To contact us
Depression

Go Back To:

This page is printer-friendly

Go Across To:

Depression

Treatment Plan for Depression

This treatment plan attempts to achieve twin aims, relief from the current depression, and improved protection from future episodes.  With each experience of depression the likelihood of future episodes increases.  More gets yet more.

Cognitive therapy

Phase 1 - symptom reduction

  • Session 1:  Learn about the program and the contents - your obligations and what to expect.  Complete a few assessment forms.  Discuss your concerns with depression - how it impacts on your life.  Begin thought analysis.  Explore automatic thoughts. Homework
  • Session 2: Collect depression score (like taking your temperature).  Psychologist helps you set agenda for future sessions.  Explore and challenge more negative thoughts.  Learn about ‘themes’ that the psychologist thinks are suggested by those negative thoughts.  Arrive at the realisation that it’s OK for nice people to behave assertively and sometimes get mad.  Homework
  • Session 3: Begin working to your agenda.
  • Session 4 to however many required: Complete agenda

Phase 2 - Relapse protection

Some number of sessions to focus on education of schemas and thought processes, and how to better challenge and manage them.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for depression is a psychological treatment program that looks at the way you think, feel and behave.  It attempts to reduce your symptoms, the impact of symptoms, and the chances of relapse.  You will learn and practice various skills (activity scheduling, social skills, communication, assertiveness and others) to target the thoughts and behaviours of your depression.  Exercises are  provided during the session, and as homework, to improve the negative thinking that often  underlies depression.  CBT aims to not only improve the way you feel about yourself, but also help you cope more easily with everyday situations.  With improved control over your life comes a better quality of life - and enjoyment.

  • Session 1: The following explanations are offered to you: depression, this program, what you will be expected to do, and how CBT can help you improve from depression.  You will learn how to monitor problem activities you currently do.  This continues and id refined throughout the remaining sessions.  Homework
  • Session 2: Starts the program with a review of session 1, a review of assessments done in session 1, and then you explore and practice activity scheduling.  This simple exercise starts making a difference very early - it helps you ‘get things done’ throughout the day and week.  It also combats ‘doing nothing’ which is a sure recipe to make you feel even more depressed.  There is homework
  • Session 3: looks at your thought processes and how your thinking affects the  way you feel. This session will help you identify  and modify your unhelpful thoughts - automatic and conscious. The better you  become at detecting and modifying unhelpful thoughts, the better will be the quality of your life.
  • Session 4:  [continues to look at how your thinking affects the  way you feel. It provides you with a number of ways  of trying to challenge your unhelpful thoughts. This  will allow you to evaluate the unhelpful thoughts  and replace them with more helpful thoughts]
  • Session 5: You will learn and practice better ways to solve problems.  Quality decisions will improve your quality and enjoyment of life. You will learn a method for facing daily minor problems, and those bigger ones.  You will learn how to generate solutions and take action.
  • Session 6: [continues to look at how your thinking affects the  way you feel. In particular, you will learn about  thinking errors and how to correct them in your own  thinking]
  • Session 7: [concentrates on ways in which to build self-esteem.  Some of the factors that affect self-esteem thinking  in all-or-nothing terms (and other thinking errors),  perfectionistic standards, inability to be assertive  and lack of goals. Building self-esteem is directed  by targeting these factors.]
  • Session 8:introduces communication  and assertiveness training. Assertiveness is a style  of communication and is all about being aware that  you have as much right to be respected as anyone else  does. Being assertive allows you to express your emotions  in everyday situations and interactions, and is a  skill that requires learning and practise
  • Session 9: [Session  9 provides a summary of all the skills you have learnt  over the last 8 sessions]
  • Session 10: [takes you through the steps  involved in setting up a relapse prevention plan.  When the going gets tough, your relapse prevention  plan is something you can rely on to help prevent  a relapse. That is, the plan will help prevent stressful  times taking you back to square one. Remember: "A  lapse is not a relapse"]