Depression Program

The diagnosis – understanding your symptoms, learning about depression and making a plan to get better. 

Self-Monitoring – Identify the things you do and the things you think that maintain your symptoms of depression. 

Learn to Improve Your Thoughts – Learn to challenge unhelpful thoughts and tackle self-criticism. 

Facing Fears – Learn about how to confront your fears with step-by-step exercises. 

Being Assertive – Learn how to communicate effectively to express your needs. 

Preventing Relapse – Learn about relapse prevention and how to access specialized treatment if needed. 

Major depressive disorder is one of the most prevalent causes of disability in the world. It is typified by recurring periods of sadness, loss of interest, poor concentration and feelings of worthlessness. Some people have their first episode as a teenager, but most have their first episode around 30, and continue having episodes of depression for years. Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy (iCBT) has been shown to help individuals reduce their symptoms of depression both in the short and the long term. 

People who have had more than one previous episode of depression, whether they are currently depressed. 

This course is self-paced but designed to be completed within 3 months at most. Doing one lesson every week or two is best to allow time to practise between lessons. 

You will initially be granted 90 days of access, and upon completion of the course, you will be granted an extra 12 months of access for practice purposes. 

Please note that there is a 5-day lockout period between lessons to give you time to complete the learning activities and practise your new skills. 

This program is free of charge. 

The amount of support you receive will depend on the way you choose to do this program. 

If your clinician—a doctor, psychologist, or other mental health professional—prescribes it, they will have access to the program and your well-being scores, so you can check in with them about your progress and how you feel. 

If you do the program as ‘self-help’, there is no clinical support available because the program is completely automated, although you can contact us for any technical difficulties. However, provided you complete all six lessons, the results will be as good as with supervision. 

You don’t need to have been diagnosed with Depression to find the strategies taught in this program helpful for managing your mood. 

Symptoms of anxiety and depression often occur together. If, in addition to feeling down, depressed, or hopeless, you have also been feeling tense, fearful, and on edge, worrying about several different things in your life, you may benefit from completing one of our other programs. 

If you feel like you are suffering from both anxiety and depression, click here to see our programs for Mixed Anxiety & Depression

The best place to seek advice about treatment options for your specific symptoms and situation is from your GP or a mental health care provider.

To make the most of the program, we recommend completing a lesson every 1-2 weeks and practising the skills you learn regularly. Make sure you download and save all of the program materials so you can come back and review the strategies later. 

If your regular clinician is registered with ēquilia, they will email you a personalized link allowing you to register using our secure online system. 

Here’s how to discuss this option with your health professional: 

Step 1

Make an appointment with your clinician (e.g., your GP, Medical Specialist, Psychologist or other Mental Health Professional). 

Step 2

Download, print, and take the Clinician Letter (Quebec) to your appointment. This letter outlines how your clinician can register with ēquilia and prescribe our programs using our online system. 

Step 3

Ask your clinician if they are familiar with ēquilia and tell them about the program you’d like to do. 

If your clinician is new to ēquilia, they may need some time to register and get to know our system, so you may not be able to get a program prescription right away. 

If your clinician decides to prescribe the program and monitor your progress, they will send you a prescription by e-mail through our system. This e-mail will also contain instructions on how to register for the program. 

Please note that it is up to individual clinicians to decide whether it is appropriate for them to prescribe and monitor you through one of our programs. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that your clinician will be able to assist you. 

However, our programs are available as ‘self-help’, so if this option is suitable for you, you can enroll and receive up to 12 months of access. 

When you enroll in this program as ‘self-help,’ our system will guide you through the lessons, and you will complete them independently. 

Our team is here to provide technical assistance, but we cannot answer clinical questions or give personalized health advice. 

When you enroll in this program under the ‘supervision’ of your regular clinician (e.g., your GP, psychologist, psychiatrist, or other health professional), they can view your progress and well-being scores and determine whether you require further assistance. 

You may also be able to discuss your symptoms with them or seek further guidance on implementing the strategies you learn. 

Some clinicians may prescribe this program as part of your face-to-face or telehealth sessions. 

Some clinicians may recommend that you enroll in this program as ‘self-help’ and support you throughout without formally prescribing it.