A vital part of treatment for depression is the identification, examination and healing of negative or limiting beliefs that may be the root cause of unhappiness. This can be the result of negative past events or traumas that continue to interfere with a person’s overall well-being and happiness in their present life.

I specialize in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) with Person-Centered Therapy as the main foundation for treating depression. These methods allow me to connect with clients and build up the necessary level of trust that is vital to achieving successful breakthroughs.

Person Centered Therapy (PCT) – Person-centered therapy focuses on building a therapeutic relationship between the client and the therapist.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – With CBT, the goal is to change how depressed individuals perceive themselves, others and the world around them. Now they can acknowledge and change their behaviors in order to deal with different situations in life.

EMDR Therapy – Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is especially effective for male clients as it allows them to only work on the specific issues that they want to. Clients also typically experience very fast results.

I also teach self-help and grounding tools which assists depressed individuals in dealing with everyday emotional responses as well as focusing on something other than their depressive state. In addition to healing the emotional and psychological causes of depression, I recommend that clients get some sort of exercise on a daily basis. This can be anything from very light movements to finding an exercise or sporting activity that you enjoy  and that provides more rigorous physical activity. Not only does exercise provide physical health benefits, but it also acts as a grounding exercise to separate you from the emotional turmoil you are experiencing.

Depression is Common

Depression is a widespread medical condition that affects millions of individuals worldwide. In fact, some statistics say that up to 80 percent of the population in North America will suffer from some degree of depression at some point in their lives. Depression has a wide range of symptoms that exhibit themselves differently in men versus women. In some cases, depression manifests as mild feelings of the blues that don’t go away but also don’t significantly impact an individual’s day to day functions. In more severe cases, it causes debilitating symptoms and an inability to deal with life’s stressors. Once depression reaches the later stages, it can have a debilitating effect on both an individual’s personal and professional life if not treated in an effective manner. However, depression is diagnosed more than twice as often in women as it is in men. It isn’t that women are more pre-disposed to depression, it’s simply that men often do not realize that they suffering from it or choose not to seek treatment.

Male Depression is Different

While some men do exhibit traditional symptoms of depression like sadness, worthlessness and excessive guilt, many do not.  Instead, they experience increased fatigue, irritability, anger, loss of interest in work or hobbies and difficulty sleeping. Some men even exhibit abusive tendencies with drugs and alcohol or become workaholics in order to cope with depressive symptoms. However, these coping mechanisms only serve to mask the underlying depression and allow it to get worse.

Causes of Depression in Men

Depression is a very individualized disease, and the causes differ greatly from person to person. Some of the most common causes that are associated with male depression include:

• An inability to live up to the masculine expectations of society
• Chronic health problems that don’t go away
• Problems with personal or professional relationships
• Employment problems
• Social isolation
• Divorce or separation from a spouse or significant other

Negative Effects of Depression

Men suffering from depression often tend to ignore it or hide it using a variety of coping mechanisms such as working more or engaging in harmful or risky behavior. Untreated depression can result in devastating personal, family and financial problems. Furthermore, because men tend to repress or mask their feelings of depression, they are often in a much worse physical and emotional state than women when they finally do seek treatment.

Start Down the Road to Recovery

Person-centered therapy is the foundation from which we build on. When the time is right, we may use both EMDR and CBT. As we work together, I will help you confront your depressive issues in a comfortable and safe therapeutic environment. It’s time to break free from the hold that depression has over your life.