CBT Training Course

Lesson 1 • Core Assumptions of the CBT Model

Examines the foundational premise that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected and mutually influential. Links these assumptions to the rationale for CBT interventions.

Lesson 2 • Comparing CBT to Other Modalities

Contrasts CBT with psychodynamic, humanistic, and systemic approaches on structure, goals, and techniques. Helps practitioners identify CBT's unique contributions and appropriate applications.

Lesson 3 • History and Development of CBT

Traces CBT from early behavioral conditioning through Beck's cognitive model to modern integrations. Provides context for understanding why CBT techniques are structured as they are.

Lesson 1 • Building a Cognitive Conceptualization

Integrates all cognitive levels into a coherent case formulation diagram. Practitioners practice constructing and refining conceptualizations using clinical vignettes.

Lesson 2 • Cognitive Distortions and Biases

Catalogs systematic errors in thinking that maintain psychological distress. Practitioners learn to label distortions accurately to guide targeted restructuring.

Lesson 3 • Intermediate Beliefs and Rules

Explores conditional assumptions and rules that mediate between core beliefs and automatic thoughts. Practitioners learn to surface and test these beliefs through structured inquiry.

Lesson 4 • Core Beliefs and Schemas

Examines deeply held global beliefs about self, others, and the world that organize experience. Practitioners learn schema identification methods and their role in case conceptualization.

Lesson 1 • Learning Theory Foundations

Reviews classical and operant conditioning as the scientific basis for behavioral interventions. Connects learning principles directly to the maintenance of clinical problems.

Lesson 2 • Exposure-Based Interventions

Introduces systematic exposure as the primary behavioral treatment for avoidance and fear. Practitioners design exposure hierarchies and manage client distress during sessions.

Lesson 3 • Functional Behavioral Analysis

Teaches the ABC model to identify antecedents, behaviors, and consequences maintaining a problem. Practitioners use functional analysis to select targeted behavioral interventions.

Lesson 4 • Behavioral Experiments in Practice

Frames behavioral experiments as empirical tests of specific beliefs rather than mere exposure. Practitioners design experiments that generate corrective information to update cognitions.

Lesson 1 • CBT-Consistent Assessment Methods

Covers structured interviews, standardized measures, and self-monitoring tools used in CBT assessment. Practitioners select and administer tools appropriate to presenting problems.

Lesson 2 • Measuring Progress and Outcomes

Establishes routine outcome monitoring as a core CBT practice for tracking symptom change. Practitioners use session-by-session data to adjust interventions and demonstrate effectiveness.

Lesson 3 • Problem Definition and Goal Setting

Teaches practitioners to translate vague complaints into specific, measurable treatment targets. Clear goals anchor the formulation and provide benchmarks for progress evaluation.

Lesson 1 • The Standard CBT Session Format

Describes the agenda-setting, mood check, homework review, and session summary components of a CBT session. Practitioners learn to maintain structure while remaining responsive to client needs.

Lesson 2 • Psychoeducation as a Therapeutic Tool

Positions psychoeducation as an active intervention that normalizes distress and builds the cognitive model. Practitioners deliver psychoeducation interactively rather than didactically.

Lesson 3 • Homework Design and Review

Establishes between-session tasks as the primary vehicle for skill generalization in CBT. Practitioners design, assign, and systematically review homework to maximize adherence.

Lesson 4 • Treatment Planning Across Phases

Maps the early, middle, and late phases of CBT treatment with phase-specific goals and techniques. Practitioners plan a coherent treatment arc from engagement through termination.

Lesson 1 • Decatastrophizing and Probability Estimation

Addresses overestimation of threat and underestimation of coping through structured probability work. Practitioners help clients develop realistic appraisals of feared outcomes.

Lesson 2 • Thought Records and Structured Diaries

Introduces the thought record as a structured tool for capturing and evaluating automatic thoughts. Practitioners guide clients through each column to generate balanced alternative perspectives.

Lesson 3 • Socratic Questioning and Guided Discovery

Teaches the use of strategic questioning to help clients examine and revise their own thinking. Practitioners distinguish Socratic dialogue from persuasion or direct confrontation.

Lesson 4 • Core Belief Modification Methods

Applies advanced techniques to modify deeply held negative core beliefs resistant to surface-level restructuring. Practitioners use historical tests, positive data logs, and continuum work.

Lesson 1 • CBT for Panic and Agoraphobia

Addresses catastrophic misinterpretation of bodily sensations using the panic disorder cognitive model. Practitioners conduct interoceptive exposure and behavioral experiments to disconfirm feared outcomes.

Lesson 2 • CBT for Health Anxiety and OCD

Distinguishes health anxiety and OCD models and applies tailored exposure and response prevention. Practitioners address reassurance seeking, checking, and neutralizing behaviors.

Lesson 3 • CBT for Social Anxiety

Applies Clark and Wells's social anxiety model to address self-focused attention and post-event processing. Practitioners use video feedback, attention training, and behavioral experiments.

Lesson 4 • CBT for Generalized Anxiety

Targets worry, intolerance of uncertainty, and avoidance using the generalized anxiety disorder model. Practitioners apply worry postponement, cognitive restructuring, and uncertainty tolerance training.

Lesson 1 • Managing Termination and Endings

Addresses the emotional and practical aspects of ending a therapeutic relationship in CBT. Practitioners handle ambivalence, dependency concerns, and unfinished goals at termination.

Lesson 2 • Identifying Early Warning Signs

Teaches clients to recognize personal relapse signatures, including cognitive, behavioral, and somatic cues. Early detection enables prompt self-intervention before full relapse occurs.

Lesson 3 • Long-Term Maintenance Strategies

Establishes ongoing self-monitoring and lifestyle practices that sustain therapeutic gains post-treatment. Practitioners help clients build habits that function as continuous relapse prevention.

Lesson 4 • Building a Relapse Prevention Plan

Guides practitioners in co-creating written action plans that specify responses to warning signs. Plans integrate all skills learned in treatment into a personalized self-help toolkit.