The Depression Toolkit: Quick Relief to Improve Mood, Increase Motivation, and Feel Better Now

Your toolkit for managing and overcoming the worst symptoms of depression—quickly and effectively.

In an increasingly stressful world—filled with fear and uncertainty—the prospect of effectively managing your depression can seem overwhelming. Add to that the all-consuming grind of day-to-day life, and things can get overwhelming in a hurry. Everyday tasks can seem like insurmountable challenges, your symptoms pile up, and relief slips further out of reach. Your mood becomes darker, your sense of isolation more extreme, and your motivation falls through the floor. What you need is relief—and STAT!

Written by a veritable dream team of mental health experts, this short, easy-to-use guide offers evidence-based skills grounded in mindfulness, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and behavioral activation to help you effectively manage negative thoughts, get motivated, rediscover hope, and develop healthy habits. Designed to get right to the point, this book wastes no time in giving you the tools you need to quickly improve your mood, get unstuck from difficult feelings, and stay on top of symptoms before they build up and get the best of you. The sooner your symptoms are under control, the sooner you can get back on track—happier, more motivated, and looking forward with hope.

If you’re the type who likes to cut through the clutter and get to the heart of the matter, pick up this book, and pick up the tools inside—relief is only pages away.

William J. Knaus, EdD, is a licensed psychologist with more than forty-six years of clinical experience working with people suffering from anxiety, depression, and procrastination. He has appeared on numerous regional and national television shows, including The Today Show, and more than one hundred radio shows. His ideas have appeared in national magazines such as U.S. News & World Report and Good Housekeeping, and major newspapers such as The Washington Post and Chicago Tribune. He is one of the original directors of postdoctoral psychotherapy training in rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). Knaus is author or coauthor of more than twenty-five books, including The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Anxiety, The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Depression, and The Procrastination Workbook.

Alex Korb, PhD, is a neuroscientist, writer, and coach. He has studied the brain and mental health for more than fifteen years, starting with an undergraduate degree in neuroscience from Brown University; before earning a PhD in neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He is author of The Upward Spiral and The Upward Spiral Workbook, and is currently adjunct assistant professor at UCLA in the department of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences. Outside of the lab, he is available for personal coaching, consulting services, and speaking engagements. He is head coach of the UCLA Women’s Ultimate Frisbee team, and has a wealth of experience in yoga and mindfulness, physical fitness, and even stand-up comedy.

Patricia J. Robinson, PhD, is director of training and program evaluation at Mountainview Consulting Group, Inc., a firm that assists health care systems with integrating behavioral health services into primary care settings. She is coauthor of Real Behavior Change in Primary Care and The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Depression. After exploring primary care psychology as a researcher, she devoted her efforts to its dissemination in rural America, urban public health departments, and military medical treatment facilities.

Lisa M. Schab, LCSW, is a practicing psychotherapist in the greater Chicago, IL, area; and author of several self-help books, including The Anxiety Workbook for Teens and The Self-Esteem Workbook for Teens, as well as the teen guided journals, Put Your Worries Here and Put Your Feelings Here. She has been interviewed as an expert on the Milwaukee television stations WTMJ-TV and WISN-TV, and for articles in The New York Times, Scholastic’s Choices magazine, Teen Vogue, Psych Central, and Your Teen Magazine. Schab has authored regular columns on tweens and teens for Chicago Parent, and on healthy families for The Sun Newspapers. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).

Kirk D. Strosahl, PhD, is cofounder of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), a cognitive behavioral approach that has gained widespread adoption in the mental health and substance abuse communities. He is coauthor of Brief Interventions for Radical Change and In This Moment. Strosahl provides training and consultation services for Mountainview Consulting Group, Inc. He is a pioneer in the movement to bring behavioral health services into primary care.