Behaviour Activation Therapy for Depression

In this course, you learn how negative life events, such as grief, trauma, a genetic predisposition to depression, or even daily stressors, can create an environment with too little positive reinforcement, inducing some people toward maladaptive behaviours – such as social withdrawal, oversleeping, or addictive behaviours – which result in short-term relief, but ultimately intensify the depression. Behavioural activation therapy aims to counteract those tendencies, replacing them with healthy behaviours: activities that the depressed person is likely to find rewarding, either in the sense of being pleasurable or giving a sense of achievement. You will learn how to educate clients about how BAT works, help them collect the baseline data that provides the foundation for the customised activity plan, and then collaborate with clients to schedule in those activities identified as rewarding and aligned with their values and preferences to keep depression at bay.