Keith Dobson synthesizes decades of research and professional experience in this comprehensive guide that follows the therapy process from beginning to end. He starts with a theoretical overview of depression, including its associated features, risk and resiliency factors, and offers a comparative evaluation of various models of depression.

Clinical chapters review the intake process, from the initial interview, to formulating an early case conceptualization and ensuring the client's involvement. Dobson then presents an organizational model to determine which issues to focus on in therapy, and the optimal interventions to address them. He also describes common strategies to target problematic behaviors and cognitions, develop problem-solving skills, and modify maladaptive thoughts and schemas. Guidelines for ending therapy and preventing relapse are also provided, as are considerations related to comorbid disorders, clients' relationships with significant others, and in-person vs. distance treatment.

Recurring case examples with two hypothetical clients help to demonstrate the entire process for assessing, conceptualizing, and treating clinical depression.