Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy involves talking with a trained professional (psychologist, psychiatrist, clinical nurse or social worker) on a short term (1-20 weeks) or a long-term basis and can take many forms.

Two types of psychotherapy have been found particularly effective for depression:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) targets negative thoughts and behaviors that tend to worsen depressed mood and teaches ways of thinking and behaving that work better.

Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) helps a person to deal with changing roles and other stressors by learning how to communicate more effectively with significant others.