Meaninglessness and Depression

Meaninglessness is an existential concern that all of us will come into contact with at some point. To some varying degree, we’ve likely questioned what the point of it all is. You may feel as though the ground you’re standing on is crumbling beneath you, and there is a feeling that there is nowhere for you to ground yourself. Are you feeling a lack of motivation? Is it difficult to bring yourself to get out of bed? Do you find yourself questioning ‘why’, or feeling as though you are moving aimlessly through life? Are you unsure of the next step, but you’re aware that what you’re currently doing is not fulfilling?

These issues can be extremely distressing and troubling. By utilizing existential therapy we attempt to treat the source, rather than focusing on the symptom. If you hear a rattling in your car as you drive down the highway, you can simply turn the radio up and you can no longer hear the rattling, problem solved. For now. A better long term solution may be to identify where the rattling is coming from and seek to fix it so it doesn’t cause is more trouble down the road. This is a course of therapy that is sometimes reserved for people who are nearing the end of their life from a terminal illness. I believe this should be introduced much earlier in ones life, so they are not identifying their meaning at the end of their life, but living it from early on in their life.


There are ways in which we can work together to alleviate this sense of meaninglessness or depression. By utilizing methods developed in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), and Existentialism we can assess those opportunities for improvement, develop plans, and reassess progress.

I believe that therapy shouldn’t be something that is done to you, but that you are engaged in. I practice from a feedback informed model, meaning that I am looking for your feedback. What is working, what you enjoy, what is difficult, and if you feel that the environment is a safe place where you’re able to express yourself. Part of this therapy will be doing things outside of our sessions together, but it is important that we agree upon these goals, as your investment into the treatment plan is important to me. This is the goal, and when this is achieved it will allow us to work together to create the life you want to aim at.

What does therapy look like