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Below are some of the most commonly asked questions about our Anxiety & Depression Recovery Program.
Where will I be staying?
Included in the cost of the program is your accommodation at the Anxiety & Depression Residence in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. Our Residence provides a home-like, safe environment that is conveniently located near the clinic and various amenities. Each resident will have their own room with a locking door. Bathrooms, cooking facilities, laundry facilities and outdoor spaces are shared.
Do I need to arrange my own transportation?
Each resident arranges their own travel to and from Kelowna. We will assist you in arranging for your transportation to and from the airport (if required), between the residence and the clinic, and to and from all activities (yoga, floating, outdoor & weekend activities). Residents are welcome to bring their own cars if they feel comfortable driving, we provide parking at the residence and the clinic.
Do I go home on the weekend?
You will stay at the Residence for the duration of the 10 day Program and on the weekend you will participate in group activities with the other residents. There is no treatment at the clinic over the weekend. Meals and transportation on weekends will be provided and costs associated with weekend activities (skiing, kayaking, hiking, biking, etc.) are included as well.
Are meals provided?
All meals are included in the cost of the program. In the first week of the program, a nutritionist will meet with the clients and provide recommendations for eating that supports positive physical and mental health. Each day, residents prepare meals together along with the trained support worker who stays at the Residence. Breakfast is prepared as a group each morning under the guidance of one residents, each resident takes turns having this responsibility. Bagged lunches are then prepared in the for residents to bring to the clinic. The group meets again in the evening to prepare dinner as a team, again under the direction of one of the group members. Grocery shopping is done as a group and follows the recommendations set out by the nutritionist.
What occurs at the residence?
At Diversified, we believe that the best treatment occurs in an environment that closely mirrors real life. Residents at the Anxiety & Depression Recovery Program engage in normal, everyday activities such as cooking, cleaning, relaxing, grocery shopping, and exercising. Our program supports this in a way that not many other programs do. At the Residence, you will participate in psychoeducation which educates about the nature of anxiety and depression and how it relates to individual development, relationships, and everyday functioning. Psychoeducation has shown to be an effective intervention method when combined with clinical treatment and has positive outcomes on the participant’s understanding of anxiety and depression.
What if I already have a counsellor/psychologist that I work with at home?
With your permission, our clinical team will communicate and work with your existing community supports. If requested, they may receive copies of your intake and discharge reports as well as be part of meetings with you and your assigned counsellor. During the Post-Treatment Support segment of the program, we will follow up with you and your community support members to prevent relapse and ensure on-going success.
What kinds of treatments are used?
Self Regulation Therapy
Self Regulation Therapy (SRT) is a non-cathartic mind/body approach aimed at diminishing excess activation in the nervous system. It has its basis in neurobiology and reflects our innate capacity to flexibly respond to novelty or threat. Significant overwhelming events at anytime in one’s life can result in changes in the nervous system that negatively impact the way a person feels and relates to others. SRT enables the nervous system to integrate overwhelming events and brings balance to the nervous system. SRT works by providing a safe, contained environment in which the individual can complete the thwarted responses of fight, flight or freeze. By resourcing the client, new neural pathways are developed to flexibly manage daily challenges and stressors. Once the nervous system is balanced, individuals are able to experience joy, closeness in relationships, and vitality and resilience in the body.
More on self regulation therapy…
Exposure Therapy
We offer a variety of treatment modalities, however, treatment is customized to individual needs and their presenting symptoms. Each individual may respond differently to different types of treatment.
This approach addresses the coping strategy of avoidance by gradually exposing people to memories of the incident(s). Initially, the exposure is via visualization. Emotional reactivity to memories (and reminders of) the incident(s) are reduced, as well as the frequency of flashbacks. If the individual needs to return to the environment in which the event(s) occurred, real-life exposure is implemented when there is sufficient comfort through visualization. Strategies are set very conservatively, and client-driven, so comfort will be maximized.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
This approach involves the development of mental and behavioural coping strategies in dealing with the fears and emotional triggers related to the incident. It is also one of the treatments of choice for depression.
More on cognitive behavioural therapy…
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is a unique, nontraditional form of psychotherapy designed to diminish negative feelings associated with memories of traumatic events. Unlike most forms of talk therapy, EMDR focuses less on the traumatic event itself and more on the disturbing emotions and symptoms that result from the event. Treatment includes a hand motion technique used by the therapist to guide the client’s eye movements from side to side, similar to watching a pendulum swing. EMDR is a controversial intervention, because it is unclear exactly how it works, with some psychologists claiming it does not work. Some studies have shown, however, that EMDR is effective for treating certain mental-health conditions
More on emotion focused therapy…
Biofeedback/Neurofeedback
Heart rhythm biofeedback allows the individual to train heart rate rhythms to produce states of coherence through breath training. Neurofeedback uses EEG brain waves to train the brain to calm itself. These are advanced methods to reduce arousal, anxiety and irritability which are associated with anxiety and depression.