Life Transitions, Postpartum Depression, Stress Management Psychodynamic Therapy

Life Transitions, Postpartum Depression, Stress Management

Life transitions can be rewarding, but that doesn't mean they are necessarily easy. Change usually comes with mixed emotions, challenges and stress. It's natural to feel anxious, confused, unsettled and fatigued, no matter how you have looked forward to a change. While promotions at work can be positive and exciting, there are also negative transitions that could make you feel hopeless and negative, anxious and unable to see the solutions to the inevitable problems you face.


Some of the common transitions that people face include moving house, divorce, remarriage, empty nest syndrome, concerns about aging, adjusting to a new job, illness, or death of a loved one.

During periods of transitions, it's common for emotions from some of your past experiences to be triggered, which can make the current situation feel so much worse. That's when confusion takes over, leaving you feeling out of control and confused.

Transition counselling can help you deal with your life changes and the emotions that you are feeling in a safe and effective manner. You will be able to find the root causes of your reactions and you will be able to face the changes head on. You may even be able to push past your self-imposed limits to broaden your horizons and find a strong, new you.

You will gain clarity and understanding, as well as self-confidence to help you feel more grounded and you will develop a sense of purpose in your life. Transition therapy  has helped hundreds of thousands of people to come to terms with difficult issues in life and you can too.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who addresses transitions, you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.

Postpartum depression affects nearly a quarter of all new mothers. Pregnant women who feel sad, blue or down, are at an ever greater risk of postpartum depression. Women who are taking anti-depressants before, will have to stop when they fall pregnant, causing increased feelings of depression.

It is common for new mothers to be afraid to discuss postpartum depression and their thoughts and feelings for fear of being judged as bad mothers. Unless these emotions are discussed with a professional, it could escalate to worse problems.

The most common symptoms of baby blues include anger, sadness, numbness, loss of appetite, trouble sleeping and mood swings. However, postpartum depression affects your functioning significantly and symptoms could include too much or too little sleep, lack of motivation and energy, restlessness and mood swings, trouble with decision making, lots of crying, feelings of worthlessness, and memory problems. Feelings of worthlessness may cause you to withdraw from family and friends. Aches, pains and stomach problems may persist, making it hard to take care of a baby. A new mother with postpartum depression may lose interest in activities she used to enjoy.

The dangers of postpartum depression includes thoughts of the mother hurting herself or her baby, or a total lack of interest in the baby. Some mothers are unable to care for themselves or for their babies.

Professional help is essential for women suffering from postpartum depression to change their perceptions about themselves. A therapist will help a new mother adjust to the changes brought about by motherhood and the changes in hormones and lifestyle and the dynamics of being responsible for a new life.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who offers postpartum depression counselling and other women's issues you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.

While stress is a normal part of our modern, everyday lives, it can also have dramatic side effects. Chronic stress can lead to behavioral issues, such as drug abuse that can harm relationships. However, most commonly, chronic stress can affect a person's physical health in a number of ways. Many people avoid asking for help in coping with stress management, accepting it as a common hazard of today's fast-paced life.

Yes, at some point everyone suffers from challenges with stress management, but if at any point in time you feel like you have trouble handling it, it is time to get help. Signs that you are not coping with stress management includes a change in your sleeping or eating habits, feeling physically unwell (headaches, ulcers, frequent colds and flu), reduced productivity and decreased pleasure in activities you enjoyed before.

Stress is common when dealing with life changes or situations such as job losses, getting married, breakups or divorces, discrimination, parenting, moving house, death of a pet or loved one, being diagnosed with a serious medical condition.  

Therapy can help you to better deal with stress management issues. Negative moods reduce the quality of several aspects of our lives, including productivity and interpersonal relationships. Through cognitive restructuring, negative thoughts can be challenged and rescripted to help you create a more positive mindset.

Stress can often cloud the validity of our interpretations of certain events and circumstances, and cognitive restructuring challenges those assumptions. In the case of invalid interpretations, the way we think about situations naturally changes, which has a positive effect on our moods and ability to handle stress better.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who will help you manage stress more effectively you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.

Psychodynamic Therapy, Non-Duality Therapy

Psychodynamic Therapy can help clients to become aware of feelings of vulnerability that have been repressed from their conscious awareness. This approach is based on the theory that every person has an unconscious which stores vulnerable and painful emotions that are too deep to handle on a conscious level.

Psychodynamic Therapy addresses the defense mechanisms that  have been developed. Defense mechanisms can sometimes do more harm than good. By resolving vulnerabilities such as repression and denial, painful emotions and memories can be processed in order for the defense mechanisms to be resolved, or reduced.

Therapists use a range of core principles in Psychodynamic Therapy, based on the client's needs. It will help the client to gain perspective while recognizing behaviours, actions, responses and character traits that can be transformed.

If you are looking for a therapist who offers Psychodynamic Therapy, please browse our list of practitioners below..

Note: You may narrow your search by selecting more than one filter below.

Marilyn Kwong

Ph.D., R.Psych
I am a Registered Psychologist (#2043) with specialized training in helping people with their emotions and relationships in a deep and experiential way. Relationships have a huge influence on how we feel about... Read more

Mary Gillis

M.A., RCC
**** Please note that I have a short waitlist for new clients, and have limited availability for in person sessions.  Mary Gillis is a registered clinical counsellor who is meeting with her... Read more

Clover Zeng

MCP, RCC
    • Online booking
Clover, with a Master's degree in Counselling Psychology, is a Registered Clinical Counsellor in BC. She works with clients at where they are and walk side by side with them until they reach the happy... Read more

Adrienne Johnson

M.A., RCC
    • Online booking
I am passionate about helping clients who are facing challenges in transitions, relationships, or who are exploring questions about their life’s meaning and purpose. I also have experience working with anxiety,... Read more

Virlyn Collantes

M.S.W., RSW
    • Online booking
About Me I offer individual and couples therapy whether in-person or virtual sessions. I am a fervent advocate for addressing the root causes of individuals' and couples' issues and firmly believe that every... Read more

Adrienne Moya

M.S.W., RCC
    • Online booking
Welcome, I'm Adrienne, owner of Camas Mental Health. Camas offers therapy services with a specialization in supporting reproductive mental health and wellbeing across the lifespan through... Read more

Colette Mrazek

M.Ed., RCC
    • Online booking
My counselling career began over 20 years ago and since then, I have worked in a variety of settings with many different populations, such as youth at risk, children who have been orphaned, young parents,... Read more

Joanne Schwartz

M.S.W., RSW
    • Video on profile
    • Online booking
I can help you achieve: Relief from negative thinking, anxiety and depression. Better coping mechanisms to help you overcome addictive or destructive behaviours. Balance in your day-to-day life. I aim to... Read more

Rawda Tomoum

M.Sc., RCC
    • Online booking
My areas of focus: Couples stuck in fighting, withdrawal, and disconnection, who feel alone, unheard, and misunderstood in their relationship no matter what they do to make it work. Individuals struggling ... Read more

Ruth Skutezky

M.A., RCC
    • Online booking
Is anxiety getting in the way of living your best life? Are you feeling disconnected from your partner, arguing more, or even having doubts about your future together? Are you a new parent, struggling to adjust to this... Read more