Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most widely tested psychotherapies for depression. Numerous studies have confirmed the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as a treatment for depression. This document will provide general information about the intervention, address the target population and describe the structure of the program and its key elements. It will also provide examples of program implementation, challenges/barriers to implementing the practice, explain how the practice supports recovery from serious mental illness, and provide a summary. Although there are several types of therapies to treat depression and other mood disorders, CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) is one of the most widely used. It is believed to be very effective in treating depression in adolescents and adults. CBT aims to quickly resolve maladaptive thoughts and behaviors without questioning why these thoughts and behaviors are occurring, unlike other forms of psychotherapy. Keywords: CBT, depression, therapy, recoveryCognitive Behavioral TherapyCognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of treatment that focuses on examining the relationships between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors (NAMI, 2012). It is designed to modify the individual's normative dysfunctional thoughts. The basic cognitive technique involves delineating misconceptions, distortions, and maladaptive assumptions specific to the individual, and testing their validity and reasonableness (Beck, 1970). By exploring the thought patterns that lead to maladaptive behaviors and actions as well as the beliefs that guide those thoughts, people with mental illness can change their thought processes to better cope. CBT is different from other... middle of document ......ntal_Illness/About_Treatments_and_Supports/Cognitive_Behavioral_Therapy1.htmNREPP (January 28, 2014). Intervention Summary – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adolescent Depression. Retrieved April 1, 2014 from http://www.nrepp.samhsa.gov/ViewIntervention.aspx?id=106Pratt, CW, Gill, KJ, Barret, NM, & Roberts, MM (2013). Psychiatric rehabilitation (3rd ed., pp. 169-171). San Diego, CA: Academic Press. Shafran, R., Clark, DM, Fairburn, CG, Arntz, A., Barlow, DH, Ehlers, A., . . . Wilson, G.T. (2009). Pay attention to the gaps: improve the dissemination of CBT. Behavioral Research and Therapy, 47(11), 902-909. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2009.07.003Wright, B., Williams, C., & Garland, A. (2002). Using the Five Domain Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Model with psychiatric patients. Accessed April 7, 2014 from http://apt.rcpsych.org/content/8/4/307.full