100% Official Certified CBT Practitioner - IGCBT™ Certified

Course Objectives

We are starting with a summary of what you will learn in this course. There are four main benefits you will experience through the lessons and in the assessments. You will become a CBT expert during an enjoyable course.

The History of CBT

First we are diving into the history of CBT so you can understand the western context of the therapy. From the days of Freud to modern day combinations of approaches, we cover it all.

Combining CBT with Other Theories

CBT is a really effective therapy but it can be combined with other theories and techniques. We will explore this throughout the course. That way you can personalise your sessions to the needs of clients.

Uses

So why is CBT so popular and what is it even used for? There are lots of issues CBT can help clients overcome from relationship breakdowns to mental illness like OCD. The self-assessment element of the therapy is key to its success.

Types

As there are different types of therapy, there are different types of CBT. We will compare holistic therapy with rapid intervention therapy. It's important you have a good understanding of both because they each suit different clients.

Models of Life and the Mind

Models can help us understand life better which is helpful when things go wrong. Levels of change is one of those models that explains human needs. We can compare clients’ lives to this model to see if there is anything lacking.

How Levels of Experience Can be Used in Therapy

Now we are going to look at a new model. Levels of experience deals with how we interact with the world as individuals. This stage by stage process reduces human needs to its most basic form. We can’t experience the top level without nurturing the bottom level.

Why is Positive Selfishness Important?

We are not used to seeing selfishness in a positive light. But sometimes we need to for the wellbeing of ourselves and those around us. After all, how can we help others if we are struggling ourselves?

Positively Selfish People Maintain Balance

Being positively selfish can really change a client’s life. You will see in these real life examples that we can only experience happiness and share it with others if we are giving ourselves the attention we need.

Transactional Model and Dysfunctional Relationships

Unhealthy relationships are really bad for wellbeing. The worse we feel the more difficult relationships get. This cycle can be broken with the transactional model of people relating to each other. We all need to take an appropriate role in relationships.

Outcomes from Areas of Life

To be happy we need to experience good things. But this positivity can’t only come from one area of life. We need to get it from various places from social to physical to spiritual. Clients need to find balance.

Tackling Imbalances in Life

You will find that many of your clients are not balancing the areas of life. Often we put work before anything else including our family and ourselves. That can lead to all kinds of issues. Imbalances need to be dealt with.

Exercises to Balance Dissonance Between Surface and Driving Needs

We all have values but they don’t always help us. They can lead us to experience a conflict between what we think we should want and what we actually want. There are exercises that help settle this conflict.

How to Challenge Preconceived Ideas

We hold onto preconceived firmly but just by being aware of them and challenging them can help us choose our values. Imposed judgements can be helpful but they can also be harmful. Clients need to know how to tell the difference.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

We have a variety of needs. Some are required to survive and some make us happy. Abraham Maslow has organised them into a hierarchy so we can make sure each level is met before we attempt to move up the pyramid.

Defining Counselling

Counselling is a theory you can combine with CBT with effective results. There are some similarities between the two but counselling does bring new techniques that can enhance your sessions.

Preparing the Environment and Starting Sessions

As well as mastering the theory, you need to know how to run sessions effectively. It is your responsibility to create an environment that is comfortable for clients so they feel able to open up to you and make progress.

Formalities of the Helping Relationship

When you start counselling a client, you enter a helping relationship with them. You need to nurture this relationship in a helpful and appropriate way. There are a few things you need to do at the beginning to start the relationship off right.

Ending the Helping Relationship With Support 36

The helping relationship will eventually come to an end. You need to finish things off properly so clients leave your practice with a sense of closure and an ability to use the tools you have given them. A client coping themselves is a sign of success for you.

Empowering Clients With Their Own Support Systems

For clients to be able to leave counselling with the tools they need to cope, you need to help them build a support network. This consists of both people and activities that they can use when they are struggling to prevent things getting worse.

How and When to Refer Clients

Referrals are an inevitability. You do not have the expertise to help every client, not by yourself at least. This is a common technique used in an industry to get clients the help that will benefit them most so don’t be afraid to use it.

Basic Counselling Theory in Practice

Counselling will help you with certain elements of therapy just as the other theories have their own advantages. Counselling in particular is person-centred so it will help you gain useful information from clients during conversations.

How to Discuss Clients with your Supervisor

To be a good therapist, you need to be supervised by another practitioner. This will benefit both you and your clients as you work through any issues that could be damaging to the quality of your sessions.

How to Use Advanced Counselling Skills

Now we have tackled basic counselling skills, we can look at counselling at a more advanced level. There is so much to learn and knowledge about therapy is being constantly updated. You can learn new skills through extra reading or taking specific courses.

Maintaining and Ending the Helping Relationship

In counselling we are dealing with real people so not everything will go perfectly to plan. There are strategies you can use to have efficient sessions and bring the helping relationship to an end when necessary. Include the client in every decision you make.

Clinical Supervision For Self-Improvement

No matter how many qualifications or how much experience you have there will always be instances where you struggle with clients. This is why supervision is so important. It gives you a chance to discuss the best solution with a professional while maintaining confidentiality.

