related Support
Other areas we work with
You can feel uplifted again. Let's work on it together.
Reach out through our contact form, or call us at 780-217-4665 for a free consultation to determine which therapist is the right fit for you.
We acknowledge that our practice is located in Treaty 6 territory, on the traditional lands of the Cree, Saulteaux, Niitsitapi (Blackfoot), Métis, and Nakota Sioux Peoples, including our Brewery District office in Wîhkwêntôwin ᐄᐧᐦᑫᐧᐣᑑᐃᐧᐣ (Oliver). We recognize that healing and reconciliation is a responsibility shared by all and are proud to partner with organizations that help Indigenous community members access culturally safe mental health care.