Depression Therapy in NYC (CBT Treatment in Manhattan)
Looking for depression therapy in NYC?
We provide cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for depression in Manhattan, serving clients throughout NYC. Our approach improves mood, increases motivation, and breaks patterns that keep depression going.
Depression can change everything — how we think, what we do, and how we feel. It can even make us too pessimistic or downhearted to ask for help. But effective treatment for depression is available, with therapy possible in-person or via telehealth.
Why Choose Our Depression Therapy in NYC
- Structured, goal-oriented treatment (not open-ended therapy)
- Practical tools and exercises to do between sessions
- Focus on measurable progress
- Doctoral-level, experienced therapists
- Techniques grounded in scientific evidence
- Not just talking about problems, but actively working to change them
- Supervised predoctoral externs offering reduced-fee treatment
- In-person and video options available
How CBT for Depression Works
We begin with a structured evaluation to understand what’s contributing to your depression and what’s keeping it going. From there, we develop a focused CBT plan tailored to your situation.
Treatment is practical and goal-oriented, with strategies you can apply between sessions to improve mood and create meaningful, tangible changes in daily life.
Depression Treatment Options
Depression can be treated in several ways, including psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of both. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective and widely recommended treatments, particularly for mild to moderate depression.
Understanding your options can help you choose an approach that fits your needs and goals.
Symptoms of Depression
Depression can occur for many reasons and can range from mild to debilitating. Take depression seriously; it can be life-threatening at times. Symptoms include:
- Frequent feelings of sadness or hopelessness
- Change in one’s weight or appetite
- Thoughts of death or suicide
- Low self-worth or excessive guilt
- Trouble concentrating
- Less enjoyment of things that used to be fun
- Having less energy — even small things seem like huge tasks
- Slower physical movement or thinking than usual.
Types of Depression We Treat
Depression can take different forms. The most common include:
Major Depressive Disorder
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a condition characterized by most or all of the above-listed symptoms lasting for at least two weeks.
Persistent Depressive Disorder
Also known as dysthymia, this condition includes low mood and other symptoms lasting for at least two years and sometimes for much longer. Regardless of the specific type of depression, CBT can be effective in improving mood.
Finding Help for Depression
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Depression
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for depression can involve efforts to increase certain behaviors that improve mood and decrease behaviors that worsen mood. CBT may also focus on the relationship between one’s thoughts and behaviors. Some people experience low mood that is at least partially fueled by specific thought patterns — for example, negative thoughts about one’s competence or self-worth. None of us has total control over which thoughts come into our minds. However, we can exert some control over what we tell ourselves. CBT can help change this mental dialogue in ways that improve mood.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is different from traditional counseling in that you are typically given specific exercises to do between sessions. These exercises are what help you change your mental and behavioral habits and improve your mood. For example, one common exercise in CBT is called a “thought record.” Using a thought record helps people to better understand how their interpretation of events affects their mood. It can then be used to help alter unhelpful patterns of thinking, providing a lasting natural tool against depression.
You might also be asked to make changes to your schedule. Changing what you do during the day or in specific situations can be surprisingly helpful in overcoming depression. However, it’s often challenging to determine which changes are important to make without some help. CBT for depression helps you identify helpful changes to make, and to overcome obstacles to making those changes.
Is CBT for Depression Effective?
Yes. Controlled clinical research studies show CBT to be an effective treatment for depression. It has generally been found to be a “somewhat superior” treatment to antidepressant medication, especially for mild and moderate depression. As such, it is currently considered the gold standard of psychotherapy options for depression.
Behavioral Activation for Depression
Antidepressant Medication
Medication can be an important part of the treatment for depression but is not always necessary. The most commonly prescribed antidepressant medications are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. SSRIs have been shown to be helpful, primarily for people with moderate to severe depression. They do have side effects for some people. Consult with your mental healthcare provider about whether medication might be helpful for you.
Steps You Can Take Without Therapy or Medication
If you’re interested in trying to improve depression on your own, some of the smartest strategies can be seen on our ABC PLEASE skills page. These skills are simple and straightforward to use. They’re often cheap or free, too! Cognitive-behavioral therapy for depression will often use some of the approaches described there. However, you don’t need to be in therapy to try them.
Does mindfulness help with depression?
Mindfulness is a type of awareness we all have, to some extent, that comes from calmly and nonjudgmentally focusing on what we’re doing. (Read more on our mindfulness page.) Mindfulness can be an effective part of recovery from many difficulties, including anxiety, substance abuse, emotion regulation problems, and angry outbursts. However, for most people, practicing mindfulness by itself is typically not sufficient to resolve major depressive disorder.
Some therapies for depression, such as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, combine CBT with mindfulness practice. This combination can be quite effective, particularly in preventing relapse among those who’ve recovered from depression. Mindfulness helps us create a healthier relationship with our thoughts; this is likely to be at least somewhat helpful for everyone. However, without changing other aspects of one’s life, mindfulness can often fall short of helping one achieve full recovery from depression.
How to Find Help
Please contact us for help in your efforts to find CBT therapy for depression. Our CBT therapists include doctoral-level psychologists as well as pre-doctoral therapists who offer reduced fee services. Our offices are in midtown Manhattan. We also offer teletherapy services to people elsewhere in New York State, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida. Even if you’re looking for therapy for depression in another part of the country or world, please contact us — we are happy to help find someone who can assist you.
Depression Therapy Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Exercising, getting support from loved ones, and improving sleep hygiene are all good initial steps.
Research shows that effective treatments for depression include medications and psychotherapy. At present, only one natural supplement has been shown to sometimes be an effective tool against depression — St. John’s wort. However, its effects have been inconsistent in research trials. It is not a substitute for psychotherapy or medication.
It’s complicated. The functioning of neurotransmitters in the brain is different in people who are depressed than those who are not. However, it is not at all clear whether these neurochemical differences are caused by depression, are the cause of depression, or neither.
Yes. Anxiety disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can cause depression. Obsessive-compulsive disorder can also cause depression.