Season 2, Episode 14: Recognizing and Addressing Childhood Depression
Knowing what to do when your child is struggling with their mental health can be overwhelming. This episode breaks down the signs of childhood depression and offers practical advice for parents.
Recognizing Symptoms: Children may not always express their feelings verbally, in this episode we walk you through some of the signs to look for, both physical and behavioural, and how these symptoms differ between young children and teens.
Starting the Conversation: Approaching your child about their mental health can be tricky. We offer age-appropriate strategies to help you talk openly, ask the right questions, and encourage emotional expression.
How to Support Your Child: We share ways parents can offer ongoing support for their child’s mental health.
When to Seek Professional Help: We highlight when it’s time to reach out for professional support and what types of therapy, like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), are often recommended for childhood depression. Calgary Counselling Centre and Counselling Alberta provide a variety of therapies, including family-based approaches, to help children and their families navigate depression.
Help your child navigate their emotions with our easy-to-use guide. Download the free handout today.
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Katherine Hurtig
Welcome to Living Fully, a podcast dedicated to enhancing your mental well-being. Each episode explores valuable insights and practical strategies to help you lead a more fulfilling life. I'm your host, Katherine Hurtig.
In honor of National Depression Screening Day, we've put together a special series on depression, one of the most common mental health issues in the world. In these four episodes, we’ll explore the different signs and symptoms of depression, how it affects people of all ages, and what you can do to cope. Whether you're personally affected by depression, supporting someone who is, or simply looking to broaden your understanding, this series will provide insights, practical advice, and hope.
From October 7th to 13th, check in with how you're feeling with a free quiz at areyoufeelingok.com.
As parents, understanding the difference between normal mood swings and the signs of depression in our children can be challenging. Depression doesn't look the same for every child, and it can manifest differently depending on their age. In this episode, I'll be talking with social worker Kelsey Bradley about how parents can approach the subject of depression with their children, the significance of family dynamics in the home environment, and the importance of structure and routine in supporting a child's mental health. We're also going to talk about practical strategies for introducing language around emotions to your child, fostering open communication, and creating an emotionally supportive environment at home. You'll learn what to say and what not to say when talking to your child about their mental health and when it might be time to seek professional help.
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I'm here with Kelsey Bradley. She's a social worker with Calgary Counselling Centre, and we are talking about depression in children - what that looks like, what parents can do, that kind of thing. So thanks so much for being here with me, Kelsey.
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, thanks so much for having me. I'm looking forward to discussing this.
Katherine Hurtig
And it's been a little while since you've been on the podcast. Can you, yeah, just tell our listeners a little bit about yourself?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, yeah. So I'm Kelsey. I'm a social worker here at Calgary Counselling Centre. I'm a registered social worker and I got my master's at University of Calgary. And I've been living in Calgary for a few years now.
Katherine Hurtig
Childhood depression. Kelsey, what are What are some common signs, symptoms, you know, behaviours or physical symptoms that might show up in kids that parents should be aware of?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, absolutely. There's quite a few different ones. And you bring up an important one is physical symptoms. So often we'll notice, especially with young children, there's going to be more somatic complaints. So physical symptoms that could be body aches and pains that are expressed. So that's often the way that depression can manifest in children that are young. So being aware of that if there's more complaining of stomach aches and body pains. So that's one. Also more emotional outbursts. So kind of big emotions. Again, we want to also be careful, though, because that can be with developmental stages.
Katherine Hurtig
Right.
Kelsey Bradley
So like a toddler, you're going to see that and that's going to happen. And also with teens, you're going to see that a little bit of fluctuation in mood. But when we're noticing that that's more outside of that developmental kind of age and more consistent, that's where we're going to want to flag that.
Katherine Hurtig
And big emotions, are we talking like sadness, anger?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, there can be a range, but a lot of sadness, irritability, anger, frustration, that's often outward as well. So for children, we're going to notice that a bit more behaviorally than we will with adults. So that might be coming out more in a behavioral way for children.
Katherine Hurtig
Right. And yeah, so how do the signs of depression kind of differ in children versus adults?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, adults often will be a little bit withdrawn and more tired, a lot more fatigue, you'll notice. Whereas children, it is going to be a little bit more behavioral, more physical symptoms that are manifesting. A little bit more of that, like mood swings are going to be a little bit more consistent and more anger and frustration that may come out. This can come out in both. So that's something important with depression as well, that we can notice similar symptoms in adults as well as with children and teens. But that is going to look a little bit different.
