PCT consists of 8 sessions, in which the therapist work with the client on how to prevent relapse. After each session, the participants receive assignments to take at home. At the end of the training, each participant has a personal prevention plan. The aim of the training is that the participant will relapse less often and less quickly into a depression. The training can be given in a group as well as individually.

During the training the therapist and client pay attention to dysfunctional schemas and use fantasy exercises (imagination) and positive schemata to challenge these schemata. We also train how to better store and retrieve positive feelings, cognitions and experiences. The training results in a tailor-made prevention plan.

In Preventive Cognitive Training one can learn about what they can do themselves to prevent a depressive relapse. 

The training consists of 8 sessions.

Three parts are covered in this Preventive Cognitive Training:

• 1. Identify and address limiting thinking patterns by means of exercises in which positive feelings and fantasy are used to find new meaning.

2. Evaluate how to better store positive feelings and experiences in memory and how to retrieve these positive feelings and experiences more easily.

3. Making a personal prevention plan. This can not only help to recognize a relapse in the future, but also prevent it. With the help of the prevention plan you will know what you can do yourself to prevent a relapse.

After each session, a participant will receive assignments that to work with at home. These assignments take about 10 minutes and are very important for the successful course of the training. Each session the assignments are discussed with the client.

At the end of the training, the participant will have made their own personal prevention plan. This describes what they can do if they start to experience depressive feelings or complaints. The aim of the training is that people will fall back into depression less often and less quickly. It is possible to follow this training both in a group and individually. In addition, this training can also be offered via video calling. The training is given by PCT therapists. These are health care psychologists, psychotherapists, clinical psychologists and psychiatrists specially trained in PCT. In addition, there is a self-help version (Between Dip and Droom) that can be supervised by the practice nurse of the GP.