Starting counselling for depression is similar to driving. For example, you may struggle to get your car into a garage because you don’t have a trusted mechanic or one near you. Similarly, you may not have a trusted counsellor yet and may be hesitant to start. In counselling, I create a safe space and ensure you feel heard, validated, and supported. In counselling, we unpack your depression and how it impacts you. We discuss your coping mechanisms, and I share tools and strategies to cope when your depression comes to the surface. Some sessions may involve driving in difficult terrain as you share upsetting and painful experiences. But you are not alone; we process these experiences as we move forward together. You can pull over, slow down, or change lanes at any time. You gain new insight and understanding, which creates new experiences and awareness. Driving home after your counselling session, you feel validated, supported, reassured, and more resilient. You also feel more connected with your authentic self.
Hi my name is Leena Mehta and I’m a registered clinical counsellor (#19428) and the founder of At Ease Counselling in Burnaby, BC. As a BIPOC South Asian woman, I bring both clinical expertise and lived understanding to my work with high-achieving women navigating depression, burnout, and perfectionism.
My approach is rooted in anti-oppressive, culturally responsive practice. I believe therapy should never be about performing wellness or checking boxes, it should be a genuine, collaborative relationship where you feel safe enough to be honest about what’s happening in your life.
My work is guided by a simple belief: you are the expert of your own experience. My role is to walk alongside you, offering evidence-based tools, compassionate presence, and a space free from judgment, as you reconnect with yourself and build a life that actually feels like yours.
Struggling with feeling depressed? What if I told you that you can overcome these feelings and your low mood? Let’s work together and get curious about your depression.
From the outside, it may look like you have it all together — the career, the grades, the family responsibilities, the ability to show up for everyone around you. But on the inside, you feel empty. Exhausted. Like you’re going through the motions of a life that no longer feels like yours.
If this resonates with you, please know: you are not failing. Depression doesn’t always look like staying in bed. For high-achieving women, it often hides behind productivity, perfectionism, and the relentless drive to keep going, even when everything inside you is asking you to stop.
Depression counselling at At Ease Counselling in Burnaby is built for women like you. It’s a space to finally exhale, to be honest about what you’re carrying, and to begin reconnecting with the parts of yourself that got lost along the way.
Depression counselling at At Ease Counselling is designed for high-achieving women who are tired of just getting through the day. If any of the following resonate with you, this space was made with you in mind:
navigating burnout, workplace stress, and the pressure to perform while quietly falling apart inside
who pour into everyone else but have nothing left for themselves, depression counselling for caregivers is about putting yourself back on the list
feeling crushed by academic pressure, imposter syndrome, and the weight of expectations, depression counselling for students in Burnaby offers a safe space to breathe
carrying the additional weight of cultural expectations, systemic racism, and intergenerational patterns, therapy for women of colour should honour, not erase, your identity
who looks successful on the outside but feels hollow on the inside
Depression doesn’t always announce itself with sadness. For high-achieving women, professionals, students, caregivers, and women navigating multiple roles, it often shows up in quieter, more insidious ways. You might not even recognise it as depression because you’re still “functioning.” But functioning and thriving are not the same thing.
You might be experiencing depression if you notice:
a deep, bone-level tiredness that follows you through every part of your day
things you once loved now feel flat or pointless
feeling disconnected from yourself or the people around you
snapping at people you care about, then feeling guilty
cancelling plans, avoiding connection, preferring isolation
If you see yourself in this list, you’re not alone and you’re not “just stressed.” Depression counselling for professional women can help you understand what’s happening beneath the surface and begin to heal.
Many of the women who come to At Ease Counselling have been carrying their pain for a long time, not because they didn’t want help, but because asking for it felt impossible. And there are real reasons for that.
If you grew up in a culture where mental health wasn’t talked about or where seeking therapy was seen as a sign of weakness the idea of sitting with a counsellor can feel deeply uncomfortable. For women of colour, South Asian women, and BIPOC women, there are additional layers: cultural expectations to be strong, to put family first, to not air struggles outside the home.
Add to that the systemic barriers: racism, sexism, the mental load of navigating spaces that weren’t designed for you and it’s no wonder depression feels like something you should just “push through.”
But you deserve more than survival. You deserve support that actually understands what you’re carrying.
As a BIPOC therapist in Burnaby and a South Asian woman, I get it, not just professionally, but personally. As a registered clinical counsellor who centres anti-oppressive and culturally responsive therapy, I create a space where you don’t have to explain or justify your experience. You can simply be where you are, and work from there.
As your Burnaby BIPOC counsellor, I ensure you feel seen, heard, validated, and accepted. Starting your healing journey takes courage, and I am here to support you every step of the way. I know it’s hard to reach out and start, but you can do hard things.