Katherine Hurtig
And you mentioned mood swings. So how can a parent kind of distinguish between normal mood swings, normal processing of emotions versus signs of depression?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, that's a great question. If we're noticing, you know, more sadness or we're going to see mood swings and it's more consistent for about two weeks or longer without a break. Yeah. That's where we're.
Katherine Hurtig
That time frame.
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, that time frame. We're going to notice that and that's going to be a point where we want to look into that a little bit further.
Katherine Hurtig
Okay. Does depression, is it going to look different in young kids versus teenagers?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, a little bit. You are going to notice with teenagers, they have a little bit more ability to express how they're feeling. Not that young children can't, but they're going to have more of the words that they can use for that. So they might be, you know, you might notice some self -esteem with teenagers talking about maybe nobody likes me. Certain statements that aren't for sure going to be present always with depression. But we want to be, if we're noticing that and there's more thoughts that are occurring that they're expressing, that they're experiencing.
Katherine Hurtig
Okay.
Kelsey Bradley
That's going to be something with teenagers. Whereas with children, they might not have that language to be able to express that.
Katherine Hurtig
Of course.
Kelsey Bradley
We're going to notice more of the physical symptoms occurring at that point and then also a change in their behaviour.
Katherine Hurtig
So really parents just need to like stay aware and notice changes in their child, right?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah. I think it's important to note that as well, right? you're going to know your kid might have more energy than other kids. And that's where if it's going to shift a little bit where something more is occurring, that might indicate that depression is happening. If there's a big shift in their mood that's outside of what…
Katherine Hurtig
What’s normal
Kelsey Bradley
your child typically… Yeah.
Katherine Hurtig
Well, not normal, but like typical for your kid.
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah. Like if your kid has less energy overall and enjoys more time inside, that's not going to be something to immediately think, my gosh, they might have depression. It's more if it's outside of what you're used to seeing for them.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah. That's good to note. It's like we're saying these things like, and just because a parent seeing them doesn't necessarily mean, oh, my kid's depressed. It's yeah, that change.
Kelsey Bradley
Yes, absolutely. And then that, that timeframe too. So that's another important thing to note as well as just if let's say they're really exhausted, but they ran a lot that day, it's going to be within the normal realm of when they're going to experience certain fatigue and energy versus when it's more consistent for a longer period of time outside of something specifically occurring.
Katherine Hurtig
Right. Talking about different age groups, how might a parent approach that? Like, how might they approach, you know, a younger child who's showing signs of depression versus an older child or teenager?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, I think what's important for parents, regardless of the age, is to be really open and curious and approach it in a non-judgmental way. So again, depending on that child's age, asking like, how are you feeling? Can you express to me what's going on? With a teenager, that might be a little bit more of that conversation that they're able to have, whereas maybe with young kids, that's going to be even looking at pictures of different emotions, faces, being able to help them identify how they're feeling. That's one thing that might differ between the way that a parent approaches a young child with a teenager.
Katherine Hurtig
Sorry, like showing a child depictions of different emotions?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah. Yeah. That can be one way of helping them identify, you know, how are you feeling? And that can help them be able to express that. So if having that conversation and really looking at, okay, how is it that you're feeling? They might be able to identify it that way.
Katherine Hurtig
Right.
Kelsey Bradley
Versus a teenager, if you ask just very openly, you know, hey, what's going on? How are you feeling? That's going to be a little bit easier for them just based on their age to be able to express that.
Katherine Hurtig
And what role do, you know, family dynamics and the home environment, what role do those play in a child's mental health?
Kelsey Bradley
I think within a home, having some structure. So not being too rigid with routine and structure, but having a little bit of that for children is one important thing at home.
Katherine Hurtig
And structure, what does that mean? What does that look like?
Kelsey Bradley
It's part of that idea of like routine, helping them to be able to set up, you know, this is kind of bedtime. This is what we do throughout the day. Again, not too strict on that. There can be some flexibility, but really having a routine that a child can follow is helpful. It kind of demonstrates there's more stability within the home.
Katherine Hurtig
Right.
Kelsey Bradley
That's one aspect of that as well as.
Katherine Hurtig
I've heard counsellors talk about that before and that's always really interesting that, I mean, it makes sense, but it just, you know, if you break that down and think about it, like just something as simple as a routine and, you know, a predictable order of things around the house can create this sense of safety with kids.
