Depression or Burnout? When to See a Therapist in Ottawa

It is time to see a therapist for depression when low mood, flatness or exhaustion has lasted for weeks, has started to affect your work, sleep or relationships, and rest or a holiday no longer lifts it. If you are in Ottawa and you recognise yourself in the signs below, a first conversation with a Registered Psychotherapist is a reasonable next step, not an overreaction.

Many people wait a long time before calling anyone. They are still going to work, still answering messages, still looking after children, so they assume it cannot be depression. This post walks through the signs I hear about most often, how depression and burnout differ, what a first session with me looks like, and what it costs, so you can decide whether to book.

Signs It Is Time to See a Therapist

Depression does not always look like sadness. In my practice, people more often describe a heaviness that sits on everything, or a numbness where they used to feel interest. Some signs worth taking seriously:

• It has lasted more than a couple of weeks. A bad week after a loss or a hard month at work is normal. A low that keeps going when the stressful event has passed is different.
• Ordinary tasks feel heavy. Laundry, emails, a phone call to book a dentist: small things pile up because each one takes more effort than it should.
• Sleep has changed. You sleep far more than usual and still wake up tired, or you wake at 4 a.m. and cannot get back to sleep.
• You have pulled back from people. You cancel plans, let calls go to voicemail, or feel alone even in a full house.
• Self-criticism has become constant. The inner voice says you are lazy, a burden, or failing at everything.
• Things you used to enjoy feel flat. Hobbies, faith, music, time with friends: you go through the motions, but the colour has drained out.
• People close to you have noticed. A partner, a friend or a colleague has asked whether you are all right.

You do not need all of these, and you do not need a diagnosis to book counselling. If several of them sound familiar and they have been there for a while, it is worth talking to someone. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) puts it plainly: "Depression should not be ignored."

Depression or Burnout?

This is one of the most common questions I am asked, especially by people in demanding jobs: public servants, nurses, teachers, first responders and parents carrying a household on their own.

Burnout is usually tied to one area of life, most often work or caregiving. You feel drained, cynical and less effective in that role, and things often ease when you are away from it for a while. Depression tends to spread. The low mood, poor sleep and loss of interest follow you onto the weekend, into your holidays and into parts of life that have nothing to do with the job.

In practice the two often overlap. Months of burnout can slide into depression, and depression can make an ordinary workload feel impossible. A few questions can help you tell them apart:

1. When you have a few days off, does the heaviness lift, or does it come with you?
2. Is it mostly about one role, or do you feel flat about almost everything?
3. Has your view of yourself changed, not just your view of your job?

You do not have to sort this out alone before you call. Working out what is driving the exhaustion is part of what we do in the first sessions.

Why November in Ottawa Can Make It Harder

Late autumn is when many people in Ottawa first notice that something is off. The days are short, the commute starts and ends in the dark, and the long run of grey weather before the snow settles in can make an existing low much heavier. For some people the pattern repeats every year. I wrote about that in more detail in Seasonal Depression in Ottawa.

Seasonal or not, the same rule applies: if the low is lasting, affecting your daily life and not easing with rest, it deserves attention rather than another winter of waiting it out.

What Depression Counselling With Me Involves

The first session is a conversation, not a test. I ask what has been happening, how long it has been going on, what a typical day looks like now compared with a year ago, and what you have already tried. We look together at mood, sleep, energy, appetite, isolation, self-criticism, grief, relationship strain, work stress and anything else that seems to be feeding it.

From there, the work is shaped around you. Depending on what fits, it may include:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), to notice the thought patterns that deepen hopelessness and test them against what is actually happening
• rebuilding small pieces of structure, one step at a time, without asking you to pretend you have motivation you do not have yet
• trauma-informed therapy, when old experiences are part of what is weighing you down
• room for grief, faith and meaning, if those matter to you

I cannot promise how long it will take, and I will not pretend there is a set number of sessions that works for everyone. We review how things are going as we go, and you can change the pace or stop at any point.

If anxiety is part of the picture too, which is common, anxiety counselling can be part of the same work. If the low started after a death or another major loss, grief counselling may be the better place to begin.

Cost, Insurance and Format

My fee is $250 an hour, the same for individual, couples and family sessions. Payment is due at the end of each session. I keep a limited number of sliding-scale spots for financial hardship, so call to ask what is available. The full policy is on my fees page.

Psychotherapy from a Registered Psychotherapist in private practice is not covered by OHIP. Many extended health plans and employee assistance programs in Ontario do cover it. I do not bill insurers directly.

You receive an official receipt with my registration details to submit to your plan, so it is worth calling your insurer first and asking whether a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) is covered and what your yearly maximum is.

You can meet with me in person at 854 Wingate Dr in Ottawa, or by secure video anywhere in Ontario where clinically appropriate. When getting out of the house feels like too much, video can make that first appointment possible. The teletherapy page explains how video sessions work. Sessions are in English or French.

How to Choose a Therapist for Depression in Ottawa

Whoever you call, a few questions will tell you a lot:

1. Are they registered? In Ontario, look for a regulated title such as Registered Psychotherapist. The College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario advises: "Verify the status of a Registered Psychotherapist by visiting the public register."
2. Do they work with depression regularly, and can they explain their approach in plain language?
3. Can they see you in a format you will keep up with, in person or by video?
4. Can sessions happen in your language, and is there room for your faith or culture if you want it?
5. What do they charge, and what is the cancellation policy? You should get a straight answer.

Pay attention to how the first call feels. When you are depressed, it is easy to decide you are wasting someone's time. A good therapist will not make you feel that way.

If You Need Help Right Now

If you are having thoughts of suicide or you are not safe, call or text 9-8-8, the Suicide Crisis Helpline, at any hour. In an emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to your nearest emergency department. Counselling is not a substitute for emergency care.

Depression Counselling in Ottawa

I am Karine Langley, a Registered Psychotherapist with more than 30 years in practice. I offer depression counselling in Ottawa in English or French, in person on Wingate Dr or by video across Ontario.

Call (613) 859-8740 or use the contact page to ask about a first session.