For clinicians
A free tool for referring clients to behavioural activation
Bloom was built to make BA more accessible: a structured, evidence-based tool your clients can use between sessions, at no cost.
What Bloom does
Bloom guides clients through a 10-day behavioural activation program. It draws on the core BA model: scheduling values-consistent activities, tracking Achievement, Connection, and Enjoyment (ACE) before and after each activity, and reviewing progress over time. Everything runs in the browser with no account required.
10-day schedule
Clients plan activities across a structured 10-day window, with date-aware day cards and time slots.
Curated activity catalogue
60 activities across Pleasure, Social, Achievement, and Body, with space for clients to add their own or record things they used to enjoy.
Pre and post ACE ratings
Clients rate expected and actual Achievement, Connection, and Enjoyment (0–10) for each activity. Progress charts appear after three completed activities.
Printable & exportable
Clients can download a PDF summary, export to their calendar (.ics), or copy their schedule as text. Useful for session review.
How to use it with clients
Share the link
Send clients to this site. No sign-up or account needed. They start immediately. Works on mobile and desktop.
Set a start date together
In session, agree on a start date for their 10-day window. Helps with commitment and makes the first activity feel concrete.
Introduce the ACE framework
The welcome page explains the depression–withdrawal cycle and what ACE means. You can direct clients there, or use it as a conversation starter.
Encourage pre-activity ratings
Pre-activity expected scores are clinically meaningful. Research shows anticipated pleasure predicts depression improvement. Prompt clients to rate before, not just after.
Review the PDF in session
Ask clients to bring their PDF export to the next session. The ACE lift columns make it easy to spot which activity types are working best for them.
Clinical background
Behavioural activation is an evidence-based treatment for depression with strong support across randomised controlled trials. The core mechanism is interrupting the depression–withdrawal cycle: low mood leads to avoidance, which reduces access to reinforcement, which deepens low mood.
BA works by scheduling approach behaviours, particularly activities associated with mastery and pleasure, regardless of current motivation. The ACE framework (Achievement, Connection, Enjoyment) maps onto the main reinforcer categories targeted in BA.
Pre-activity ratings of expected pleasure and mastery have been shown to predict treatment response in depression, and reviewing the gap between expected and actual experience is a clinically useful technique for addressing anticipatory anhedonia.
Key references: Martell, Dimidjian & Herman-Dunn (2010); Cuijpers et al. (2007); Mazzucchelli, Kane & Rees (2009).
Bloom for iPhone
Bloom is also an iPhone app, for clients to use between sessions. It schedules activities, records pre and post ACE ratings, and shares a PDF summary for session review. Nothing leaves the device until the client sends it.
Donate
Free for clients, always
Bloom is and will always be free for clients to use. If you're a clinician who finds yourself referring to it regularly, buying us a coffee is a kind way to help keep it going. No pressure at all, just appreciated.
Bloom was made by a psychologist and a developer. It is a clinical aid, not a replacement for therapy.