Working For a Company vs Independently

There are two main ways that you can practice as a therapist: independently or as part of an organisation. Both have benefits and downfalls so you need to weigh up your opinions and decide what works best for you.

Difference Between Basic and Advanced Skills

There’s a lot of terminology within the world of therapy. Things can get political especially when it comes to drawing the line between different theories and methods. These are the definitions you need to know.

Difference Between Basic Counselling Skills and Theories

We are expanding on our understanding of basic counselling skills by relating it to the different theories and development in western psychology. Basic counselling can be used in all approaches to some extent which is why it is so valuable to understand.

Categorising Basic Counselling Skills

The distinction between basic and advanced counselling skills isn’t super clear but in general the more you use a skill, the more expert you are at it. We can categorise these skills in different ways too.

Helping Skills - Contracting, Respect

There are lots of different helping skills we can use in therapy sessions depending on the client’s needs. We are going to look at the roles contracting and respect play in building the helping relationship.

Helping Skills - Concreteness, Immediacy

The next two helping skills you can use is concreteness and immediacy. These allow clients to define their feelings, making them easier to understand, and focus on the present, encouraging positive change now.

Helping Skills - Questioning, Empathy

Questioning and empathy are essential to conducting therapy. Clients are not always sure what information to share and when they do share information they need to feel like you understand where they are coming from.

Helping Skills - Focusing, Confronting, Unconditional Positive Regard

The skills focusing, confronting and unconditional positive regard are helpful in different ways. Counselling needs to have some kind of goal without being too rigid. Sometimes you need to challenge a client. Whatever happens clients should never feel judged or they will not be open with you.

Helping Skills - Reflection, Summarizing, Giving Feedback

Conversations are always a two way street. While the focus is on the client, your responses are key to clients untangling situations and finding ways to move on. The skills in this lesson help you to play your role.

Helping Skills - Asking for Feedback and Reframing

You need feedback too. If something isn’t working with a client, there is no point in continuing with it. Often perspective can change everything. In some situations, the skill of reframing can make a real difference to how clients cope.

Helping Skills - Final Components

These are the last few skills we are going to discuss. They each have their place in the process of therapy and you should have a good understanding of them so you can use them competently with clients.

What Is Development Psychology?

Developmental psychology can help us understand how clients respond to life events. Different experiences affect our mind in different ways. To understand the present, we need to understand the past.

What Factors Affect Development Models

There are lots of different approaches to developmental psychology. There are different opinions about how our mind is impacted by our experiences. It can be hard to come up with set rules considering all our experiences are so different.

Freud - The First Psychosexual stages of development

In this lesson, we are beginning to look at Freud’s theory of development. It is seen as quite controversial today but he had a big influence on the progress of psychology so it's important to understand his theories.

Freud - Phallic Stage

Some of Freud’s most famous ideas come from the phallic stage. He has the idea that as we start to take our gender role we develop an attraction to our opposite sex parent. His theories are based around a traditional family setting.

Freud - The Latency Stage

At any stage of Freud’s psychosexual development, negative experiences can stunt development. But it is believed certain trauma at certain stages can have an even more significant effect. This is no different for the latency stage.

Freud - The Genital Stage

The genital stage takes place in the teenage years which is often a difficult time for clients. Freud has various ideas about what can go wrong and why in this final stage.

Freud - Jung's Psychodynamic Theories

Jung takes quite a different approach to development. He looks at concepts like symbolism and group consciousness. He also has a theory of persona. All these things have an impact on who we are.

Piaget's Model of Development

As we are exploring developmental psychology, we are going to look at a few interpretations. One of these is the classic developmental psychology model that presents a theory of how children grow.

Erik Erikson Model of Positive Outcomes

Erik Erickson’s theory is the last piece in the puzzle of developmental psychology. He focuses more on what can go right than Freud who likes to highlight what can go wrong. Erickson’s model is based on the challenges we face as we grow.

End of Section Review

This is our summary lesson of section five. Before taking the assessment recap the different models we looked at when it comes to developmental psychology. Also consider how this could be applied in therapy sessions.

Key Concepts of Psychotherapy

By understanding the elements of the psychodynamic theory, we can understand how this is applied to psychoanalysis and the methods you could use in therapy. While developed a long time ago, it is still a useful approach.

Psychotherapy - Past experience and Transference

The psychodynamic approach does have a lot of focus on past experiences. This can be really helpful with understanding how a client has got to where they are today but it does have its limits. So does the other element we are discussing in this lesson - transference.

Psychotherapy - Dream Analysis

As well as using the past to understand today, dreams can be really insightful. Symbols and interpretations aren’t set. They really depend on the experiences of the client.

Psychotherapy - Talking Therapy Techniques

The basis of all therapy is talking. It's no different for the psychodynamic approach. It uses the methods of basic counselling as well as having its own stance on the role of the therapist.

Psychotherapy - What is Free Association?

The technique of free association is used to access the subconscious, something the psychodynamic approach is particularly interested in. Sometimes the subconscious has more to say than clients realise so accessing can really help progression.

Psychotherapy - The Process of Free Association

Actually using free association is not as simple as it is portrayed in the media. There are certain steps you need to take to use the technique effectively. Preparation is needed too.

