Schema-Based CBT for Treating Challenging Cases

Description

This course is a live, interactive webinar held on October 2, 2026, from 11am-6pm Eastern Daylight Time.

Registration closes at midnight (EDT) the day before the event

When standard CBT tools manage symptoms, but your clients keep circling back to the same patterns, it may be time to work at the schema level. This training equips you to move beyond surface-level symptom reduction and address the deeper meaning structures that drive relapse, resistance, and chronic distress.

If you’re ready to help clients get to the “root” of their problems—so they don’t have to keep coming back over and over again—this training offers an integrated, schema-based CBT framework that blends evidence-based precision with deeper, lasting change.

Jeff Riggenbach, Ph.D., trained at The Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research as well as the Midwest Schema Therapy Institute, specifically to develop a schema-informed CBT approach for treating difficult-to-treat clients. Over the past 20 years, he has directed clinical programs for personality disorders and trained practitioners in all 50 U.S. states and nine countries on advanced cognitive-behavioral methods. His expertise in thinking and personality styles directly informs this course’s focus on maladaptive schemas, schema maintenance processes, and therapeutic relationship dynamics.

Through didactic teaching, case studies, humor, and practical demonstrations, Dr. Riggenbach translates cutting-edge CBT-based literature into tools clinicians can use immediately “in the trenches.” Participants will learn to flexibly integrate “top down” and “bottom up” strategies, apply process-based observations within the therapeutic relationship, and implement schema reconstruction interventions in both individual and group formats.

This course explores the integrated model of schema-based CBT and its relationship to ACT, DBT, Schema Therapy, and other offshoot models. Participants will identify 18 maladaptive schemas and understand how they drive presenting problems, examine the three stages of schema change, and analyze the three processes that reinforce schema maintenance and coping styles. The training also demonstrates behavioral pattern-breaking strategies, schema-based journaling, data logs, experiential exercises, schema mode work, and two schema reconstruction processes—one psychoeducational and one Socratic in nature—to help clients disrupt entrenched cycles and achieve durable change.

Key Takeaways:

• Integrated Model Clarity: Analyze how ACT, DBT, Schema Therapy, and related CBT offshoots connect within a unified schema-based framework for complex cases.
• Schema-Level Intervention Skills: Identify 18 maladaptive schemas, understand the three stages of schema change, and address the processes that reinforce maintenance and coping styles.
• Advanced Treatment Strategies: Apply “top down” and “bottom up” interventions and use the therapeutic relationship to promote deeper, relapse-resistant recovery.

Why This Course?

• Depth Beyond Standard CBT: Go beyond symptom management to target lifelong patterns that drive chronic and resistant presentations.
• Expert-Led, Research-Grounded Training: Learn from a clinician trained at The Beck Institute and the Midwest Schema Therapy Institute who has taught this model nationally and internationally.
• Immediately Applicable Tools: Gain practical interventions—from schema reconstruction to experiential techniques—that can be implemented right away in both individual and group settings.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze the relationship between ACT, DBT, Schema Therapy, and other “offshoot” Models.
• List 18 maladaptive schemas and the role they play in driving presenting problems.
• List the 3 Stages of Schema Change.
• Describe the 3 processes reinforcing underlying schema maintenance and coping styles.
• Make use of the therapeutic relationship with process-based observations to promote recovery.
• Describe 3 “top down” and 3 “bottom up” strategies for treating challenging cases.

Challenging cases do not have to remain stuck in repetitive cycles of symptom flare-ups and partial improvement. With a schema-based CBT approach that targets underlying meaning structures while preserving empirically supported techniques, you can help clients not only get better—but stay well. This course offers a focused opportunity to deepen your clinical impact and expand your treatment repertoire in ways that endure.

Format and Access

This course is a live, interactive webinar.

