Cognitive Approach to Treating Depression

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

• assumes that if depression is a result of irrational thinking it can be treated by challenging these irrational thoughts and replacing them with more rational ones
• th eclient is made aware that it is not the events themselves that make them anxious but the way they think about the events, this can be achieved by teaching them the 'ABCDE model'
• the client is required to gather evidence of situations in which negative thinking occurs by keeping a diary so they can be targeted
• the therapist can help teach the client to write the contents of ABC after experiencing a difficult situation
• an Activating event (A) such as a nearby group of people laughing may lead to a Belief (B) which might be irrational (they are laughing at me), this belief then leads to a Consequence (C) and it is argued irrational beliefs lead to unhealthy emotions
• pateients can be encouraged to Dispute (D) their irrational belief (B) by writing down challenging beliefs about the event 
• practising this will eventually allow the person to do this themselves naturally and in their head when a difficult…