A word or short phrase to reduce the influence of something
I like the word 'ameliorate' in this usage. While not well known, which may require some explanation, it's meaning is so much more about redirecting that combating something - it literally means to take a bad thing and make it better.
It also has a soft, soothing sound to it...
How about:
I can use this technique to alleviate depression.
Thanks to @Hugh-Meyers, I found the word I was looking for:
assuage əˈswāj
verb: make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense.
"the letter assuaged the fears of most members"
Mitigate.
- to lessen in force or intensity, as wrath, grief, harshness, or pain; moderate.
- to make less severe: to mitigate a punishment.
- to make (a person, one's state of mind, disposition, etc.) milder or more gentle; mollify; appease.
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