Burnaby depression counselling provides a nonjudgmental, kind, and compassionate space to help you heal from your depression. Together, we focus on your needs, which may include the following:
Through depression therapy in Burnaby with Leena, clients often experience:
learning to set boundaries without guilt
reconnecting with your own instincts and needs
mourning who you thought you "should" be
rediscovering what actually lights you up
speaking to yourself the way you'd speak to someone you love
I need your help in determining which counselling modality is a good fit for you. It’s okay if you don’t know. I use a variety of different counselling modalities to support clients with depression. Every client is different, and as a counsellor, I support each client with where they are in their healing journey. Counselling modalities that can help include:
ACT can help women accept their thoughts and feelings without trying to change them. It can also help women change their behaviour so that it aligns more closely with their values. For example, saying no to others and maintaining healthy boundaries.
CBT can help women identify and challenge negative thought patterns. It can also help women challenge thinking traps.
DBT can help women with emotional regulation by learning skills to help them cope. It can also help women learn strategies to cope with distress.
Starting counselling may feel like too much, but there are resources you can access in the meantime.
https://bc.cmha.ca/programs-and-services/
https://helpstartshere.gov.bc.ca/mental-health/
https://keltymentalhealth.ca/
https://kidshelpphone.ca/
https://www.pac.bluecross.ca/mentalhealth
988 suicide crisis helpline
Burnaby depression counselling focuses on the connection between your thoughts, feelings, body sensations, and behaviour. When you feel sad or depressed, your body may shut down, a phenomenon commonly referred to as a freeze response. Your body is trying to protect you by shutting down. Fight or flight is another response. As a Burnaby therapist, I unpack how your body responds or reacts when you feel depressed. We also focus on your childhood trauma and your present struggles or places where you feel stuck. When your depression comes to the surface, for example, you may struggle to leave the house, look after yourself, and socialise with friends or family. Moreover, we may unpack your connection with yourself and others. When you feel depressed, you may also struggle with negative self-talk, low mood, and energy.
Burnaby depression counselling explores how your depression impacts your life. We explore how it affects your thoughts, feelings, view of self, and relationships with others. Some women feel bad or like they are bringing other people down with their depression. We also identify triggers and how you react or respond when triggered. Some women isolate themselves and withdraw from friends or family when they feel depressed. We focus on negative core beliefs, their origins, and their impact on your life. Women who struggle with depression sometimes hesitate to reach out as they fear being a burden or being too much. You are more than your depression; your depression does not define you. I support you in overcoming your fears, challenging negative core beliefs, and strengthening your relationship with yourself.
Burnaby depression counselling works with you to heal from experiences that result in you feeling depressed. You may have coping mechanisms, but these may no longer be effective. I share tools and strategies that help you cope and process your depression. As a Burnaby therapist, I support women in identifying patterns of behaviour that may lead to feelings of depression. For example, some women struggle with low self-esteem and negative self-talk, which impacts how they engage with others but also how they treat themselves. Some of your depression may stem from your childhood and unresolved issues. In these cases, our work together may include healing your inner child and understanding how your unresolved issues affect you as an adult. Finally, we focus on cultivating self-kindness, self-compassion, and self-love.
You don't need to have a formal diagnosis or be in crisis to benefit from counselling. If you've been feeling persistently exhausted, disconnected, joyless, or overwhelmed, even if you're still managing day-to-day tasks, depression counselling can help. Many high-achieving women wait until they're completely burned out before seeking support. You don't have to reach that point. If something feels off, that's a valid reason to reach out.
Yes. At Ease Counselling offers both in-person sessions at 201-3701 East Hastings Street, Burnaby, and secure online counselling for anyone in British Columbia. Online sessions are conducted through a confidential, encrypted platform, and many clients find them just as effective and more accessible than in-person sessions.
That's completely okay and more common than you might think. Many clients at At Ease Counselling are attending therapy for the first time. It's normal to feel nervous. My approach is warm, gentle, and collaborative. There's no pressure to share more than you're comfortable with. The free 15-minute consultation is a great way to ask questions and see if it feels like a good fit before starting.
Sessions are typically 50 minutes, held weekly or biweekly depending on your needs. I use a client-led approach, meaning you set the pace and direction. Early sessions focus on building a trusting relationship and understanding your experience. From there, I draw on evidence-based approaches like CBT, DBT, and somatic therapy to support your healing. There's no script or formula, your therapy is shaped around you.
There's no fixed timeline. Some clients find meaningful relief within 8–12 sessions, while others choose to continue longer-term to work through deeper patterns. Depression counselling is not a one-size-fits-all process. I will regularly check in with you about how you're feeling and whether the approach is working for you.
Client-led depression counselling in Burnaby is a different kind of experience. It’s built on a simple but radical idea: you are the expert in your own life. You lead. Your therapist walks beside you, not ahead of you, not behind you, but with you. There is no script. There is no performance. There is just you, finally given the space to be honest about what’s happening inside.
As a Burnaby therapist, I incorporate evidence-based modalities in every session. I am trained in various evidence-based modalities, including Acceptance Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. Each of these modalities equips me to support your unique needs, and we work together to achieve your counselling goals.
As a female Burnaby therapist, I understand the impact of inequality and oppression, providing a safe, non-judgmental, and inclusive space in-person and online. Women from all ethnic backgrounds and sexual orientations are welcome. People who identify as 2SLGBTQ+ are also welcome. As a South Asian Burnaby therapist, I create a culturally sensitive space, and I am curious to learn more about your culture, norms, and values.
