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Online CBT for depression & low mood

When motivation and energy are low, even everyday tasks can feel difficult. Pulling away from people or activities can leave you feeling more stuck.

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Illustration of a person experiencing low energy and low mood.
Making sense of it

What you might notice

Depression can affect mood, energy, sleep, concentration and interest in things that used to matter. Withdrawing from activities or other people is understandable when everything feels difficult, but can leave fewer opportunities for connection or a sense of achievement. Harsh self-criticism may add to the cycle.

How CBT can help

CBT can include behavioural activation: gradually rebuilding meaningful activity, routine and connection in manageable steps. We also examine patterns of thinking and rumination that keep you stuck, develop more balanced responses, and plan how to recognise and respond to setbacks.

Two people finding a small moment of connection during a walk.

What could progress look like for you?

Gradually reconnect with routine, people and activities that matter to you, while finding a more balanced response to difficult days. We’ll choose goals that are meaningful to you and review how the work is going.

General information, not a diagnosis. Your experience and goals guide our assessment and the plan we agree together.

Further reading and sources
Understanding the pattern

How the cycle can keep going

This example shows one way the pattern can be maintained. Your own triggers and responses may look different.

Example cycle for depression and low mood, linking a trigger, its meaning, feelings, coping responses and what keeps the pattern going. A text version follows.
CBT can help rebuild meaningful activity and connection, and develop more balanced responses to self-critical thoughts.
View larger diagram
Read the cycle step by step
  1. Trigger: A setback or a difficult day
  2. Meaning: Nothing will improve. There’s no point trying.
  3. Feelings and body: Low mood, heaviness and low energy.
  4. Response: Withdraw, postpone tasks and do less that matters.
  5. What keeps it going: Less connection or reward; self-criticism deepens.

The short-term response can make the pattern more likely to repeat. This is an illustration, not a diagnosis or an individual formulation.

A useful next read

Your first CBT session: what the conversation can involve
Free CBT resources

Put the idea into practice

Record a small sample of daily activity, mood and connection or achievement, so you can identify a realistic behavioural activation starting point without judging your day by productivity.

Activity and mood diary (free PDF) Explore the depression & low mood toolkit Rumination diary
A short video from Shav

Rumination: getting out of a thinking loop

When thinking keeps circling the same question, ask whether it is helping you move forward.

Rumination is repetitive thinking that can feel like problem-solving without leading to a useful next step. Ask “Is this helping me move forward?” If not, gently return attention to what you were doing. The aim is to stop feeding the loop, rather than force a thought out of your mind.

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A place to begin

What is one part of life you would like to feel more connected to again?

A free 5–10 minute consultation is a chance to talk about what you need and whether we could work well together.

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