Course Details

Schedule: (listed in Eastern Daylight Time)

• 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Lecture
• 12:00 pm - 12:05 pm Q&A
• 12:05 pm - 12:15 pm Break
• 12:15 pm - 1:15 pm Lecture
• 1:15 pm - 1:20 pm Q&A
• 1:20 pm - 1:50 pm Lunch
• 1:50 pm - 2:55 pm Lecture
• 2:55 pm - 3:05 pm Q&A
• 3:05 pm - 3:15 pm Break
• 3:15 pm - 4:20 pm Lecture
• 4:20 pm - 4:30 pm Q&A
• 4:30 pm - 4:40 pm Break
• 4:40 pm - 5:50 pm Lecture
• 5:50 pm - 6:00 pm Q&A

How to Attend: 

Course access and completion instructions.

Who Should Attend:

This course is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.

Teaching Methods: 

This is a live, interactive webinar. Enrollment includes access to live event(s) but does not include recordings of the presentations.

Instructor and Disclosures

Instructor

About Jeff Riggenbach, Ph.D.

Jeff Riggenbach, PhD, is a best-selling and award-winning author/speaker/clinician who has trained audiences in all 50 United States, Canada, Mexico, The UK, Ireland, Malta, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. He has devoted the past 25 years to developing advanced expertise in cognition and personality. He personally trained at The Beck Institute of Cognitive Therapy and Research to develop his hospital's Borderline Personality Disorder Treatment Program, which has not treated over 500 patients with BPD across multiple levels of care. He has since developed and directed cognitive-behavioral based programs for Depression, Anxiety Disorders, and Addictive Behavior Disorders. Jeff's approach of taking evidence-based treatments and presenting them in ways that can be used by everyday clinicians "in the trenches" has earned him the nickname "The Practical Toolbox Guy," and his trainings often receive the highest marks from conference participants.

Disclosure Statement: 

The instructor(s) for this course receive compensation for their services. There are no reported conflicts of interest to disclose.

CE Hours

Credit Hours:

This course consists of 6 continuing education hours of credit.

Counselors:

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No, 6693.  Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Mental Health Counselors. #MHC-0048.

Marriage and Family Therapists:

Many MFT licensing boards accept our courses or one of the approvals which we have from professional associations.  You can check with your board to determine if your licensing board would accept this course.

Social Workers:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, #1609, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 05/02/2024 – 05/02/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 6 clinical continuing education credits.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Social Workers #SW-0435.

Addiction Professionals:
 

This course has been approved by Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #193104, Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is responsible for all aspects of the programming.

Psychologists:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Psychologists #PSY-0128.

Art Therapists:

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Creative Arts Therapists #CAT-0093.

Other Professionals:

This course qualifies for 360 minutes of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations.  Retain your certificate of completion and contact your board or organization for specific filing requirements.

This course is an-interactive, live online webinar.

Participants may request a printed version of their certificate of completion to be delivered by mail. A shipping/handling fee of $6.95 will be charged per request. Shipping internationally may require an additional charge.

Agreement

By registering for this event you are agreeing to the following:

• 24 hour notice is required if you are not able to make it to a live event. Recordings are not provided to webinar registrants.
• To update and test using Zoom.us/test before the event to ensure you are ready for the event.
• Since this is a live interactive event it means that your interaction during the event is expected.  Your name and image will be visible to other participants during the live event. You will NOT be included in any recording made.
• An evaluation must be completed within one week of the event. Continuing Education credit(s) cannot be issued unless you attend the event and the evaluation is submitted.  (Evaluation is not mandatory for APA hours)
• Partial CE credits are not possible; therefore you are required to be present throughout the event in order to receive CE credits.
• Respect all other participants during the event as though you would if you were sitting with the other attendees at a conference table:
  • Dress appropriately
  • Be in a private location void of distractions
  • Do not multitask
  • Do not drive during an event
  • Remain on mute unless you are sharing with the group

Accommodations and Policies

Close Captioning is available for live webinars and recorded video presentations.

You can click on the following links to view our policies:

• Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities.
• Cancellation Policy
• Grievance Policy
• Support Options
• Disclosure Statement