Counselling Support for Mood Changes, In Person and Online. Wholesome Psychology offers in-person counselling in Edmonton and St. Albert, and virtual sessions across Alberta, for people living with mood changes and the daily weight that comes with them. Psychologists registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP). Provisional psychologists, social workers, counsellors, and therapists across several fee tiers. In-person appointments at five locations, plus virtual sessions across Alberta.

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You Might Be Wondering Whether Counselling for Bipolar Disorder Is Right for You

You may be wondering whether what you live with counts as something that needs treatment, or whether you are simply hard to be around. Maybe nobody has ever used a clinical word for it. Maybe someone used one years ago and you have been circling that word ever since, unsure whether to accept it or argue with it.

Some of what brought you here may be familiar. Stretches where sleep feels optional and ideas arrive faster than you can finish them, followed by weeks when getting out of bed takes everything you have. Decisions that made complete sense at the time and are hard to explain afterward. The small pause you notice in people who love you, right before they ask how you have been.

Those patterns are worth taking seriously, and noticing them does not settle what is happening. Wanting to understand your own life before handing it to a professional is a reasonable thing to want. Reading a page like this one is a normal step, not a sign that things have gone too far.

What follows describes what counselling here involves, what it does not involve, and where it fits alongside medical care. You may wish to read on and see whether any of it feels relevant to you.

Who We Help

Counselling here may be a reasonable fit if you are:

• living with mood changes and wanting a consistent place to think them through
• already working with a physician, psychiatrist, or nurse practitioner and looking for talk-based support alongside that care
• trying to understand how sleep, routines, work, school, or relationships interact with how you feel
• a partner, parent, or adult child of someone with mood-related experiences, looking for support in your own right
• uncertain whether therapy is the right step and wanting to ask questions before committing
• gathering information for someone you care about

Counselling here is likely not the right fit, or not the right first step, if you are:

• in immediate danger or thinking about harming yourself or someone else, in which case the crisis resources below are the right starting point
• looking for a diagnosis or a formal psychological assessment, which is a separate service and not part of this one
• looking for medication to be started, adjusted, or stopped, which is the work of a qualified prescriber
• needing a report for a court, an insurer, an employer, or another legal or administrative process
• needing urgent medical attention, including for medication effects or physical health concerns

If one of these describes your situation, the administrative team at 780-904-4880 can talk through what else might fit.

If You Need Help Right Now

Wholesome Psychology is not an emergency or crisis service. Appointments are scheduled in advance and clinicians are not available between sessions for urgent concerns. If safety is the immediate question, these services can respond now:

• 911 or the nearest emergency department, if there is immediate danger to you or someone else
• Alberta Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741

Wholesome Psychology is not an emergency or crisis service.

What This Service Is

This is talk-based counselling with a registered clinician, usually in 50-minute sessions, in person or online. The work centres on what you want to change or understand: routines, relationships, stress, coping, and how you want to handle the parts of your life that mood changes touch. Counselling can offer a structured space to discuss goals, routines, relationships, stressors, and coping strategies.

It helps to be clear about what this service is not. It is not a legal service, an investigation, or a crisis line. It is not a psychological assessment. Assessment and diagnosis are a separate service at this clinic, and nothing on this page or in a counselling session can determine whether a diagnostic category applies to you.

It is also not medical or prescribing care, and it is not a replacement for it. A therapist can talk with you in general terms about how medication is fitting into your daily life, and questions about whether to start, change, or stop a medication belong with a physician, psychiatrist, nurse practitioner, or pharmacist. Where a prescriber is already involved, counselling may be one part of a broader plan, and information is shared with that prescriber only with your consent.

The pace belongs to you. You decide what to raise, what to leave for another day, and how quickly to move. What you share is treated as confidential within legal and professional limits, and those limits are explained before you share anything personal. The confidentiality section below sets them out in full.

Symptoms: Signs Mood Changes May Be Affecting You

People describe mood-related experiences in many ways. The patterns below are described in everyday language rather than clinical terms, and they are not a checklist for identifying a condition in yourself.

• periods when energy, speed of thought, or confidence rise well above your usual level, then fall away
• stretches when ordinary tasks feel disproportionately heavy, even when nothing has gone wrong
• sleep that shifts noticeably, either needing far less of it or finding it hard to leave bed
• decisions around money, work, or relationships that felt right in the moment and puzzling later
• irritability or restlessness that seems out of step with what is actually happening
• difficulty holding attention, finishing what you start, or keeping track of commitments
• pulling away from people, or the sense that others are managing you rather than talking to you
• physical changes such as appetite shifts, restlessness, or a heaviness in your body
• tiredness of the effort it takes to seem steady

Recognizing some of these does not mean something is permanently wrong with you, and it does not confirm any particular condition. Only a qualified health professional can work through questions of assessment or diagnosis with you. What structured counselling can offer is a place to look at these patterns closely, in your own words, and decide what you want to do about them.

