Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Course

Lesson 1 • Cognitive Revolution in Psychology

Examines how Beck and Ellis introduced cognitive models to therapy. Connects cognitive theory to observable behavioural change mechanisms.

Lesson 2 • Core Assumptions of CBT

Defines the mediational model and the thought-feeling-behaviour triangle. Students apply these assumptions to understand client distress patterns.

Lesson 3 • Origins of Behavioural Therapy

Traces classical and operant conditioning as precursors to CBT. Grounds students in the empirical tradition that defines the CBT approach.

Lesson 4 • Empirical Basis and Evidence Standards

Reviews the research standards that qualify CBT as evidence-based practice. Students evaluate clinical trials and meta-analyses supporting CBT efficacy.

Lesson 1 • Managing Difficult In-Session Moments

Addresses emotional escalation, silence, and resistance within the structured CBT frame. Students apply de-escalation and engagement strategies without abandoning structure.

Lesson 2 • Psychoeducation Delivery Skills

Trains clear explanation of the cognitive model to clients with varying literacy levels. Effective psychoeducation increases client engagement and homework compliance.

Lesson 3 • Collaborative Therapeutic Alliance

Defines the CBT therapeutic relationship as collaborative empiricism in action. Students practise alliance-building behaviours that enhance treatment engagement.

Lesson 4 • Standard CBT Session Format

Outlines the agenda-setting, mood check, homework review, and session summary structure. Students rehearse each component to achieve consistent session delivery.

Lesson 1 • Identifying Automatic Thoughts

Teaches methods for eliciting and recording automatic thoughts in session and between sessions. Links thought identification to the broader cognitive model.

Lesson 2 • Intake Assessment in CBT

Covers structured and semi-structured interview methods for gathering clinical data. Establishes the assessment foundation required for accurate conceptualisation.

Lesson 3 • Building the CBT Case Conceptualisation

Integrates assessment data into a coherent CBT formulation using standardised templates. Students produce a complete written conceptualisation for a practice case.

Lesson 4 • Cognitive Distortions and Patterns

Catalogues common cognitive distortions and trains recognition in client narratives. Students connect distortion patterns to specific emotional and behavioural outcomes.

Lesson 1 • Behavioural Activation Principles

Explains the behavioural model of depression and the role of activity in mood regulation. Students construct individualised activity schedules targeting avoidance and withdrawal.

Lesson 2 • Behavioural Experiments

Distinguishes behavioural experiments from exposure by their hypothesis-testing function. Students design experiments that directly test maladaptive beliefs through action.

Lesson 3 • Relaxation and Arousal Reduction

Teaches progressive muscle relaxation, diaphragmatic breathing, and applied relaxation. Students practise delivery and integrate these skills into broader treatment plans.

Lesson 4 • Reinforcement and Contingency Management

Applies operant principles to shape adaptive behaviour in clinical populations. Students create contingency plans and self-reinforcement schedules for client use.

Lesson 1 • Decatastrophising and Probability Estimation

Targets overestimation of threat and catastrophic interpretations using structured techniques. Students apply pie charts, surveys, and probability ladders to correct distortions.

Lesson 2 • Socratic Dialogue in Practice

Trains guided discovery questioning to help clients examine their own thinking. Students distinguish Socratic dialogue from persuasion and direct confrontation.

Lesson 3 • Core Belief Modification Methods

Addresses deeply held schemas using historical review, positive data logs, and continuum work. Students apply these methods after surface-level automatic thought work is established.

Lesson 4 • Thought Records and Worksheets

Guides students through the seven-column thought record and its clinical applications. Thought records serve as the primary tool for structured cognitive restructuring.

Lesson 1 • CBT for Health and Chronic Conditions

Adapts CBT for medically ill populations, chronic pain, and health anxiety. Students modify standard protocols to address illness beliefs and functional disability.

Lesson 2 • CBT for OCD and Related Disorders

Teaches exposure and response prevention as the primary OCD intervention. Students apply the appraisal model to distinguish obsessions from intrusive thoughts.

Lesson 3 • CBT for Depression

Applies behavioural activation, cognitive restructuring, and relapse prevention to major depression. Students integrate the full CBT protocol within a time-limited treatment frame.

Lesson 4 • CBT for Anxiety Disorders

Covers disorder-specific models for GAD, panic disorder, social anxiety, and specific phobias. Students select and sequence exposure and cognitive techniques based on each model.

Lesson 1 • Schema Therapy Fundamentals

Introduces early maladaptive schemas, schema modes, and limited reparenting. Students apply schema conceptualisation to clients with personality pathology.

Lesson 2 • Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy

Covers MBCT structure, decentering, and relapse prevention for recurrent depression. Students practise core mindfulness exercises and learn to teach them to clients.

Lesson 3 • Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Skills

Presents DBT's four skill modules and their application to emotional dysregulation. Students identify when DBT skills supplement standard CBT for complex presentations.

Lesson 4 • Integrating Third-Wave Methods

Guides decision-making for blending standard CBT with third-wave techniques. Students develop flexible treatment plans that match modality to client profile.

Lesson 1 • Using Supervision Effectively

Trains students to present cases, receive feedback, and apply supervision to clinical work. Effective supervision use is framed as a core professional competency.

Lesson 2 • Session Recording and Self-Review

Covers audio and video recording protocols for self-monitoring and supervision. Students use structured rating tools to evaluate their own session recordings.

Lesson 3 • CBT Competency Frameworks

Introduces standardised CBT competency models and rating scales used in training. Students benchmark their current skills against established competency descriptors.

Lesson 4 • Continuing Professional Development Planning

Guides students in mapping training needs to career goals and CPD requirements. Students produce a structured one-year professional development plan.