Whole-person care guide

All the ways to treat depression

Help for depression goes beyond talk therapy and pills. Exercise, diet, light and newer brain treatments all have research behind them. Below is every option in order, and who offers it near you.

Most people with depression get better with treatment, and mixing approaches tends to beat relying on one. Guidelines now list exercise and group programs next to therapy and medication. There are also proven options when depression has not lifted with the first tries.

We sort the options by how strong the research is. Each card tells you what the approach is, what it involves, what studies found and who offers it.

Whole Wellbeing Atlas lists providers. We do not give medical care. Bring this guide to your doctor or therapist and decide together. In a crisis, call or text 988 (the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline). You can also go straight to the closest emergency room.

Written by the Whole Wellbeing Atlas Editorial Team and reviewed on September 29, 2026. You will find every source at the bottom of the page. How we write and check our guides.

Find these options close to home

Type your ZIP code and we will show local providers under each approach.

Step 1

Best evidence

Clinical guidelines name these first. This is the place to begin.

Traditional

Talk therapy (CBT, behavioral activation, interpersonal therapy)

Structured therapies that help you get active again, push back on depressive thinking and mend relationships. They are first-line for mild to moderate depression and belong in care at every level.

Who offers itLicensed counselors, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and clinical social workers.

Cost and insuranceInsurance often pays. Without insurance, expect about $100 to $250 a session.

Evidence: Depression in adults, NICE guideline NG222 (2022)

Traditional

Antidepressant medication

Advised most of all for moderate to severe depression, often together with therapy. It can take a few tries to find the right medicine and dose.

Who offers itA psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner. Your primary care doctor can prescribe too.

Cost and insuranceInsurance usually pays. Generic versions cost little.

Evidence: NICE guideline NG222

Step 2

Good evidence

Solid trials support these. They pair well with first-line care.

Alternative

Exercise: walking, running, yoga, strength training

A 2024 review of 218 trials found that exercise cuts depression in a meaningful way. Walking or jogging, yoga and strength training helped most, and harder workouts helped more.

Who offers itYoga teachers, physical therapists, exercise physiologists and personal trainers.

Cost and insuranceCosts vary. Walking costs nothing.

Evidence: BMJ, 2024. Noetel et al., network meta-analysis, 218 trials

Alternative

Nutrition therapy

In the SMILES trial, adults with major depression who worked with a dietitian on their diet reached remission about four times as often as the comparison group: 32 percent against 8 percent.

Who offers itFunctional medicine practitioners, and registered dietitians and nutritionists.

Cost and insuranceA dietitian visit usually costs $80 to $200. Insurance sometimes pays.

Evidence: BMC Medicine, 2017. Jacka et al., SMILES trial

Alternative

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT)

A group program that runs for eight weeks and lowers the odds that depression comes back. It is meant mainly for people who have had several episodes.

Who offers itMindfulness teachers and therapists with MBCT training.

Cost and insuranceA program usually costs $300 to $600. Some plans cover it as group therapy.

Evidence: JAMA Psychiatry, 2016. Kuyken et al., individual patient data meta-analysis

Step 3

Some evidence

The studies are smaller or mixed. Many people like these as extras next to their main care.

Alternative

Bright light therapy

You sit by a 10,000 lux light box each morning. It has strong support for seasonal depression and has also helped depression that is not seasonal.

Who offers itA psychiatrist or sleep medicine provider can help you set the timing and dose.

Cost and insuranceA light box runs about $50 to $200.

Evidence: American Journal of Psychiatry, 2005. Golden et al., meta-analysis

Alternative

Acupuncture

It may lower depression severity compared with no treatment, though the trials are of low quality. Some people find it a useful extra.

Who offers itLicensed acupuncturists.

Cost and insuranceUsually $75 to $150 a visit.

Evidence: Cochrane Review, 2018. Smith et al.

Step 4

Emerging or specialist

Research is still under way, or these are kept for when first treatments fall short.

Progressive

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

Magnetic pulses stimulate the brain circuits that regulate mood, most often in daily sessions for four to six weeks. It is an established choice after two or more antidepressants have not worked.

Who offers itPsychiatrists and TMS clinics.

Cost and insuranceFor treatment-resistant depression, insurance often pays once the plan gives prior authorization.

Evidence: IPG542, NICE interventional procedures guidance

Progressive

Esketamine and ketamine

The FDA has approved esketamine nasal spray for treatment-resistant depression. It is given only in certified clinics. IV ketamine is an off-label use. Either one can start to help within days.

Who offers itCertified esketamine or ketamine clinics, and psychiatrists.

Cost and insuranceInsurance often covers esketamine. IV ketamine is usually paid out of pocket, about $400 to $800 an infusion.

Evidence: Esketamine (Spravato) approved by the FDA, 2019

Progressive

Psilocybin-assisted therapy

In a large 2022 trial, one guided dose helped people with treatment-resistant depression. The FDA has not approved it. You can only get it legally through research or a state program.

Who offers itState-licensed facilitators and research programs.

Cost and insuranceInsurance does not pay for it.

Evidence: New England Journal of Medicine, 2022. Goodwin et al.

Near youOnly in research settings or state programs. None of our listed providers offer it.

Check with a doctor first if

Sources

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