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah. Help them navigate their world. Yeah.
Katherine Hurtig
That's really fascinating.
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah. Yeah. That's definitely one thing as well as expressing emotion in the home. So I think also normalizing how much we're talking about mental health and how we're feeling, modeling that for children as well. So parents being able to even talk with each other about how they're feeling, how's the day going. It demonstrates and also models that there is a safe place to be able to talk about how we're feeling.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah. Does that help kind of expressing when we're having a hard time, like doing that in front of our kids?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, it's really helping children because they really make sense of the world through interacting with others, especially when they're very young. And often they'll internalize that a little bit too of, you know, this is what we do. This is how we talk about emotions. This is it's OK to feel like this, I think, is a really important one as well. Yeah. Whether that's comfortable emotions or maybe more uncomfortable ones that can be more present with depression.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah. If parents aren't used to that, if it's not something that has been common for them, how would you suggest kind of starting those conversations, you know, introducing that language?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah. You mean with a child being able to introduce that to them?
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, I think honestly practicing that, whether that's the parent going to counselling or therapy, could always be an option as well to really explore emotions and how do we identify how we're feeling them and express them. But then also practicing that within the home. So that could be with a partner or with children starting to talk about, you know, this is how I'm feeling and why I know that.
Katherine Hurtig
So kind of building on that and communicating, if parents are, you know, speaking openly about their own emotions and what else can they do to kind of encourage that open communication with their kids?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, I think going into conversation really open with children and also saying it's OK that you feel this way. Again, that non -judgment ability to go in and just say, hey, it's OK that you're feeling this way. It doesn't mean we have to stay feeling like this and there's things that can happen. But really just helping encourage and acknowledging how the child's feeling and being open about talking, you know, whether it's, again, those comfortable emotions that can come up or uncomfortable, noticing that we can talk about all emotions and making statements like that with kids to really help encourage that.
Katherine Hurtig
Do you have any examples of that, of like those statements?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, that could be, you know, it's OK that you're feeling this way. Once figuring out exactly how they're feeling, if they are expressing that, just acknowledging and validating that through, you know, thank you for sharing that. So we also want to encourage that that's appreciated.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Kelsey Bradley
Even expressing things like, you know, I have concern. I'm noticing this. How do you feel?
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Kelsey Bradley
So helping give that voice to the child and showing that it's okay to be able to express that.
Katherine Hurtig
Okay, so if parents have kind of identified that, yes, we've got these physical symptoms, behavioral changes, it's been happening for a little while, what can parents do to support their kid through these changes and feelings?
Kelsey Bradley
I think creating that space to be able to talk is a big one, but then also helping encourage self-care as well. So that could be doing self-care activities with the child. That could be going for walks, getting outside, really limiting screen time, I think is a really important one, especially if a child is experiencing depression. So those are a few kind of key things. How might screen time impact them? Ultimately, too much screen time isn't too good for our brains in a sense. So it can really add to stress, increased symptoms of anxiety that often are present in depression. Yeah. In the cognitive aspect of depression. So really noticing and kind of being aware of how much screen time children have, especially as they need to kind of enhance those different areas of their brain in different ways. So that can be through play, imaginative play, outside time, those sorts of things.
Katherine Hurtig
And that's probably tough for kids because I know like myself as an adult, sometimes it's hard to pull myself away from the screen. And I recognize that when I spend too much time on it, there is a bit of a negative feeling.
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah.
Katherine Hurtig
So I'm sure with kids, yeah, correct me if I'm wrong, do they have that kind of self-awareness? Like, oh, this might not be too good for me, right?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, it can be hard to know, right? Getting kind of pulled into the screens. And a lot of times children can enjoy that, whether that shows or for teens that can be social media. But often then that can be, you know, depicting different things that the child might not be involved in. Right. So maybe there were friends that went out and really seeing, OK, these people are happy and I'm not feeling so good. And that kind of can reinforce that.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Kelsey Bradley
That idea of like people don't understand or I'm unlikable. And that can kind of feed that for especially for teens.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah, let's say let's kind of focus on the teen years for a second. How do we go about effectively limiting screen time, encouraging other activities, also like teaching them that it's not the best thing to be on a screen all the time?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, I think modeling, again, even from a young age, and it's never too late to model that for children, but putting your own phone down, right, that can be a big thing as well.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah. To be able to show, you know, there's these other activities we can do. Encouraging them to do that together or as their friends that you'd want to do certain things with. But then also talking about, you know, how do you end up feeling when you're on the phone for a while? That often becomes more habitual and kind of a pattern to check your phone and really discussing that and seeing how they do feel with the time on the screen and kind of reinforcing some of those other activities that help, again, build energy, positive moods. So that's a lot of that exercise…
Katherine Hurtig
Socializing.