How Treatment Works Here

• Find your therapist. The Match with a Therapist tool asks a few questions and suggests clinicians who may suit what you are looking for. You can also read Our Therapists profiles directly, or call the administrative team at 780-904-4880 and describe what you need. Availability varies by clinician, location, and time of day.
• Book your first session. The first appointment covers informed consent, how confidentiality works and where its limits sit, and what you want from the work. You are not expected to arrive with a plan. Many people use the first session to decide whether this clinician feels like someone they can talk to.
• Build your plan together. You and your therapist decide together what to focus on and how. The plan reflects your goals and your circumstances, including any medical care already in place, rather than a fixed programme applied to everyone.
• Ongoing sessions. Sessions run 50 minutes, most often weekly or every second week at the start, and the spacing is adjusted as things change. Some people move to monthly check-ins later. Some pause and return.
• Progress check-ins. Your therapist revisits the plan with you at regular points to ask what is working and what is not. Goals shift, and the plan is expected to shift with them.

There is no fixed number of sessions and no standard course of treatment you are expected to complete. The work is collaborative, and your view of what is helping carries weight at every stage. If you want to change direction, say so, and the plan changes.

Evidence and Approaches

A note about what follows. The research package assembled for this page did not include usable treatment-outcome evidence for bipolar-related counselling. Two documents were listed, a Canadian Psychiatric Association fact sheet and a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline, but their text was not available for review, so no recommendation or finding is attributed to either one here. The one usable clinical source was a classification extract that addresses terminology rather than treatment.

The consequence is deliberate. The approaches below are described in terms of what a therapist may work on with you, without effectiveness claims attached. For evidence on how well specific therapies work for bipolar-related conditions, a physician, psychiatrist, or the published clinical guidelines themselves are better sources than this page. Which approaches any individual clinician uses varies, and it is worth asking directly.

Cognitive Behavioural Counselling

What it helps with: Examining the links between thoughts, actions, and mood across the day, and testing changes to routines or responses that you want to try.

Evidence summary: No treatment-outcome evidence for this approach was available in the evidence pack for this page, so no claim is made here about how well it works for bipolar-related conditions. The one usable clinical source, an ICD-11 classification extract, describes how bipolar or related disorders are categorized rather than how they are treated (World Health Organization [WHO], n.d.).

Limitations: Responses to any therapeutic approach differ from person to person. Counselling does not replace medical assessment or prescribing care, and it is not a substitute for the judgement of a treating physician.

Psychoeducation and Routine-Focused Counselling

What it helps with: Understanding your own patterns and the practical scaffolding around them, including sleep, daily structure, workload, and conversations with people close to you.

Evidence summary: The evidence pack contained no findings on outcomes for this approach, so its effectiveness is not characterized here. Guideline documents on bipolar disorder were listed in the research package but were not available to review, and no recommendation may be attributed to an unreviewed document. The one usable source addressed classification only (WHO, n.d.).

Limitations: What is realistic to change in daily routines depends heavily on circumstances such as shift work, caregiving, and health. Discussion of routines is not clinical monitoring and does not replace follow-up with a prescriber.

Family and Caregiver-Inclusive Counselling

What it helps with: Working on communication, expectations, and roles with a partner or family member, when you want someone close to you involved.

Evidence summary: No outcome evidence on family-inclusive work for bipolar-related conditions was supplied in the evidence pack, so this page makes no claim about its effects on individuals or families. The available classification source addresses diagnostic categories only (WHO, n.d.).

Limitations: Involving family members requires your consent and is not always appropriate or wanted. Family sessions address relationships and communication, not diagnosis or medical management.

What Results to Expect

Progress in therapy is rarely a straight line. People commonly describe stretches where things feel clearer followed by periods that feel like backsliding, and that pattern is ordinary rather than a sign the work has failed.

Timelines vary widely. Some people meet with a therapist only a few times to work through one specific concern, then stop. Others continue for months or return at intervals as circumstances change. Because the research package prepared for this page contained no outcome data for bipolar-related counselling, this page does not estimate how long change takes or how likely it is. Your therapist can give you a more grounded sense of that once they know your situation.

Several things influence how therapy goes: what you are dealing with, what else is happening in your life, whether other care such as medical treatment is in place, and how well you and your therapist work together. That last one matters more than people expect.

No therapy guarantees an outcome, and anyone who promises one is overstating what is known. If the approach is not helping, that is worth saying out loud. Changing your approach, or changing clinicians, is always available to you and does not require an explanation you are uncomfortable giving.

Confidentiality and Privacy

What you say in session stays between you and your therapist, with a small number of legal exceptions. Psychologists at this clinic are registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) and practise under its Standards of Practice and the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists.

Your records are handled under Alberta's privacy legislation, principally the Health Information Act (HIA) and the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), which govern how health and personal information is collected, used, stored, and disclosed.

Confidentiality has limits. A clinician may be required to disclose information when:

• there is a risk of serious harm to you or to another person
• there is reason to suspect the abuse or neglect of a child, which carries a mandatory reporting duty under Alberta law
• a court orders the release of records or testimony

Your clinician will walk through these limits with you in the first session, before you share anything personal. You are welcome to ask how records are stored, who can access them, what happens if you want information shared with your physician, and what would happen in any situation that concerns you. Asking those questions first is normal, and no clinician here will find it unusual.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to describe everything I have been through in detail?