Jung's model of personality and archetypes

Jung is also part of the psychodynamic approach. He came up with his own theories about personality and the unconscious. He came up with his own archetypes and symbols that are part of our collective consciousness.

Using Jung's Methods in Therapy

Jung is responsible for lots of different concepts including introverts and extraverts. His archetypes can explain the mid-life crisis. He also has a visualisation method that we will go through.

An Introduction to Humanism

In this section we are taking on a new approach, humanism. While it might not be as well known as other approaches, its principles can be seen across therapy applications.

Humanism vs Psychodynamic Therapy

There are some major differences that humanism has with other approaches in terms of theory and application. In this lesson we are comparing it to the psychodynamic approach.

Trying Different Approaches with clients who have had therapy before

We are learning about different approaches to therapy because different techniques work for different people. This is something you need to bear in mind particularly when you are working with people who have had therapy before.

Applying Humanism to CBT

To wrap up section seven we are combining humanism and CBT so you can understand how you would use the methods and technique in practice. Everything we learn links back to helping clients.

Different Ways to Apply CBT

While we have been looking at different types of therapy and psychological approaches, there are actually different types of CBT. They each have their own benefits and will suit a range of clients.

The Development of CBT

CBT has developed out of the history of psychology so we need to take the past into account when understanding what it is today. It can be used for a variety of different purposes.

What is REBT?

Lots of different people contributed to CBT. In this lesson we are going to look at Ellis’ contribution of REBT. This has its own model and focuses on the belief system.

REBT - Disrupting Belief Systems

Ellis’ ABC model expands to allow clients to take back control of their thoughts and following behaviour. Our ability to make conscious choices is really life changing.

REBT - Nonsense Annihilation

Irrational beliefs often need to be dealt with for clients to be able to move forward. Understanding how they have formed and why they aren’t helpful can help with this process.

What is CRT?

Beck’s contribution to CBT is CRT. He created his own triad and also takes into account the impact of irrational beliefs. His focus is more on the meanings we put on events which triggers a certain emotional response.

CRT - Goals and Tools

Uses the CRT principles, there are techniques you can try in sessions with clients that help them overcome irrational beliefs and have a more appropriate response to events.

What is Attributional Therapy?

The next type of CBT is attributional therapy. This helps clients to consciously consider meaning instead of automatically relying on belief systems that are often faulty. It gives clients tools to work with.

What is Stress Inoculations Therapy?

SIT is the final type of CBT. It introduces the client to new ways of thinking. This allows clients to reduce stress responses as they become comfortable with the different outcomes they could experience.

The Different Ego Defense Mechanisms

According to the psychodynamic theory, our ego has defence mechanisms it uses to protect us. We may not even realise these are happening as it is an automatic reaction.

Using humors as a defense mechanism

You need to be able to tell whether a defence mechanism is actually helping a client cope or if it is just suppressing their problems. A little humour is helpful but using it too much can prevent clients from processing trauma.

CBT - What are errors in thinking?

Often irrational thinking is brought up in therapy. This is because a lot of difficulties can be improved by changing how clients interpret the world around them. They might have got into unhelpful thinking patterns because it made sense before but it is no longer relevant.

CBT - More Errors in Thinking

Errors in thinking aren’t beneficial for clients or the people interacting with them. It always puts their experience in a negative light and negativity is hard to live with.

CBT - Dealing With Errors in Thinking

There are various ways you can help clients overcome errors in thinking. You could take a behavioural, relaxation or cognitive approach. Make it work for individual clients.

CBT - Example Exercises

So you understand how to apply the information you have just learnt, we are going through three example exercises.They are all designed to help clients challenge their errors in thinking.

Thought Forms for Challenging Errors in Thinking

We are continuing to look at errors in thinking and how they can be improved. This time we are exploring thought forms and the positive impact they can have on the wellbeing of clients.

Considerations When Using Thought Forms

Errors in thinking can be challenged by finding contradictory evidence through experiments. Assumptions and negative predictions can be disproven fairly easily this way.

Using Surveys in CBT

Surveys are the kind of experiments that will provide evidence for creating accurate perceptions. They do need to be conducted in a certain way though so they don’t cause more problems than they solve.

Taking Back Control with Awareness Exercises

A lot of the things that clients do that are unhealthy happen automatically. They aren’t even questioned. Making conscious decisions is really important and awareness exercises can help with this.

Awareness Exercise Examples

To wrap up section ten, we are going step by step through an awareness exercise so you are prepared to do it with clients. It is a process you’ll need to practice to get used to but it is effective.

Using FEAR For Dealing With Phobias

We are walking step by step through the FEAR technique. The more methods you can use, the more likely you will find one that works for each client. Therapy needs to be personal to be effective.

The Physical Symptoms of Fear

Fear is more than just an emotion. We feel it throughout our body but this can just make things worse. There is a biological reason behind the physical response though.

Identifying Negative Core Beliefs

The beliefs clients hold particularly about themselves can be really damaging but its not as easy as just not believing them anymore. Sometimes working out where they came from can be the key to overcoming them.

Challenging Negative Beliefs And Creating Positive Ones

Clearly core beliefs are important. This means when clients are replacing negative ones, they need to craft the new ones carefully. There is no point in replacing damaging beliefs with beliefs that are damaging in a different way.