Kelsey Bradley
Socializing, absolutely.
Katherine Hurtig
You brought up a lot about approaching this idea of depression non-judgmentally. So what suggestions do you have to kind of approach the topic of mental health with their child without making them, you know, uncomfortable or, you know, feeling stigmatized or judged or anything like that?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, that's a great question. Really looking at how to approach the topic. I think that's really important for us to talk about because as a parent or just anyone approaching this topic, we want to be careful to not have too big of a reaction, kind of like a shock response or we also don't want to underreact. So being careful of not overreacting or underreacting to that.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Kelsey Bradley
Right. Acknowledging it and, you know, validating to the child that that must feel quite uncomfortable. And how can we work through this? But then also not not paying attention to it, not really turning away from it and hoping that it yeah, hoping that it resolves on its own.
Katherine Hurtig
Right. Are there certain things that you would suggest that parents not say when they're approaching their kids about mental health?
Kelsey Bradley
I think being very careful about the language. So for a parent really looking at, you know, how can we work through this? What's the outcome we're hoping for out of this? As opposed to this idea of fixing something.
Katherine Hurtig
Okay.
Kelsey Bradley
Almost that, that can often kind of lead to more of that shame feeling for a child of like, I shouldn't be feeling like this or this is bad.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Kelsey Bradley
And going off of that, I'd actually say the way that we're talking about emotions as well. So I often will say uncomfortable emotions versus bad emotions.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah. I've used that a lot too. I like that. Yeah. Just because they're uncomfortable doesn't mean that they're not normal.
Kelsey Bradley
Exactly. And within, of course, depression, we don't, like you said, we don't want to normalize something too much, but we also don't want to not react to it.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah. Yeah. There's that balance.
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah. You can also then still within depression, there's emotions that everyone experiences. So not quite to the same extent. So we do want to pay attention to that and help that child and not pay attention to it, like how they're feeling. But we can also kind of connect in ways depending on your child. You know, everybody experiences sadness at some point and frustration and anger. Maybe not to the same extent and severity at that point. But that can sometimes for children be a connecting factor.
Katherine Hurtig
Right. Yeah, so they don't feel alone in the feeling, in the process.
Kelsey Bradley
Right, yeah, without saying I know exactly how you feel because a parent wouldn't, right? You can kind of normalize how that feeling is without assuming or saying that that's kind of normal in a sense. Right. Too much, yeah.
Katherine Hurtig
Can we talk about, you know, the impact of school and social relationships, friendships, yeah, the impact that those have on a kid's mental health?
Kelsey Bradley
Really socializing, connecting with friends. Those are really important factors, not only for preventing mental health concerns, but also really just being an ongoing factor that supports positive mental health. So really that can help with self-esteem. Building connection. As humans, we all need interaction and socializing. We're just social creatures, right? So we do crave that as humans. As well as, you know, really helping children connect with people outside of the home. That can help with this idea of learning different perspectives. That can help, again, with also problem solving and this ability to critically think for children, kind of learn that there's different experiences. And that can help as well, especially at school.
Katherine Hurtig
You know, one thing that we see when it comes to depression in adults is isolation. Does that action kind of show up in kids as well?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, that absolutely can. That can show up in children, often in teens. So that can be something you notice withdrawing if they're, you know, isolating a little bit more from friends than from family. Because again, with that developmental stage, teens often do like to spend a little bit more time with friends. We notice that they pull away from family a little bit. So that's also where we'll be cautious that them withdrawing from family doesn't necessarily mean that depression is occurring. Right.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah. And teachers and school staff, you know, these people that our kids spend so much time with, how can they help in maybe identifying and supporting kids who are going through depression?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, I think really being aware of the signs and symptoms. So some of the things we talked about, if there's, they're pulling away more from their friends, or you're noticing more sad mood, change in energy, more fatigue. Those could be kind of primary ones you might notice. There's going to be some others as we talked about. But I think not only just identifying that, but then also approaching the child in the same way that a parent would.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Kelsey Bradley
I'm noticing this. How can I help? How are you feeling? And opening up that space also without feeling like you have to fix that immediately.
