A structured appointment to assess changes in mood, energy, sleep, and daily functioning, and to work out together what kind of support may fit. Psychologists at Wholesome Psychology are registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) and practise under the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists. Appointments in North, West, and South Edmonton, and at two St. Albert locations. Virtual appointments available across Alberta. Sessions are 50 minutes.
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You may be asking yourself whether what you are dealing with is really depression, or whether you are just tired, stretched thin, or not coping as well as you think you should be. That question stops a lot of people before they pick up the phone. It is a reasonable question, and it does not need an answer before you book.
Some of what brings people to this page looks like this. Getting through the workday and having nothing left afterwards, or waking at four in the morning with a flat, heavy feeling that has no obvious cause. Losing interest in things that used to matter, and feeling guilty about that on top of everything else. Reading the same paragraph four times. Snapping at people you love and then sitting with it.
These are common reactions to strain, loss, illness, and long stretches of pressure, and they are not evidence of weakness or failure. They are also worth understanding properly rather than guessing at. A structured conversation with a clinician is one way to do that.
If you would like to see what that conversation involves before deciding anything, the rest of this page walks through it.
A depression assessment appointment may be a good fit if:
This appointment may not be the right fit if:
Wholesome Psychology is not an emergency or crisis service. If safety is an immediate concern, please use one of the following:
A depression assessment at Wholesome Psychology is a structured, collaborative conversation with a clinician about mood-related concerns. The purpose is to understand your experiences, the context around them, how they are affecting daily life, and what kinds of support may be worth considering. Questionnaires may be used as one part of that, when the clinician thinks they would be useful.
It is worth being clear about what it is not. An assessment does not automatically produce a diagnosis. It is not a legal service, an investigative process, or crisis intervention. It does not include medical testing, and psychologists do not prescribe or adjust medication. A written report is not an automatic part of the appointment.
The pace is set by you. You decide how much detail to go into and when. Your clinician will explain confidentiality and its limits, and go through consent, before you share anything personal. If a question does not sit well with you, you can say so and move on.
Scope also depends on your reason for coming in. Some people want help making sense of a persistent low mood. Others have a specific question about formal documentation or a broader mental health assessment. Those are different pieces of work, and it is worth raising your reason for booking with the administrative team so you end up with the right clinician and the right appointment type.
People describe this in ordinary language far more often than in clinical language. Some of the patterns that bring people in:
Recognizing yourself in this list does not mean you have depression, and it does not mean something is permanently wrong with you. Mood-related experiences vary widely in how they show up and how long they last, and several of these patterns overlap with grief, exhaustion, physical illness, and other mental health conditions. That overlap is one of the main reasons a structured conversation is useful. It gives you somewhere to sort out what is going on rather than carrying the question on your own.
There is no fixed number of appointments and no standard script. Your reasons for coming in shape what the work looks like, and you can change direction at any point.
Below is what the available evidence supports about the parts of an assessment, along with the limits of that evidence. Nothing here describes what will happen in your particular case.
What it helps with: Building a picture of how mood has changed, how long it has been going on, and what it is affecting.
Evidence summary: Clinical guidelines recommend that assessment of possible depression not rely on a symptom count alone, and that it consider severity, previous history, duration, course, and functional impact (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [NICE], 2022). The same guidance advises discussing contributing factors, including coexisting conditions, past experience of treatment, relationships, sleep and activity, stressful or traumatic events, and living circumstances (NICE, 2022).
Limitations: Guidelines describe good assessment practice at a general level. They do not predict what any individual conversation will conclude.
What it helps with: Giving a consistent way to describe mood-related experiences and notice changes over time.
Evidence summary: A systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis examined the accuracy of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 as a screening tool for detecting major depression (Negeri et al., 2021). Clinical guidelines suggest that a validated measure may be considered when assessing someone with suspected depression, to help inform and evaluate treatment (NICE, 2022).
Limitations: The source material available for this page does not include the review's accuracy figures, so no sensitivity, specificity, or cut-off numbers are reported here. A questionnaire score does not establish a diagnosis on its own.
What it helps with: Making room for the fact that low mood looks quite different from one person to the next.
Evidence summary: The ICD-11 classification groups several distinct depressive disorder categories under mood disorders, including single episode, recurrent, dysthymic, and mixed depressive and anxiety presentations (World Health Organization [WHO], n.d.). Canadian professional material describes similar variation in severity, duration, and course, and notes that depression is often recurrent (Dobson, 2021).
Limitations: Classification systems describe categories at a population level. They say nothing about any individual reader, and nothing on this page is a diagnosis.
What it helps with: Making sure other explanations for low mood and low energy are considered rather than assumed away.
Evidence summary: Clinically reviewed Canadian material notes that a number of physical illnesses can produce depressive symptoms, and that depression shares features with grief, adjustment difficulties, anxiety disorders, and bipolar disorders (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health [CAMH], n.d.). Canadian professional material makes a related point about some medical conditions and medications (Dobson, 2021).
Limitations: Psychologists do not order or interpret medical investigations. Some of these questions need your physician, and a psychologist may suggest you raise them there.
What it helps with: Turning what comes out of the conversation into options you can weigh rather than instructions to follow.
Evidence summary: Guidelines recommend that treatment choice be a shared decision reflecting a person's preferences, previous experience of treatment, and what they hope to gain, and that people can decline treatment or change their mind after starting (NICE, 2022). Canadian professional material describes cognitive, behavioural, and interpersonal therapies as psychological treatments for depression with supporting evidence (Dobson, 2021).
