CBT for Depression

Being treated with counselling gives you the best chance of long-term recovery because it tends to offer greater protection against relapses than treatment with medication alone (Gautam et al., 2020). Many clients benefit from combining CBT with medication (there’s often a synergistic effect); we encourage you to discuss this with your doctor and/or therapist. Because depression is highly heterogeneous (different for everyone), your BestQuest therapist will collaborate with you to develop a personalized treatment plan that is well-suited to you. If CBT doesn’t feel right for you, other options are available.

CBT is a short-term therapy that provides long-term strategies. One of the reasons it is so popular is because it tends to yield improvements faster than other forms of psychotherapy. Folks who get CBT at BestQuest typically discover negative thought patterns they previously weren’t aware of and are then able to challenge problematic thinking. Cognitive disputation is used to help clients bring more logic and balance into their thoughts so they don’t spiral when having a negative train of thought or a low day. Behavioural strategies include “opposite action” and addressing avoidance and procrastination. These help clients “loosen the strings” that tie them down to the way that they feel. Strategies for coping and emotional regulation, as well as goal setting and values exploration, help clients capitalize on improvements made in therapy and provide a framework for long-term direction and relapse prevention.

BestQuest is an excellent choice for depression treatment because we have first-hand experience with this disorder. We also work to stay informed about innovative and experimental treatment approaches. We won’t use any experimental strategies on you, but the point is you’ll be working with someone who is informed and invested in providing the best quality, high-level depression treatment for you.

Anyone who feels they may have any form of depression (or symptoms of depression, such as feeling helpless, hopeless, tired, worthless, sad, anxious, or frustrated) can get immense benefit from going to therapy.