The Value of Failure and Comparisons

The best way to convince someone of something is to use evidence. Zigzagging is an opportunity to consider their beliefs with evidence. Feedback is important for moving through therapy effectively. Clients should be comfortable with telling you when something isn’t working.

Using journals for Reinforcement

Journaling is often recommended in therapy. This is for a good reason. It allows clients to express themselves and work through problems by collecting evidence about reality.

Positive Checklist for Clients

Giving clients handouts allows you to remind them of helpful tips you have discussed in sessions. Change can be much easier in the therapist’s office than in the outer world.

How is Coaching Used in CBT?

Goal setting is one of those elements that makes CBT so effective. If clients have something to work towards, they can see they are improving and it is worth putting the effort in.

End of Section Review

We learnt a lot of new techniques in this section. They each have a different benefit and will work for different clients so make sure you have a good grip on all of them. Feelings are not always easy to work through but it can be done.

How to Create Valid Goals

The goal that clients set really matters. It has the opportunity to push them forward but if it is unrealistic it will just set them back. When they do achieve it, they’ll lose motivation to improve at all.

Outcome - Effective Goal Setting Stage 1

When a client picks a goal, you need to take the time to analyse it together. Check their intentions for achieving the goal and see if any improvements can be made using the SWOT technique.

Acuity - Stages of Effective Goal Setting Stage 2

Now improvement doesn’t happen overnight, especially not in therapy. You need to monitor the progress of clients so you can help them overcome any obstacles and keep them motivated until the end.

Flexibility - Stages of Effective Goal Setting Stage 3

Life is completely unpredictable so any goals set need to be adaptable. You might even find that clients change while working towards their goal and what they want to achieve changes too.

Example of How to Begin Goal Setting

Now you know the steps involved in goal setting, let’s go through the process of doing it with clients. Guide them in the right direction but don’t dictate what their goal is.

Positive Thinking As an Advanced Coaching Skill

The coaching approach to therapy gives you even more options for great methods to use with clients. We are first looking at positive thinking which sounds simple but is really effective.

Using Positive Thinking Appropriately

Positive thinking is a lovely idea but it can be really hard to put into practice. There are some obstacles your clients might face in the process that you can help them overcome.

Solving Conflict Between the Client and Commissioner Perception

Coaching uses the term commissioner to describe someone the client is having issues with outside of therapy. The commissioner can really stunt progress if they are not supportive of the client getting help.

How to Implement Positive Thinking in Stages

Thinking more positively is a process and clients need to go through some steps to achieve it. Negative thoughts can’t just be banished. They need to be dealt with effectively.

Positive Self-Talk - Internal Dialogue

How clients talk about themselves is really important. It can push them forward or hold them back. Clients need to find a balance between being realistic and being kind.

Positive Self-Talk - Considering Goals

Goals are a significant part of CBT but if clients don’t believe they can achieve their set goal, they will struggle to. This is where positive self talk is needed to keep them going.

What is the Problem-Solving Attitude?

It's pretty much inevitable your clients will come to you with problems so you need to be ready to work through issues with clients. Help them find the best solution for them.

Subtle Negative Self Talk - Wishing Instead of Doing

Negative self-talk can take lots of different forms. Some are less obvious than others but they all need to be challenged for clients to feel empowered. There are much better alternatives they could be saying to themselves.

Asking Powerful Questions Using Your Intuition

Questioning clients is a significant part of your role as a therapist. There is a certain way to go about it so you aren’t imposing anything on clients or making them feel judged.

Advice for Breaking Negative States

Therapy shouldn’t just help clients when they are in the room with you. It should allow them to cope better in their daily lives. There is some good advice you can give clients to improve how they are dealing with the chaos of life.

How the Mind and Body Influences Emotional States

Therapy shouldn’t just help clients when they are in the room with you. It should allow them to cope better in their daily lives. There is some good advice you can give clients to improve how they are dealing with the chaos of life.

Helping Clients who are Struggling to Make Changes

It is your job to help your clients but you can’t do everything for them. They need to take some action too. Otherwise any progress made will disappear at the end of therapy.

Handling Interferences

There are various ways that clients can swerve off the track of progress. It is inevitable now and again. But you can prepare for this so you know how to get your clients moving forward again.

Life Coaching - The Seven Step Model

Life coaching is fairly popular outside of the professional community and you can find all sorts of books on it. What is done in sessions is more personal than a self-help book could ever provide though. General advice can only help so much.

The Impact of Self-Image and How We Dress

We often express our self-image through the way we dress. It may seem menial but it is actually a really important part of clients feeling good about themselves. Encourage them to experiment with their appearance to find what feels right.

The Coaching Concept of Simplicity

When we get stressed, we can make things more complicated than they need to be. Sometimes clients taking a step back and working through things logically is all the need to do to figure problems out.

Types of Negative Mindsets pt1

The next coaching concept we are going to look at is mindsets, particularly the negative mindsets you might find your clients stuck in. There are various different types you should be aware of.

Types of Negative Mindsets pt2

There are some more negative mindsets clients could experience through the expression of their negative core beliefs. These ways of thinking aren't helpful for anyone involved.

