CBT is a well-researched, highly effective form of therapy, used to treat a wide variety of mental health and behavioral concerns. Many studies have shown how impactful CBT can be in treating depression, so if you or a loved one is seeking therapy for depressive symptoms, you’ll likely encounter therapists who incorporate CBT techniques into their sessions.
What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a structured, evidence-based form of talk therapy. The core principle at work in CBT is the connection between people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The thought is that shifting one of these areas leads to overall positive change. Typically, a therapist will help someone better understand the core beliefs underneath their thinking and behavioral patterns to find new ways to move forward.
Therapists often don’t stick to one single modality, but it’s quite common for therapists from all different approaches and treating a variety of disorders to use CBT techniques in their work.
Is CBT for Depression Effective?
Yes, hundreds of studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of CBT, and it has been proven to be beneficial for people with depression. Many studies find that pairing CBT with antidepressant medication yields the best results. Research also shows that people who have gone through a course of CBT treatment are less likely to relapse compared to people on medication alone.¹
The Benefits of CBT in Depression Treatment
CBT is one of the key treatments for depression, as it works to help shift the beliefs that may be contributing to someone’s depression symptoms. Working to shift these beliefs, and helping a client change their actions even if they “don’t feel like it,” can lead to lasting improvements over time.
Some of the benefits of CBT for depression include:¹
- It lowers the chances of depression relapse, helping people developing lifelong coping skills
- It can work well on its own or paired with a variety of other therapy modalities
- It can work for children, older adults, and everyone in between, and can be adapted for almost any situation, from relationship concerns to daily habits
- It can help improve outcomes from other depression treatments, such as medication
Potential Disadvantages of CBT for Depression
CBT comes with very few risks or issues, but in general, starting therapy can bring up uncomfortable emotions or memories. Therapists are highly trained to navigate these situations, and will never push you beyond what you’re ready to talk about.
Some people also find CBT a bit too rigid or “clinical” when dealing with deeper issues related to trauma or family history. In these cases, therapists will use trauma-focused approaches instead.
CBT for Depression Techniques
There are hundreds of CBT techniques that can be used in different situations, depending on each client’s unique needs and goals. However, they all center around understanding the connection between a client’s thoughts, feelings, and actions, and how these can be shifted to improve overall quality of life.
Some CBT techniques you might encounter during depression therapy include:
Cognitive Restructuring
The core of CBT, cognitive restructuring involves targeting and challenging someone’s negative core beliefs, or “cognitive distortions.” In the context of depression, these distortions could include thoughts of excessive guilt or shame, all-or-nothing thinking, or catastrophizing. Cognitive restructuring could involve analyzing the shameful thought, grounding it in reality, and shifting it over time to build out a healthier, more realistic belief.
Cognitive restructuring is often taught using the “ABCDE” model:
- Activating event: What situation triggered the cognitive distortion?
- Belief: What was the thought that surfaced that we’re working to change?
- Consequence: What emotions are tied to that thought?
- Disputing the belief: What evidence do we have that the belief is true? What’s the evidence that it’s false?
- Effective new belief: What can we replace this thought with, that’s balanced and based in truth?
Thought Journaling
A therapist might have you regularly journal to start externalizing your thoughts. This can also help you find recurring patterns and negative beliefs to restructure together. You may be given specific prompts or worksheets to do outside of therapy, or you might be asked to write down a few thoughts at the start and end of your day.
Behavioral Activation
A therapist might ask you what activities have fallen by the wayside since developing depression, as depression often zaps energy and makes activities you used to enjoy feel meaningless or fruitless. They might ask you to start re-engaging in these activities even when you don’t feel like it, as sometimes, shifting your behavior even before you’ve changed your thought patterns can help you build an upward spiral.
Your therapist will work with you to determine where to start. It might be as simple as stepping outside briefly with the goal of taking a short walk at the end of each day, or working toward joining a new class for a hobby you’ve wanted to get back into. No matter where you start, your therapist might ask you to track your mood before and after engaging in these activities to help you see that doing them even when you don’t feel like it can lead to positive mood changes.
Structured Problem-Solving
Sometimes, dealing with depression makes even the smallest challenges feel like overwhelming burdens. A therapist can help you analyze a problem and break it down into small, manageable chunks to work on one at a time.