Limitations: The same Canadian source notes there is no reliable way to know in advance which treatment a particular person will respond to. Options discussed at an appointment are not a promise of any outcome.
Outcomes vary, and no psychological service can guarantee them. What an assessment appointment can offer is a clearer account of what has been happening and a set of options, which is a different thing from a resolution.
Progress in this kind of work is rarely a straight line. People often notice shifts unevenly, with better stretches and harder ones, and that pattern is ordinary rather than a sign that something has gone wrong.
Several things influence how it goes. How long the difficulties have been present, what else is happening in your life, physical health, the supports around you, and how well you and your clinician work together all make a difference. Guidelines describe treatment choice as something that should reflect your preferences and your previous experience of treatment (NICE, 2022), which means your view of what is worth trying carries real weight.
Timelines differ too. For less severe depression where someone would rather not start treatment straight away, guidelines describe active monitoring with a further assessment normally arranged within two to four weeks (NICE, 2022). Some people take up a short piece of work after an assessment. Others continue for longer. There is no fixed number that applies to everyone.
Fit matters as much as approach. If the working relationship does not feel right, changing clinician or changing direction is a normal part of the process, and guidelines specifically describe the option to change professional if the relationship is not working (NICE, 2022).
What you share with your clinician is confidential. Psychologists at Wholesome Psychology are regulated by the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) and practise under the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists, both of which set obligations around privacy, consent, and record keeping.
Two Alberta statutes are relevant. Private psychology clinics operating in Alberta are generally subject to the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), which governs how private organizations collect, use, disclose, and retain personal information. The Health Information Act (HIA) sets out privacy rules for health custodians in Alberta and can apply depending on the setting in which services are delivered. Your clinician can tell you which applies to your care.
Confidentiality has limits. Information may need to be shared without your consent in a small number of circumstances:
Your clinician will explain these limits clearly at the start of the first session, before you share anything personal, and you are welcome to ask questions about them first. Outside these exceptions, your consent is sought before information is shared with anyone, including other health providers.
One practical note about virtual appointments. Privacy on your end depends on your location, device, and connection, so it helps to join from somewhere you will not be overheard.
Sessions are 50 minutes. You can meet your therapist in person at our Edmonton or St. Albert locations, or virtually from anywhere in Alberta.
We ask for 24 hours notice to cancel or reschedule. Late cancellations or missed appointments incur a fee.
Hours: Monday to Friday 8 AM to 9 PM, Saturday and Sunday 9 AM to 5 PM. Virtual counselling is available across Alberta.
Phone: 780-904-4880. Email: info@wholesomepsychology.ca.
No. You set the pace and you decide what to go into. Some people want to talk through history at length, and others would rather focus on how things are affecting them now. Both are workable. If a question is more than you want to answer, saying so is enough, and your clinician will move on.
Yes, within limits that your clinician will explain before you share anything personal. Confidentiality can be broken where there is a risk of serious harm, where child abuse or neglect is suspected, or where the law requires disclosure. The confidentiality section above sets out the details, including the Alberta legislation involved.
There is no fixed answer. Some people come in for a short piece of work and leave with what they were looking for. Others continue for longer, particularly where difficulties have been present for years. Progress is reviewed as you go, and the plan changes when it needs to.
Fit is a real factor, not a soft one, and it is normal to change if the working relationship is not right. Tell the administrative team at 780-904-4880 and they can help you find a different clinician, or use the Match with a Therapist tool. New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.
Yes. Virtual appointments are available across Alberta and the same confidentiality standards apply. The one difference is that privacy on your end depends on where you are and what device you use, so it is worth finding a space where you will not be interrupted.
Not automatically, and it would be wrong to promise otherwise. An assessment appointment does not always result in a diagnosis, and whether a written report is available, what it can cover, and whether it suits a school, workplace, insurance, or legal purpose depends on the clinician's scope, the information available, and your consent. If documentation is part of why you are booking, raise it with the administrative team first so you are not left with something that does not meet your need.
You can ask. Some people find it easier to have a partner, friend, or family member present for part of an appointment, and clinical guidelines describe the option of attending with a family member or friend as something that should be available to people where possible (NICE, 2022). Raise it when you book so the clinician can plan for it.
Wholesome Psychology's team includes Registered Psychologists, Registered Provisional Psychologists, Registered Social Workers, Certified Canadian Counsellors, Mental Health Therapists, and Student Therapists. All psychologists are registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists. Registered Provisional Psychologists practise under the supervision of a senior registered psychologist.
Many clinicians on the team have training in mood-related difficulties, including depression, low mood, anxiety that occurs alongside depression, grief, and the effects of long-term stress. Individual profiles, including areas of focus and availability, are on the Our Therapists page. If you would rather not sort through profiles, the Match with a Therapist tool narrows it down, or the administrative team can talk it through with you at 780-904-4880.
Scope of practice matters here. Psychologists and counsellors provide psychological services. They do not prescribe medication, order medical tests, or provide legal opinions. Where something falls outside that scope, your clinician will say so and can suggest where else to take it.
Wholesome Psychology offers counselling for children, adolescents, and young people. Clinicians working with younger clients use age-appropriate approaches, and they work alongside caregivers to support the environment a young person is recovering in rather than treating the young person in isolation.
Whether this particular appointment type suits a specific child or teenager depends on their age and what is going on. Please contact the clinic to discuss the appropriate clinician and approach for the person's age and needs. You may also want to look at Child and Youth Depression Counselling.
If a depression assessment sounds like it might fit, there are a few ways in:
New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.
Starting the conversation is enough.