No. You set the pace and choose what to raise. Some people want to go back through their history in detail, and others would rather work on what is happening in their life now, such as sleep, work, or a specific relationship. Both are legitimate ways to use therapy. If a topic feels like too much on a given day, saying so is enough, and your therapist will not press.

Is what I share kept private?

Yes, within legal and professional limits. Your information is handled under Alberta's Health Information Act (HIA) and Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA). Registered Psychologists follow the standards of the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP), Certified Canadian Counsellors (CCCs) are regulated by the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA), and Registered Social Workers are regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW). Disclosure is required in a small number of circumstances, including a risk of serious harm, suspected child abuse or neglect, and a court order. The confidentiality section above sets these out, and your clinician will review them with you before you share anything personal.

How many sessions will I need?

There is no fixed answer. Some people come for a short, focused piece of work. Others continue longer or return at intervals when circumstances change. Your therapist reviews progress with you regularly, and the plan is adjusted rather than fixed at the start. If you want an estimate for your own situation, ask in the first session.

What if the therapist is not the right fit?

Fit matters, and it is not always clear until you have met. If a clinician does not feel right, you can say so, and the administrative team at 780-904-4880 can help you move to someone else. You do not owe anyone an explanation, and switching is a common and unremarkable request. New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

Can I access therapy online?

Yes. Virtual sessions are available across Alberta, with the same confidentiality standards and the same 50-minute length as in-person appointments. Some people use virtual sessions throughout, and others mix the two depending on the week. You will need a private space and a reliable connection.

Can counselling tell me whether I have bipolar disorder?

No. Bipolar and related disorders cover several recognized categories, including bipolar type I disorder, bipolar type II disorder, and cyclothymic disorder (WHO, n.d.). Determining whether any category applies to a person is a clinical matter that happens through assessment with a qualified health professional, not through a webpage or a counselling conversation. Psychological assessment is a separate service at this clinic. If you want to explore that route, the administrative team can explain the options.

Can my therapist advise me about medication?

Not in the way a prescriber can. A therapist can talk with you in general terms about how medication is fitting into your daily life and can support you in preparing for conversations with your prescriber. Questions about starting, stopping, adjusting, or switching a medication belong with a physician, psychiatrist, nurse practitioner, or pharmacist. Counselling may sit alongside that care rather than replacing it, and with your consent your therapist can share observations with your prescriber.

Can I bring a partner or family member?

Yes, if you want to and it suits the work. Some people bring a partner or family member for particular sessions to work on communication or shared expectations. Others prefer to keep sessions to themselves and talk about those relationships instead. Family members can also seek counselling in their own right. Whether anyone else joins is your decision, and it can change over time.

Meet Your Clinicians

The clinical team includes Registered Psychologists, Registered Provisional Psychologists, Registered Social Workers, Certified Canadian Counsellors, Mental Health Therapists, and Student Therapists. Registered Psychologists are registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP). Certified Canadian Counsellors (CCCs) are regulated by the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA), and Registered Social Workers are regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW). Registered Provisional Psychologists practise under the supervision of a senior registered psychologist.

Clinicians differ in their training and areas of focus, and many have experience in mood-related counselling, family and relationship work, and trauma-informed practice. Each clinician works within their own scope of practice, and none provide medication management or psychiatric prescribing.

You can read individual profiles on the Our Therapists page, use the Match with a Therapist tool to narrow the list, or call the administrative team at 780-904-4880 and describe what you are looking for. Availability and areas of practice change over time, so it is worth confirming fit before booking.

Children and Youth

Mood changes often first show up in adolescence, and they affect households, not just individuals. The clinic offers counselling for children, adolescents, and young people, alongside services for adults.

Clinicians working with younger clients use age-appropriate approaches, adjusting how sessions are structured and how much is spoken versus expressed in other ways. Caregivers are usually part of the work, since the environment around a young person shapes what is possible at home and at school. How much a caregiver is involved depends on the young person's age, their consent where applicable, and what the family is working on.

The Child and Youth Mental Health page describes this work in more detail, and the administrative team can help identify clinicians who work with the relevant age group.

Taking a Next Step

If you would like to look into this further, here are the ways to start:

• Book a session online through the booking system
• Match with a Therapist if you would rather narrow the options first
• Call 780-904-4880 to talk with the administrative team about fit, availability, or fees
• Email info@wholesomepsychology.ca with questions
• Read Getting Started with Therapy for a walkthrough of what happens first

New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

Starting the conversation is enough.

References

• World Health Organization. (n.d.). ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics: Bipolar or related disorders. Retrieved September 6, 2026.
• College of Alberta Psychologists. (2023). Standards of Practice.
• College of Alberta Psychologists. (2026). Interpretive guide: Privacy legislation in Alberta.
• Canadian Psychological Association. (2017). Canadian code of ethics for psychologists (4th ed.).