Katherine Hurtig
Right.
Kelsey Bradley
Just being very open and caring about how the child's feeling.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah. When's a good time to maybe like seek out professional help for a child who's struggling with depression?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, I think after having that conversation, if you're noticing more depressive symptoms and let's say there's a change immediately, the child maybe wanted to talk or doing certain activities helps with that, that can be, in a sense, that's starting to improve. But if you're noticing that it's remaining pretty consistent as well, I think that's a really important time to reach out. I think it's also never a bad thing to reach out, even if you're not sure if it's depression or not.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah. Yeah. Because it kind of like the sooner you deal with a problem, the easier it is to help it.
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, absolutely. I think also severity would play a big role in that as well. So in that sense, let's say with teenagers, if there's more statements, it's getting to the point of, you know, I wish I weren't here or more statements like that. That's where we want to be really clear. Are you planning on harming yourself? And if that is the case that can happen from depression, that's where it's especially important to make sure that others are involved, that you're seeking professional help.
Katherine Hurtig
Of course. Yeah. And how can parents kind of help, look for and choose kind of the right mental health professional to help their child?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, that's a great question. I think with depression as well, there's so many different approaches that someone can have towards that and can be tailored towards the child that's going to work best for them. So I think doing research, looking, you know, what's in the community, maybe talking to a pediatrician, seeing if there's some referrals that they have as well, but also talking to friends and family. And maybe there's resources that come from that as well. I think that also helps parents feel more connected and know that, you know, there's others around that you can talk to about this and not keeping it a secret in that sense.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah. You mentioned the different approaches. What kind of types of therapy or types of treatment are commonly used to kind of address these depressive symptoms in kids?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah. As I mentioned, there's not like a one-size-fits-all or one treatment that's going to work for one kid.
Katherine Hurtig Because everyone's unique.
Kelsey Bradley
Absolutely. So that can be a mix of a few different approaches.
Katherine Hurtig
Okay.
Kelsey Bradley
There are a few main ones we noticed, though. So cognitive behavioral therapy is a really common one, CBT. That's really looking at thoughts, behaviors, and emotions, how they interact.
Katherine Hurtig
Okay.
Kelsey Bradley
And helping children, equip children with tools and strategies, as well as the family in addressing some of those thought patterns, working through some of those emotions, and then also taking action. So helping support this idea that you can feel this way and it's okay to feel this way, but also we don't want it to run the show in a sense. We want to keep doing, behaviorally keep doing things that we know are going to improve mood and help.
Katherine Hurtig
And that kind of counselling, like how does that kind of look different with different age groups, like a young child versus an older child?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, that's a good question. I think with really young ones, again, the language around that is going to be like when we're looking at thought patterns, they're not going to be quite as aware of what that kind of looks like or what that process is, whereas a teen might be able to identify certain kind of negative self-talk. We can help encourage that with young kids. Again, that's through modeling. You know, what do you say to yourself in these times? And the language is going to be a little bit different. Okay. And then also, you know, the way that they're expressing emotions within that. So talking about emotions in general, but then also behaviorally helping encourage that. So a teen might be able to identify, you know, this is what I need to do. Whereas a young child, we might help encourage that doing that with them or helping them to be able to know that that's helpful through activity, through play.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah, activity. That's, you know, another big thing we've talked about a lot on the podcast about kind of the basics of physical health and that how that really has an impact on our mental health as well. So, yeah, what role does physical activity and a healthy lifestyle play in, you know, managing those depressive symptoms?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, that's a great question. I think similar to what I mentioned before, it can help with like intervening when that is occurring. So with lower mood, it can help increase mood and energy. So a lot of endorphins can be released through exercise and that really helps improve our mood overall, help us feel happier in a sense or more positive or I guess comfortable emotions. Also, if it's outside as well. So having kind of the outdoors, the vitamin D, that's going to help as well with children.
Katherine Hurtig
I want to go back just for a sec to counselling support for children. How much are parents involved in that process? What does that look like?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, often because depression can impact more than just that individual, right? So it can impact the family. And often within counselling, that can be a family approach. So seeing not only how to help the child or the teen with what they're experiencing, but then also how each family member can play a huge role in supporting them and noticing those symptoms and knowing how to help encourage that.
