Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on identifying specific negative thought patterns and behavioral responses to challenging or stressful situations.

Cognitive therapy focuses on moods and thoughts, while behavioral therapy specifically targets actions and behaviors.

CBT for depression focuses on disrupting negative thought patterns and replacing them with more helpful ones. The underlying idea behind CBT is that negative actions or feelings, such as depression, are the results of current distorted beliefs or thoughts, not unconscious forces from the past. Here’s how it works.

How can CBT help with depression?

If you’re someone who lives with depression, your therapist may use CBT techniques to help you uncover unhealthy patterns of thought and identify how they may be affecting:

• your mood
• your beliefs about yourself
• your overall outlook on life

CBT is an evidence based treatment for mild to moderate levels of depression. In some cases, it can be combined with other treatments, like antidepressants or other medications, to address depression.

Cognitive distortions and depression

You may be asked to keep a journal as part of CBT. The journal provides a place for you to record life events and your reactions.

Your therapist can help you break down reactions and thought patterns into several categories of self-defeating thought (also known as cognitive distortions) that tend to perpetuate depressive moods. These may include:

• all-or-nothing thinking: viewing the world in absolute, black-and-white terms
• disqualifying the positive: rejecting positive experiences by insisting they “don’t count” for some reason
• automatic negative reactions: having habitual, self-critical thoughts
• magnifying or minimizing: exaggerating or downplaying the importance of an event
• overgeneralization: drawing overly broad conclusions from a single event
• personalization: taking things too personally or assuming actions are specifically directed at you
• mental filter: focusing exclusively on a single negative detail, darkening your perception of reality

Replacing negative thought patterns

You and your therapist can also use the journal to help replace negative thought patterns or perceptions with more constructive ones. This can be done through  well-practiced techniques, such as:

• learning to manage and modify distorted thoughts and reactions
• accurately and comprehensively assessing external situations and emotional responses
• practicing self-talk that is both accurate and balanced
• using self-evaluation to reflect and respond appropriately

These coping methods can be practiced on your own, with your therapist, or in controlled settings where you’re confronted with challenges, allowing you to strengthen your ability to respond successfully.

CBT can be a highly rewarding and effective form of mental health support, especially for those affected by depression. It requires a willingness to embrace change and a commitment to working with your trusted therapist.

The goal of CBT is to help you develop the skills to deal with difficulties independently, at the moment when they arise, ideally providing you with tools that last a lifetime.