Adios, Black Dog!: A Workbook for Depression Based on CBT and Mindfulness Skills

Depression is a serious problem in modern society. According to Statistics Canada, the lifetime prevalence of depression among the Canadian population is estimated to be as much as 19%. In other words, one in every five Canadians experiences depression in their lifetime. Antidepressants, mainly used for depression, are the most frequently used drugs by people aged 18 to 44 years in the United States. Considering the prevalence of depression, any effort to reduce it would be of benefit to society. Al Parsai holds a master’s degree in counselling psychology. He practices as a psychotherapist in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. Al has created this workbook to help therapists and clients work together to address mild to moderate depression. Adios, Black Dog! offers some mindfulness and cognitive behavioural therapy techniques that will help you extend your therapy beyond the boundaries of the therapist’s office. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a widespread approach in addressing depression. Some studies suggest it could be as effective—or even more effective—than medication. Most of the exercises in this workbook are based on CBT. Mindfulness, an approach that is different from CBT, is used to help people with mental disorders. Some studies show that combining mindfulness with CBT could lead to better results than CBT alone. Consequently, Adios, Black Dog! includes some mindfulness exercises.