Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression (CBT-D)

What is CBT-D?

CBT-D is an evidence based therapy for treating depression. The overall goal of CBT-D is to reduce a client’s symptoms of depression by helping them to develop more balanced and helpful thoughts about themselves, others, and the future. CBT-D also uses behavior change techniques by having clients spend more time engaging in pleasurable or productive activities.

What happens during CBT-D?

The core principle of CBT is looking at how clients’ thoughts about a situation or event, can change their emotions and behavior. For example, if someone forgets to send an attachment to an e-mail, they might think “I’m a complete failure” and then feel quite down and depressed.

In CBT, the client would work to challenge that thought to shift it to something more balanced, like “I made a small mistake, but I am still good at my job.” Shifting this negative, distorted thought to a more accurate one, would make the client feel more confident at work and with themselves.

In CBT-D, the client learns how to identify and challenge distorted thoughts. Clients will also work to change their behavior by gradually increasing the amount of time they spend engaging in pleasurable and productive activities.

How long does treatment last?

CBT-D typically lasts for about 12-16 sessions.

Is homework a part of CBT-D?

Yes. CBT-D will not be effective if a client does not complete the homework assignments. The client will complete worksheets to identify and challenge distorted thoughts. The client will also have homework to increase the amount of time they spend engaging in pleasurable and productive activities. Homework will typically take about 20-30 minutes each day.