Encouraging Positive Mindsets pt1

Your clients can’t live happily with negative mindsets. You need to help them adjust their way of thinking so it is more realistic and positive. They will feel better for it.

Encouraging Positive Mindsets pt2

The key point is to question clients so they can themselves come to the conclusion that their mindset isn’t helpful and needs adjusting. Just telling them that won’t make much difference.

Encouraging Positive Mindsets pt3

Negative mindsets usually mean that clients react automatically to situations instead of looking at the evidence and consciously deciding how to react. Learnt behaviour isn’t always the best reaction.

Other Mindsets You Can Recommend to Clients pt1

Clients can’t expect to get it right all the time. There are some other mindsets they could adopt that will help them be kinder to themselves and deal with challenging life events.

Other Mindsets You Can Recommend to Clients pt2

Healthy mindsets allow clients to see the world realistically and fairly so it is easier to cope with. There are some more useful mindsets to discuss. Having a range means you can find the right ones for each client.

How to Appropriately use Referrals and Assess Seriousness

When you take on a client you need to be confident that you can help them. If not, it is not ethical for you to have sessions with them. Clients deserve to be working with someone who can meet their needs and there is no shame in that not being you.

Checklist for Appropriate Assistance pt1

There are certain things you need to consider before committing to work with a client. This will help you to understand them if you do take them on and will highlight if they need an alternative or extra assistance.

Checklist for Appropriate Assistance pt2

You need to decide if you specifically are the right therapist for a client. No matter how objective each therapist tries to be, they are human and there are certain situations it's best they don’t work in.

Checklist for Appropriate Assistance pt3

You need to decide if you specifically are the right therapist for a client. No matter how objective each therapist tries to be, they are human and there are certain situations it's best they don’t work in.

How to Refer Clients to Other Practitioners

The client’s expectations are really important too. They need to fully understand what you can and can’t do. It's no good starting off a helping relationship with a client feeling misled.

How to Approach Heart-Sick and Professional Clients

Conducting therapy can involve sensitive situations so you always need to act appropriately. There are some guidelines you can follow to protect yourself and your clients.

Advice for Working Well with Other Practitioners

There are some issues you need to watch out for when working with other practitioners. You need to stay professional and do the best you can for each client. These working relationships can be beneficial too.

Advice for Working Well with Medical Doctors

Medical doctors are the practitioners that you will work with most of the time. This is why we are doing a whole lesson on how to cooperate with them and get the best for your clients.

How to Build a Network Resource List and Use Screening Forms

Another way you can prepare yourself for working with other professionals is to create a list of contacts who you can refer clients to. This means as soon as you see a need for referral, you have an idea of who to take in touch with.

Types of Checklists and Assessments

Forms are a key point of therapy. They are a good way to get important information quickly and help with the monitoring process. There are various types of forms you might use.

Applying CBT to Anxiety and Depression

In cases of mental illness like anxiety and depression you can take the role of a complementary therapist but it is important you are also working with a medical professional.

Five Questions for Understanding Problems

Even if two clients have the same problem like depression, it can manifest very differently in each of them. So you need to ask questions to find out details about each clients’ specific experience.

Five Questions Confidence Case Study

Confidence is a fairly common issue brought up in therapy so let’s go through how you would question a client looking to improve their confidence. You need to get a good idea of the issues clients are experiencing.

Identifying Patterns in the Confidence Case Study

Information gathering shouldn’t end after the initial questioning. You should consider all conversations with clients and connect information together to find patterns along the way.

How to Plan Therapy pt1

You should have some kind of plan for the sessions you have with clients. It can change as you learn more about them but your sessions need to have a direction for them to be useful.

How to Plan Therapy pt2

Each client’s therapy journey is different. The number of sessions they need, the techniques they find helpful and the way they overcome problems is completely personal.

Self Esteem and Self Image in Relation to Confidence

You need to understand the difference between confidence and self-esteem. They are both common issues brought up in therapy but they do have distinct differences.

Challenging Negative Self-Image

It can be hard to change a negative self-image. It is based on their beliefs and you may face defence mechanisms when trying to introduce positivity.

Reviewing the Benefits of Eclectic Therapy

You don’t have to just stick to CBT methods. You can bring in concepts from other methods too. Don’t restrict yourself because the more options you have, the more likely it is you will find a technique that works for a client.

Introducing Deep Emotional Issues

The level of difficulty your client could be facing varies and could mean other methods of support are prioritised. If you are concerned a client is experiencing a mental health issue, always refer them to a doctor.

The Debate Between a Client's Right and Following Doctor's Advice

You need to accept that you cannot take on every client. If you do not have the skill set required or have been asked by a medical professional to end sessions, you need to step back and make sure the client is getting the help they need. You can sometimes help clients with more complex needs though.

Common Conditions Clients Can Experience

You will be asked as a therapist to help with all sorts of things. Some of the issues might be physical. The mental and physical are connected so improving a client’s mental wellbeing can improve their physical wellbeing too.

Understanding PTSD

PTSD affects a lot of different people in a lot of different ways so it should be a condition you are familiar with. There isn’t one set treatment but some methods that have been found to help with symptoms.

Understanding Clinical Depression

Depression in another common condition you will most likely be asked to help with as a therapist. You should have a holistic approach to improving how clients handle their form of depression.

