Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Course

Lesson 1 • CBT Compared to Other Modalities

Contrasts CBT with psychodynamic, humanistic, and systemic therapies. Helps clinicians articulate CBT's unique mechanisms and appropriate use cases.

Lesson 2 • Core Theoretical Principles

Covers the cognitive model, the role of learning theory, and the thought-feeling-behavior triangle. Anchors all subsequent technique instruction in a unified framework.

Lesson 3 • History and Development of CBT

Traces CBT from behavioral roots through Beck's cognitive model to third-wave approaches. Provides context for understanding why CBT techniques are structured as they are.

Lesson 1 • Building Rapport and Trust

Covers active listening, empathic validation, and transparency in CBT. Establishes the relational foundation required before cognitive or behavioral interventions can succeed.

Lesson 2 • Goal Setting and Treatment Contracting

Teaches SMART goal formulation and written treatment agreements. Aligns client expectations with CBT's structured, time-limited format.

Lesson 3 • Managing Ruptures and Repairs

Identifies alliance rupture signals and evidence-based repair strategies. Prevents premature dropout and deepens the therapeutic relationship.

Lesson 1 • CBT-Oriented Clinical Assessment

Covers structured interviews, standardized measures, and functional analysis. Gathers the data needed to build an accurate cognitive-behavioral formulation.

Lesson 2 • Identifying Automatic Thoughts

Teaches methods for eliciting and recording automatic thoughts in session and between sessions. Links thought identification to the broader case conceptualization process.

Lesson 3 • Building the Case Formulation

Integrates predisposing, precipitating, perpetuating, and protective factors into a coherent CBT formulation. Guides treatment planning and intervention selection.

Lesson 4 • Treatment Planning from Formulation

Translates the case formulation into a sequenced intervention plan with measurable targets. Ensures treatment is individualized rather than protocol-driven alone.

Lesson 1 • Behavioral Experiments for Belief Testing

Designs in-vivo and imaginal experiments to test the validity of specific beliefs. Bridges cognitive restructuring with behavioral change for stronger outcomes.

Lesson 2 • Schema-Level Cognitive Change

Addresses deeply held core beliefs using historical review, positive data logs, and continuum techniques. Extends restructuring beyond surface thoughts to lasting schema change.

Lesson 3 • Socratic Dialogue and Guided Discovery

Develops skill in using open questions to help clients examine their own beliefs. Avoids direct confrontation while promoting genuine cognitive shift.

Lesson 4 • Cognitive Distortions Taxonomy

Catalogs common distortions including catastrophizing, mind reading, and overgeneralization. Enables rapid recognition of distorted thinking patterns in clinical material.

Lesson 1 • Behavioral Activation for Depression

Covers activity monitoring, pleasure-mastery ratings, and graded task assignment. Directly targets the withdrawal and avoidance cycles that maintain depressive symptoms.

Lesson 2 • Exposure Therapy Principles and Practice

Teaches inhibitory learning theory and graded exposure hierarchies for anxiety disorders. Prepares clinicians to design safe, effective exposure protocols.

Lesson 3 • Relaxation and Arousal Reduction

Teaches progressive muscle relaxation, diaphragmatic breathing, and applied relaxation. Provides physiological regulation tools that support cognitive and behavioral work.

Lesson 4 • Response Prevention and Habit Reversal

Applies ERP for OCD and habit reversal training for repetitive behaviors. Teaches clinicians to combine behavioral blocking with cognitive rationale.

Lesson 1 • Homework Design and Compliance

Covers principles for designing meaningful, achievable between-session tasks. Addresses common compliance barriers and strategies to maximize homework engagement.

Lesson 2 • Pacing and Session Management

Develops skills for managing time, transitions, and emotional intensity within sessions. Ensures sessions remain productive without feeling rushed or dismissive.

Lesson 3 • Measuring Progress and Outcomes

Introduces routine outcome monitoring using validated measures and session-by-session tracking. Enables data-driven decisions about treatment continuation or modification.

Lesson 4 • The Standard CBT Session Format

Teaches the agenda-setting, mood check, homework review, and session summary sequence. Provides the structural scaffold that makes CBT efficient and replicable.

Lesson 1 • CBT for Anxiety Disorders

Covers tailored protocols for GAD, panic disorder, social anxiety, and specific phobias. Emphasizes the role of threat appraisal and avoidance in maintaining anxiety.

Lesson 2 • CBT for Depression

Applies Beck's cognitive triad model and behavioral activation within a full depression protocol. Addresses hopelessness, rumination, and suicidal ideation within the CBT framework.

Lesson 3 • CBT for OCD and Related Disorders

Applies the cognitive model of obsessions and ERP to OCD and related conditions. Covers inference-based and appraisal-based models for treatment planning.

Lesson 4 • CBT for Personality Disorders

Adapts CBT for borderline, avoidant, and other personality disorders using schema-focused strategies. Addresses long-standing maladaptive patterns requiring extended treatment.

Lesson 1 • Therapist Cognitions and Self-Practice

Applies CBT principles to the therapist's own beliefs about clients, therapy, and competence. Reduces therapist-driven errors and enhances authentic use of the model.

Lesson 2 • Ethical and Professional Standards

Reviews informed consent, confidentiality, dual relationships, and scope of practice in CBT. Grounds advanced practice in professional accountability and client protection.

Lesson 3 • CBT Supervision Models and Methods

Covers competency-based supervision frameworks, live observation, and video review methods. Prepares experienced clinicians to supervise and train others in CBT.

Lesson 4 • Fidelity, Adherence, and Competence

Introduces validated CBT competence scales and adherence rating systems. Enables self-assessment and peer review to maintain treatment quality over time.