Foundations of CBT

Many clinicians say: I do ‘some’ CBT. While strict fidelity to the model is less important than competently administered treatment, one can be "eclectic" or “integrative” in a way that omits the components of CBT most impactful for positive treatment outcomes.

Like clockwork, there are “new” treatment models for us to employ. Some are revised and reconfigured from older models. Certainly, as a field, we should evolve and update our theories and interventions as evidence compels us. Cognitive approaches to therapy are perhaps the most studied and thus the most reliably proven forms of treatment. They remain the “frontline” recommendations for most psychological conditions seen in the clinical setting. Therefore, clinicians must ensure they provide clients with treatment that retains the foundational components making CBT more effective and aligned with its evidence-based foundations. While exact mechanisms of change may vary from one cognitive approach to another (and with protocols for various diagnoses), foundational elements believed to be essential for helping clients achieve their goals remain universal.

"Foundations of CBT: Theory, Conceptualization, and Standard Interventions" is one of three courses that comprise the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Training Certificate (CBTTC). Enroll in the full program and earn 15 total CEs and the CBTTC.

Jeff Riggenbach, PhD, trained at The Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research in Philadelphia and over the course of 20 years has developed and directed cognitive-behaviorally based treatment programs for Mood Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Addictive Behavior Disorders, and Personality Disorders at two different psychiatric hospitals and clinics treating patients at multiple levels of care. He has trained clinicians in all 50 United States and 9 countries worldwide on the very content covered in this course.

Through didactic teaching, case studies, and humor - and drawing from the latest CBT-Based literature, Jeff is known for tapping into lessons learned from research in a way that takes them from the “top shelf” and puts them on the“bottom shelf” so they can be practically used by clinicians “in the trenches”, working in a variety of settings.

In this course, we will overview the original theory as well as bring you up to speed with new trends in cognitive therapy, walk you through how to socialize clients to the model in a way that enhances collaboration and decreases treatment drop-out, and present the foundations for all effective treatment. You will learn how to develop client-specific ‘roadmaps to recovery’ that will drive your treatment - from your initial conceptualizing of the case, to your treatment planning, to your in-session agenda-setting, all the way down to your documentation - so you will never feel lost in treatment again! Finally, you will get equipped with multiple proven, transdiagnostic cognitive and behavioral strategies that you can implement in your practice the very next day!

Key Takeaways:

• Client Buy-In Strategies: Learn a step-by-step process for explaining the model to clients in a way that elicits buy-in.
• Personalized Recovery Roadmaps: Develop roadmaps for each of your clients that will drive your treatment session by session.
• Immediate Clinical Tools: Acquire proven strategies and interventions that will empower your clients immediately.

Why this course?

• Master the Gold Standard: CBT is the “gold standard’ and these tools are a must-have for all clinicians' toolboxes.
• Practical Bridge to Practice: Bridge the gap between academia, research, and practical real-life application.
• Expert Instructor: Learn from a trainer who has written a best-selling book on the topic, trained clinicians worldwide, and has 20 years of CBT-based leadership and practice.

Learning Objectives:

• Compare 5 myths associated with CBT with actual theory and outcomes.
• Describe a step-by-step method of socialization to the cognitive model in a way that elicits client buy-in and decreases dropout rates.
• List the 3 levels of cognition addressed in CBT.
• Identify 18 early maladaptive schemas and explain their role in client information processing.
• Utilize 3 behavioral and 3 cognitive interventions common in CBT practice.

Enroll today to learn the foundational principles that inform this proven model, and leave equipped with practical strategies you can use in your practice immediately, regardless of setting or level of care.