Understanding Anxiety Related Conditions

CBT is great for helping with anxiety. So is NLP and coaching as well as other methods of relaxation. There is also a process you can take clients through to desensitise them to phobia triggers.

Appropriate Expectations, Adverts and Referrals

Advertising should always be accurate but this is even more important for therapy services. Dishonesty can lead to a distrust of therapists as a whole which can put clients off getting the help they need. If you are asked to do something you are not qualified for, refer clients on.

Encouraging Medical Advice During Alternative Therapy

It's really important your clients are in contact with their doctor even if they have had bad experiences before. Medical doctors ensure what you are doing is safe and can help clients in various other ways.

Learning to Manage Severe Depression

More people than you might release have depression so we are going to explore the condition in more detail. It can take different forms and as a serious mental health issue your therapy is complementary to medical monitoring.

Self-Referrals and Private Clients

The support those with serious mental health issues need is challenging to provide by governmental organisations which is why many turn to private professionals. You need to be confident that you can help clients. You don’t have to take on clients with serious mental health issues if you don’t feel comfortable with it.

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Those who suffer with SAD can really struggle during the winter months but therapy can provide them with coping techniques that makes this time easier. There is a clear scientific explanation for this condition.

Methods for Coping with SAD

We can use the science behind SAD to come up with coping techniques. These methods can be used every year to keep the symptoms at bay as much as possible during the winter.

Using Goal-Setting with SAD

The main symptom of SAD is the lowered mood so this should be a focus in your sessions with sufferers. A lowered mood can reduce the ability to function drastically so it's really important sufferers have systems in place to help them.

What is Clinical Depression?

Clinical depression unfortunately is usually a condition clients learn to cope with instead of overcome. It is complex and manifest in a variety of different ways. You need to make sure clients aren’t pushed to their limit but encouraged to do things differently.

Using Self-Assessments with Clinical Depression

The moods of those with depression can change quickly so clients being able to self-assess is really useful. It means they can work out how to deal with how they are feeling and intervene by themselves.

Using An Early Warning System to Manage Clinical Depression

The sooner clients can tell that their condition is getting worse, the easier it is to prevent a downward spiral. Positive action can be taken before the situation gets even worse, helping clients to cope better.

Journals as a Management Tool

Journaling is a great tool to use with clients because it provides lots of useful insights. Spotting behavioural patterns allows specific triggers to be dealt with and having a space to vent is always helpful.

Understanding Major Depressive Disorder

This type of depression is really serious but you can help alongside medical professionals. You can provide clients with tools to manage their symptoms and be aware of their condition getting worse.

What is Adjustment Disorder?

Change can trigger serious decline in mental wellbeing for some people. Clients can learn to manage their symptoms better though so they can maintain a good quality of life.

Understanding NEAD

NEAD is a condition you might not have expected to come up on this course but it is something you can help clients with. It is thought to have a psychological element but there are some gaps in our understanding of the condition.

Schizophrenia, bipolar and BPD

Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder do have some similarities but you do need to understand the differences between them so you can ensure clients are getting the right help.

The Issue of Self-Medication Within Bipolar Disorder

Self-medication is common among those who are struggling mentally and especially with bipolar sufferers. It is something you should look out for so you can replace bad coping mechanisms with more effective ones.

Introduction to Using CBT with Couples and Groups

There are different types of group therapy you might want to practice. Whether you work with groups or not, your individual clients will be affected by their relationship with others.

Support Groups - Managing Discussions

Support groups are a great way to bring people struggling in similar ways together to help each other and learn about how they can handle their condition better. It's quite different to running individual sessions but can be very effective.

Support Groups - Activities pt1

Support sessions tend to be more structured and give clients a chance to explore a certain topic within the focus of the group. Learning, tasks and sharing experiences are all valuable activities.

Support Groups - Activities pt2

You need to get the balance right between giving clients the information they need to improve and letting them express themselves. If sessions are too formal, they won’t feel as comfortable sharing with the group.

Support Groups - Health and Safety

Health and safety is a part of practicing. These procedures are in place to protect you and your clients. You don’t want your good intentions to actually be harmful to the group.

Couple and Family Work - Appropriate Practice

Couple and family therapy is important. It can heal relationships but it does have its own set of challenges you won’t find in support groups. You need to be aware of your own attitudes and biases before taking on clients.

Couple and Family Work - Handling Sexual Issues

Sex is a sensitive topic and it can really influence clients. It is more likely to come up when working with clients so prepare yourself to deal with it appropriately. You are the therapist so you are responsible for creating a safe space.

Couple and Family Work - Examples of Forms

Forms are great for displaying all the information clients are giving you in an easy to understand way. This is even more useful when working with couples. You can work through problems in a structured way.

Couple and Family Work - Practicalities of Groups

When working with groups, you might want to have individual sessions and sessions when everyone is there. That can make the process complicated so ensure you are clear about the procedures and confidentiality of sessions.

Managing Fair Group Discussions

The more people involved in a session, the more challenging it can be to stay in control. Everyone is allowed to say their piece but it needs to be done respectfully. Clients descending into arguments is not helpful.

Self-Assessment for Conflict Resolution

Self-assessment is a key part of CBT and it is just as helpful with couples and groups. Seeing how perceptions of each other change is a good indicator of relationships becoming more healthy.

