Treating Depression with Behavioral Activation

One of the therapeutic interventions I use most often when helping clients treat their depression is Behavioral Activation (BA). I turn to this intervention because it encourages a proactive approach to treatment. You may find it difficult to control your thoughts and feelings, but BA empowers you to make incremental, manageable changes to your behavior that will have a positive effect on those thoughts and feelings. Read on to learn more about how behavioral activation may help you.

What is Behavioral Activation?

Behavioral Activation is an evidence-based therapeutic approach that examines how behaviors influence emotions within a CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) framework. CBT has a concept called the “CBT Triangle” or “cognitive triangle.” Each point on the triangle is labeled “Thoughts,” “Behaviors,” or “Emotions,” and it demonstrates how each of these affects the others. 

Behavioral Activation specifically looks at how our behaviors influence our emotions and our thoughts. For example, people struggling with depression usually find themselves retreating from hobbies, interests, and passions that they used to enjoy. Because they’re no longer participating in behaviors that bring them joy, their mood dips even further, and it becomes a vicious cycle: “I’m feeling depressed so I don’t want to go to dinner with friends/I don’t go to dinner with friends so I’m feeling depressed.” With Behavioral Activation, we figure out ways to break that cycle. 

How does Behavioral Activation work?

Looking at our example above about going to dinner with friends, it might seem that the solution is easy - just go to dinner with your friends and you’ll feel better! But, of course, it’s not that easy. If it was, you would already be doing it. It’s important to know that you’re not avoiding, isolating, procrastinating, or not showing up because of who you are as a person. You’re doing these things because, for whatever reason, the things you want to do are hard or leave you feeling overwhelmed, or you don’t know how to take steps toward achieving those things. 

Using Behavioral Activation, I can help you figure out the steps to reconnect with the pleasures in your life. 

During our sessions, we’ll identify behaviors or goals that you would like to work toward, and what fears or obstacles are keeping you from achieving them. Then we’ll rank them according to difficulty into what we refer to as “hierarchies.” I’ll help you break down each step in the hierarchy and, together, we’ll identify what is challenging about it, why it stirs up fear, how we can process that fear, and how you can overcome the challenge or find an alternative around it. The goal is to make these steps bite-sized and manageable. 

We work through the hierarchies in order of least to most difficult to help you build up self-confidence. As you move to higher difficulty activities and tasks, you’ll find that you’ve become more proficient at tackling challenges, problem solving your way around obstacles, identifying triggers and using your skills to process them in a healthy way. By helping you work through hierarchies in session, my goal is to empower you to be able to apply these skills outside of session and throughout your life.

Limitations of Behavioral Activation 

While BA is an incredibly effective intervention, it's important to acknowledge its limitations. BA primarily focuses on behavior and mood, rather than delving into the root causes of depression. I believe in taking a holistic approach to mental wellness, addressing the underlying factors that contribute to your emotional well-being.

That’s why, in our sessions, we go one step further. We explore learned behaviors and challenge negative thought patterns so you can move toward positive changes that extend beyond just behavior and mood.

Get Help Today

Behavioral Activation is more than just an intervention—it’s a journey toward reclaiming your life and rediscovering joy. Here at Bold Steps Psychotherapy and Wellness, we’re committed to walking alongside you every step of the way. If you’re ready to start your journey, schedule a consultation today.


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