Often, the CBT framework SOLVE is used toward this goal:
- Select the problem: Take time to define the problem in its entirety
- Come up with several Options: Think through every way you could address it
- Rate the Likely outcomes: Consider obstacles you might run into for each potential solution
- Choose the Very best option: With the knowledge you’ve gained, act on your strongest choice
- Evaluate the results: If the problem hasn’t improved after choosing a solution, consider what adjustments could be made
What to Expect During CBT for Depression
All therapy sessions, including CBT, offer a nonjudgmental, open space to share how you’ve been feeling and any concern you’re facing. In more regimented, dedicated CBT sessions, you might spend less time analyzing your personal history and more time solving the current problems in your daily life and what’s keeping you stuck in your depressive patterns. Other therapists might simply incorporate CBT techniques into a more open-ended session depending on what you want to share that day.
Here’s what you can expect from a typical CBT session for depression:³
- Your therapist will ask detailed questions to help you define the problems you’re facing and your goals for therapy
- You’ll analyze your thought patterns and negative beliefs together, working to understand how they’re shaping your feelings and behaviors.
- You might practice some strategies for how to improve your negative core beliefs or work through specific tools like the ABCDE or SOLVE methods.
- Your therapist might give you homework for what to work on outside of your sessions together, like a behavioral activation task or a journaling prompt.
How to Get the Most Out of CBT Sessions for Depression
Dealing with depression can zap you of energy and focus, so thinking about changing your beliefs or having homework might feel overwhelming. However, with the right therapist and a bit of resolve, seeing even small changes in your daily motivation, energy, or mood can help you see the light at the end of the tunnel.
If you’re ready to get started, here are a few ways to ensure you’re getting the most out of your CBT sessions:⁴
- Be honest with your therapist: Even when it feels uncomfortable, telling your therapist what’s working and what needs to change is the best way to help them help you. Plus, practicing honestly sharing your opinion and asking for what you need can help you build these skills in your daily life.
- Remember that you and your therapist have the same goal: You both want you to feel better! If you ever feel like you can’t trust your therapist or you can’t see them being the person to help you feel better, consider trying someone else until you do feel that fit.
- Stick with your treatment plan: Your therapist is highly skilled at helping people with depression find new paths forward, but you’re the one who has to do the actual hard work to get there. Even when motivation is low, making small, incremental changes toward your goals will add up to big improvements over time.
- Be patient: Sometimes, starting therapy illuminates all the ways you’ve been too strong for too long, stirring up emotions you may have buried. If you stick with the process, these will start to resolve and you’ll build toward new, healthier patterns.
CBT as One Part of a Comprehensive Treatment Plan
CBT is often used as a standalone therapy, and it can be effective as such. However, therapists commonly incorporate CBT techniques into a more “eclectic” approach, alongside other modalities such as dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), interpersonal therapy (IPT), or acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Each therapist will approach care somewhat differently, but it will always be guided by your symptoms, needs, and goals.
For people with more moderate symptoms, or who don’t find improvement with therapy alone, combining therapy and medication is typically recommended. Each of our clinics offer both therapy and medication management, ensuring comprehensive, tailored care no matter your symptoms or severity. Additionally, many of our locations offer alternative depression treatments such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) or Spravato® if traditional medications aren’t well-tolerated.
How Long Will CBT for Depression Last?
A structured course of CBT is relatively time-limited, with many people attending somewhere between 5 and 20 sessions. However, for therapists utilizing CBT techniques alongside a more eclectic approach, the number of sessions you complete could range from a few months to a few years. Everyone coming to therapy will have different needs and goals, so you’ll check in with your therapist regularly about your specific treatment timeline.
Get the Depression Treatment You Need with Harmony
You deserve to feel better, and we can help. If you’ve been dealing with depression symptoms, you shouldn’t face them alone, and it’s our mission to provide accessible, comprehensive care to our neighbors across West Viriginia. We are in-network with most major insurance companies and offer telehealth for most services, to make getting care as seamless as possible.
If you’re ready to get started, call 304.410.0082 or schedule your first appointment today.
Sources:
- Gautam, M., Tripathi, A., Deshmukh, D., & Gaur, M. (2020). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression. Indian journal of psychiatry, 62(Suppl 2), S223–S229. https://doi.org/10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_772_19
- Serafini, G., Costanza, A., Aguglia, A., Amerio, A., Placenti, V., Magnani, L., Escelsior, A., Sher, L., & Amore, M. (2023). Overall goal of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Major Psychiatric Disorders and Suicidality: A Narrative Review. The Medical clinics of North America, 107(1), 143–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mcna.2022.05.006
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). (2026). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21208-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-cbt
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. (2025). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cognitive-behavioral-therapy/about/pac-20384610