Self-Assessment for Escalation Analysis

Arguments are usually a big part of why couples go to therapy. Breaking down arguments and seeing how they build up can be really insightful and show that both parties can act differently to keep the peace.

Therapy Contract for Couples and Groups

Sometimes relationships breakdown but you can help couples overcome problems. This can only be done if a safe space is created. There should be some boundaries put in place concerning how participants treat each other in therapy.

Introduction to Relaxation Techniques

Stress is really mentally draining. Relaxation techniques are a useful thing to teach your clients but only if you do it safely. When done right, these techniques can be really beneficial.

Understanding Relaxation

There is science behind relaxation and what we can do to bring ourselves to a state that rests our mind and body. You can take clients out of the flight or fight state into a much more calming state.

Maintaining Safety When Using Relaxation Techniques

Relaxation techniques are useful but you need to be aware of the problems surrounding them. One of these problems is the myths about using the techniques that might put clients off.

How to Relax

Relaxation is a state we can reach if we go about it in the right way. There are certain methods that calm the mind and body that you can teach clients for use outside of sessions.

Teaching Relaxation Techniques

The methods you are teaching clients cannot be picked up straight away. They need practice and a lot of guidance from you at the beginning. Once the techniques are mastered, they are a tool clients can use throughout their lives.

Guiding Clients Through Relaxation Exercises

Teaching relaxation techniques is something you should practice. You need to stay calm and explain yourself clearly even if a client seems to be struggling. They will get it eventually.

How Clients Can Use Relaxation at Home

Prep clients for how they can use relaxation at home. Without your supervision, clients need to take their own safety measures. A handout is a good way to share this information.

Using Visualization for Different Purposes

Relaxation should take clients out of the stressful situation there are in, give them a positive boost and dissipate the physical tension they are holding. This means when they finish, they will feel better.

How to Use Basic Self-Hypnosis

Self-hypnosis is a technique clients might want to explore. You can only take them to a certain level unless you have specific expertise but many people find basic self-hypnosis to be enough.

Visualization Examples

Now you know the theory behind visualisation, here are some examples of relaxation techniques you can walk clients through. Remember if they do anything at home, they need to follow safety procedures.

Introducing NLP

As we have just looked at relaxation, it's time to explore Neuro Linguistic Programming. It deals with the altered state that we discussed in relaxation. There are different levels of this trance state.

The Development of NLP

The NLP method has a history of being used in other therapies. It is widely applicable because its founding professionals wanted the techniques to be easy to use for everyone.

Resource Anchoring - Reinforcing the Positive Trigger

This method uses the principles of trauma to help clients create positive memories in difficult situations. Through relaxation and visualisation phobias and other fear-inducing situations can be overcome.

Resource Anchoring - Using the Positive Trigger

Triggers are usually seen as a bad thing but how they work can be used to encourage positive emotions with enough reinforcement. It's then a technique clients can use outside therapy.

Resource Anchoring - Example Exercise

Now we know how resource anchoring works, we are going to look at how to teach clients to use it. This is a process that needs reinforcement so handouts with all the steps are useful.

Swishing - The Process

Swishing - Example Exercise

It takes some training to get the swishing technique to work but it is really effective when it does. Here are the steps you should take clients through for a swish exercise.

Understanding Positive and Negative Levels of Emotions

Emotions can be complicated and overwhelming. As a therapist, you need to help clients work through these emotions so they experience more of the good emotions than the bad emotions.

Adapting Forms and Checklists

Form and checklists have been mentioned throughout this course because they are helpful in so many ways. However, there are some things you need to consider when using them in practice.

Night and Morning Affirmations & Time Management Planner

The two forms in this lesson show the range of uses of handouts. They can be used to encourage positive thinking and to help clients with organisation so they don’t feel overwhelmed.

Dominant, Passive and Supportive Relationships

We are all impacted by the people in our lives whether they’re a work colleague or partner. These people can have a negative effect on clients that they need to deal with in therapy.

Improving Self-Perception - Self-Awareness and Self-Acceptance

We know that how clients see themselves is really important to their mental wellbeing. Often it is something you will need to work on in sessions so here is one exercise you can use.

Improving Self-Perception - Self-Actualization and Self-Disclosure

It takes a few steps for clients to see themselves as they truly are and feel like they are living as their genuine self but it is a point that can be reached with this exercise.

Example Form for Self-Awareness

Clients can find it hard to describe who they really are so you might need to spend some time exploring it. Here is a form that can help them discover the answers. It will reveal a lot to clients.

Example Essential Energy Form

There are physical things clients can do to help their mental health. You can use this form to discuss these with clients and encourage them to look after themselves. They need energy to heal.

Using CBT with Stress and Anger

Stress and anger are common issues that you will help clients with in therapy so we are going to explore them in more detail. We are starting with exploring what they actually are.

How Stress is a Serious Issue

Stress can be helpful. It's a signal that something is wrong. But it can be really damaging to individuals and wider society so we need to learn to deal with it better.

Measures for Tackling Stress

There are techniques you can teach clients so they can deal with destructive stress. It can be really debilitating so clients often need help to overcome it.