Katherine Hurtig
Is that really common? Yeah. To have the whole family involved?
Kelsey Bradley
It is pretty common, especially with children, because we notice that the more that we can reinforce these things in everyday life, so maybe tools and strategies that are learned in counselling can be reinforced through the parent. And then that can also help the parent to learn those things as well and model that for the child. Again, kind of going back to that importance of modeling.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah. You know, if someone around you is experiencing depression, that can impact you as well. So how can parents kind of balance their own mental health needs while supporting their child?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, I think, again, if you are in that family approach of counselling, knowing that you can have those individual sessions with a counsellor, I think it's important to address, you know, this may be happening with my child, but I am impacted by this and being honest and knowing that that's okay to be feeling that way. I think as well, taking the time for yourself the best you can. Of course, that's going to look different with different families and what that space away can look like. But socializing, right? Having your own time to exercise and kind of fill your cup in a sense outside of that support and balancing that.
Katherine Hurtig
Right. That's huge. Yeah. We have to take care of ourselves.
Kelsey Bradley
It's like the idea of when the airplane masks drop down and you put that on yourself first before you attend to someone else. Yeah. Ultimately to be able to be the best support person that you can.
Katherine Hurtig
Exactly. And what advice would you give to parents who might be hesitant about seeking help for their child's depression?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah. I think something that's really important is that not reaching out won't change the fact that it's happening. So this is occurring whether we kind of verbalize that or not. So if there's any sort of fear of speaking it or reaching out makes it more real, it's already happening. So that's, I think, one thing to notice that that can occur, right? That idea it can be scary to kind of know what's next. For sure. So that's one thing. I think also knowing that there can be a lot of support. And again, in the way that you would approach your child non -judgmentally, that's going to be the same approach with us, with counsellors. We're here to support and it doesn't hurt to ask questions too if there's any uncertainty.
Katherine Hurtig
Totally. Yeah. And how does Calgary Counselling Centre, Counselling Alberta, how do we support families dealing with childhood depression?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, great question. We can work with very young children through teens and we're also what's called an eclectic approach. So being able to pull from different treatment models.
Katherine Hurtig
Okay. Not focus on just one.
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah. Yeah. With depression, there's, again, so many different approaches that you can take that can be tailored to the child. Here at Calgary Counselling, we use that approach of pulling from different strategies. So in that regard, we mentioned CBT before, but then there's a few others like dialectical behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy are other pretty big ones. And because we don't ascribe to one treatment model, we're able to pull from different ones to be able to help a child as well as help families. So we do family counselling as well that can be involved.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah. So how do you kind of decide as a counsellor, like the best method or treatment approach?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, I think collaboration with the individual and the family. So this idea of getting feedback from parents, from children, seeing, you know, what are your stress levels at? So we do look at that. We do a pre-questionnaire and outcome questionnaire that helps look at distress levels.
Katherine Hurtig
Right.
Kelsey Bradley
Ask them, you know, how do you feel about this? Really working towards through that ability to look at those questionnaires, be able to look at best supporting the child and the family. As well as we do an end of session survey. So that also helps ask, you know, children and parents, you know, how did this session go? Do you feel like the treatment you're receiving is right for you? And that can help us kind of readjust, maybe do a different approach if it's not working for that child or family.
Katherine Hurtig
Is there anything else you want our listeners to know about depression in kids? Anything that we haven't gone over?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, I think actually off of that last question, we also have groups. That was another thing I really wanted to highlight is we have children's groups as well that involves the family. So that can be very helpful as well for depression.
Katherine Hurtig
Excellent. And like specific age groups or?
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, it's broken up into different ages. So you're not going to have like a six -year -old with a 12 or 13 -year -old. You're going to break that up a little bit.
Katherine Hurtig
Yeah.
Kelsey Bradley
With some groups, there's going to be a little bit bigger of a range of ages between. But that can be parent groups as well as children groups to be able to best support children through different changes.
Katherine Hurtig
Awesome. Thanks so much, Kelsey.
Kelsey Bradley
Yeah, thank you. I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with me about this.
Katherine Hurtig
You've been listening to Living Fully, a Calgary Counselling Centre podcast. Thank you for tuning in. This episode was produced by Gus Hunt, Luiza Campos, Jenna Forbes, and by me, Katherine Hurtig . A special thanks to Kelsey Bradley.
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