Application:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy focuses on identifying and reshaping unhelpful thought patterns that contribute to depression. Many individuals experience negative automatic thoughts such as “I’m not good enough” or “Nothing will ever change.” CBT helps clients notice these distorted beliefs and challenge them through structured reflection and practical exercises. The process gradually strengthens self-awareness and empowers clients to replace despairing thoughts with more balanced and compassionate perspectives.

Effectiveness:
CBT is one of the most evidence-based treatments for depression. It helps reduce rumination, improve mood regulation, and restore a sense of control and hopefulness. By addressing both cognition and behaviour, CBT supports sustainable change and helps individuals rebuild motivation and engagement in daily life.

Application:
Internal Family Systems therapy sees depression as a signal from inner parts that feel burdened, rejected, or silenced. It helps individuals identify these parts and relate to them with compassion rather than judgement. Through connecting with the Self, clients learn to listen to the sadness, numbness, or hopelessness carried within and discover the protective role these parts play. This compassionate dialogue helps reduce shame, restore self-trust, and foster inner harmony.

Effectiveness:
IFS therapy is highly effective for depression and emotional dysregulation. It addresses underlying emotional pain instead of merely managing symptoms. As clients learn to lead with calm and curiosity, they begin to feel lighter, more integrated, and more at peace. Over time, this builds a deeper sense of self-acceptance and hope.

Application:
Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy helps people reconnect with their core emotions beneath depressive withdrawal or numbness. Depression often masks feelings of loneliness, shame, or unmet attachment needs. EFIT provides a safe space to explore these emotions, understand their messages, and create new patterns of emotional connection and safety. The therapist works collaboratively to help clients move from isolation towards self-compassion and authentic expression.

Effectiveness:
EFIT is particularly effective for depression rooted in attachment injuries or relational disconnection. It helps individuals regain access to positive emotional experiences, build secure inner connections, and increase their capacity for emotional regulation. The result is greater vitality, meaning, and emotional resilience.

Application:
Choice Theory helps clients understand that while they cannot always control external circumstances, they can influence how they respond to them. Depression can make individuals feel powerless or trapped. Through Reality Therapy, clients learn to identify unmet psychological needs, such as love, belonging, or purpose, and take practical, value-based actions to meet them. The approach restores agency and helps clients reconnect with what gives life meaning.

Effectiveness:
Reality Therapy is effective for individuals who feel stuck or unmotivated. It encourages responsibility without blame and supports forward movement through achievable, self-directed goals. This approach strengthens self-efficacy and promotes a sense of empowerment and control over one’s emotional wellbeing.

Application:
Narrative Therapy invites individuals to explore how depression shapes the stories they tell about themselves. Many clients describe their lives through problem-saturated narratives such as “I always fail” or “I’m a burden.” Narrative Therapy helps externalise depression as something separate from the person, creating space to re-author their life story with new possibilities, strengths, and values.

Effectiveness:
This approach is effective for rebuilding identity and meaning after depression has diminished one’s sense of self. It encourages hope, fosters self-compassion, and helps clients recognise the small steps of courage and resilience already present in their stories.

Application:
Mindfulness-Based Therapy integrates awareness, acceptance, and presence to help individuals respond more gently to depressive thoughts and emotions. Instead of fighting or suppressing sadness, mindfulness cultivates curiosity and acceptance of what is happening in the present moment. Over time, this approach reduces over-identification with negative thoughts and brings calm and clarity.

Effectiveness:
Mindfulness has been shown to prevent depressive relapse and support long-term emotional regulation. It helps individuals anchor themselves in the present rather than being consumed by the past or fearful of the future. The practice enhances emotional resilience, inner peace, and a renewed sense of balance in daily life.