Understanding Positive and Negative Stress

It's useful to understand the difference between positive and negative stress. Then you can show clients the difference too. Changing their perception of stress can help them to deal with it better.

Assertiveness Level Test

There are lots of different factors that determine how people deal with stress but becoming more assertive can make dealing with life problems easier. Here a checklist for assertiveness.

Analyzing Skills Checklist

Clients often focus on what they can’t do, not what they can which only enforces negative feelings. By pointing out the skills clients have they have something to feel good about.

Healthy Lifestyle as a Management Technique

How we live our lives does have an impact on our wellbeing. Our choices can worsen or decrease issues. Clients might not even realise their behaviour is destructive but that is something you can talk about.

Stress Checklist - Controlling Stress

Stress is a part of life. It's not something we can get rid of but it is something we can learn to deal with better. Clients can prepare their response to stress so it doesn’t debilitate them.

Stress Checklist - Do's and Don'ts

Emotions are personal but there are some rules that clients can follow to reduce stress. There are things that are pretty much guaranteed to make them feel better or worse.

Stress Checklist - Balanced Lifestyle

We are never really taught what a healthy lifestyle is but that is something you can do with clients. This checklist might seem like small things but they do make a difference.

Stress Checklist - Benefits of Laughter

Laughter is actually a powerful tool. This checklist shows clients how they can use that tool to their advantage and even though it seems silly, laugh a little to make themselves feel better.

Stress Checklist - Importance of Thoughts

Our thoughts aren’t always helpful. At times they can feel like the enemy. So talking to clients about how to handle thoughts is really valuable and something you can do through a checklist.

CBT Assessment Form for Stress

Self-assessments will show you and clients just how bad their experience of stress is. When you know what you are working with, you can start to take the right steps towards improvement.

Understanding Anger

When dealing with anger, it's important to understand the underlying issues a client is experiencing. The anger can’t be overcome if the underlying issues are still present.

Dealing with Anger Triggers

If clients know what triggers their anger, they can prepare themselves to deal with it better. There are common anger triggers but it does depend on individual clients.

Preparing to Practice - Therapy Premises

One of the first practicalities you need to decide on is where you are going to have therapy sessions. You do have some options but each need preparation and organisation.

Preparing the Environment for Clients

Wherever you decide to work, you need to create a safe space for clients. The surroundings should be neutral and comfortable. Don’t forget about health and safety either.

Conducting a Session

You need to get each client off to a good start. This involves collecting certain information and getting the client’s informed consent to go forward with therapy. Expectations should be accurate.

Regulations around Advertising

There is a business side to working as a therapist. You need to be extremely careful about how you present yourself to potential clients. False promises are not just bad. They can be really damaging.

Opportunities for Advertising pt 1

There are various places where you can advertise your services. Consider where your target clients will be looking for therapists and focus your efforts there. Advertising can get costly so you want to make it efficient.

Opportunities for Advertising pt 2

Spread the word of your practice however you can. At the beginning it might seem challenging but as you build your reputation, you should find clients come to you.

Registration Bodies and Insurance

As a therapist you need to be part of a registering body and have insurance. While things can get a bit political, what’s most important is you find what works for you.

Practicing Appropriately and Ethically

Sensitive topics come with the territory of therapy. For the wellbeing of clients you need to understand the rules around confidentiality and ethics so you are always acting in their best interests.

Final Thoughts and Advice

Your learning doesn’t have to end here. As you experience what it is like to work as a therapist, you can find more educational opportunities to aid in your professional development.

Introduction

Ok so to kick things off lets take a look at the cause and effect equation. And if you have taken any of my training's either online or in person before now then you will know that I firmly believe that this is one of the most important concepts you could learn. .

The NLP 5 Principals for success : 1. NLP Know your outcome

Ok so on to part one: Know your outcome. This is without doubt the most important part of achieving absolutley anything at all. And its such a simple concept that its amazing how few people really KNOW what it is that they want in life.And of course you cannot realistically hope to achieve anything if you dont know what it is you hope to achieve

The NLP 5 Principals for success :2. Take Action

Ok. The fact is this, if you want massive results in your life. You are going to need to take what ? massive action.  and that action needs to be in alignment with your goal.  If what you are doing, does not support you achieving your goal, you need to stop doing it and put that energy into something that will, and it really is as simple as that. 

The NLP 5 Principals for success : 4. Have Behavioral flexibility

in this part we are going to be looking at concept of flexible behavior, or having behavioral flexibility. And if you are one of those people, that gets really stuck in, and goes for it when you start a new goal, then you might want to pay special attention to this one  - because the fact is that we as human beings are creatures of habit and  naturally or the most part are not comfortable with change

The NLP 5 Principals for success : 5. Operate from a Physiology and a Psychology Of Excellence

To become the type of person you want to be, and to achieve the sorts of things you are wanting to achieve You are going to need to become that person ,because it is that type of person that gets what it is you want. Make sense?

The NLP 5 Principals for success : 3. Have Sensory Acuity

 Imagine, if you had a machine that you could carry around with you that told you whether things were going to plan? Imagine if you could use that machine to make small corrections to your path so that you avoided obstacles and  maintained a steady progress to your ideal life. How good would that be? 

Certification

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