Basics of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy 

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Price

CA$900.00

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The Basics of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy course (30 hours or 2 credits) is designed for students wishing to learn the fundamentals of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). Students will learn the theory, principles, and practices of CBT while learning evidence-based techniques to effectively assist their clients. Each lecture will cover different aspects of CBT, including initial evaluations, conceptualizations, and structuring therapy sessions with clients. Evidence-based techniques will be introduced to students to treat a variety of mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression.

DBN Elite is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. DBN Elite maintains responsibility for the program.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, students will achieve the following outcomes:

  1. Describe the theory and origins of CBT.
  2. Conceptualize and evaluate clients’ presenting issues using a CBT framework.
  3. Structuring therapy sessions and assessing clients’ therapeutic outcomes using a CBT framework.
  4. Apply tools and techniques to modify clients’ automatic thoughts, activate positive behaviours, and challenge their rules, assumptions, and core beliefs.

Each lecture will cover different aspects of CBT, including initial evaluations, conceptualizations, and structuring therapy sessions with clients. Evidence-based techniques will be introduced to students to treat a variety of mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression.

The course is pass/fail, with a passing grade being 70%.

  • Midterm Exam (30%): The midterm exam will consist of 15 multiple choice questions that assess your knowledge of CBT based on lectures 1-10.

  • Assignment (20%): The assignment includes 3 exercises where your understanding of the cognitive model, as well as CBT applications of interventions, will be assessed. Assignment instructions and rubric will be posted on the DBN Elite website.

    Final Exam (50%): The final exam will consist of 35 multiple choice questions that assess your knowledge of CBT. The questions will reflect the course in its entirety, but a greater emphasis will be placed on the second half of the course (lectures 11-18).

Introduction to CBT

  • Definition
  • Theory
  • Research

Overview of treatment using a CBT framework

  • Developing the therapeutic relationship
  • Treatment Planning
  • Dysfunctional Cognitions

Cognitive conceptualization

  • The cognitive model
  • Beliefs
  • Behaviours & automatic thoughts

The assessment session(s)

  • Goals of assessment sessions
  • Assessment phases
  • Treatment goals & expectations
  • Cognitive conceptualization

Structuring the first therapy session(s)

  • -Goals & structure of initial session
  • Agenda setting & mood checks
  • Educating clients on model
  • Discussing problem & behavioral activation

Behavioural activation

  • Efficacy
  • Types
  • Planification & implementation
  • Common issues

Session two and beyond: structure and format

  • Overall patterns of sessions
  • Early stage
  • Time-limited CBT
  • Summary & feedback

Problems structuring the therapy session

Identifying automatic thoughts

  • Characteristics
  • Explanation to clients
  • Identification

Identifying emotions

  • Distinguishing thoughts from emotions
  • Using emotional intensity to guide therapy

Evaluating automatic thoughts

  • *Midterm exam (midterm will cover lectures 1-10)

Responding to automatic thoughts

  • Evaluation of therapy notes
  • Evaluating & responding to novel

Identifying and modifying intermediate beliefs

Identifying and modifying core beliefs

Additional cognitive and behavioural techniques

Imagery

Assigning homework

Termination and relapse prevention

Problems in therapy 

*Assignment due

  • *Final exam (final exam will cover lectures 1-18, with a greater emphasis on lectures 11-18)