CBT Training
for Therapists
Consulting - Workshops - Custom Trainings
Learn to love CBT
My goal is to teach therapists to love CBT.
My hope is that all therapists learn the rich history and theory that drives this therapy, and they understand its usefulness and art. I'd love to help you or your organization learn to love CBT.
Clinicians know CBT is considered the gold standard among insurance companies and licensing boards. Still, many clinicians are not big fans of CBT. And "not big fans" may be putting it nicely.
I hear therapists say that CBT is:
Too formulaic
Too structured
Too quick
Not interesting or fun
Only about skill-building
Completely focused on the present
Superficial
Boring
CBT Consults & Trainings for Therapists
CBT’s got a bad rep. I’m here to challenge that.
I get it. The way CBT is presented often shows it as a very brief and very skills-focused type of therapy.
I have been to too many trainings where the focus is on worksheets and strategies, and the presenter misses the deep, meaningful core of the practice. CBT, in its true form, seeks to understand how a person sees themselves, others, and the world. CBT is based on the idea that the beliefs we have about ourselves, which form during childhood, interfere with and impact our current lives. Our core beliefs manifest through our thoughts, memories, and even images we see in our mind's eye. These core beliefs drive everything, and there is nothing simple or easy about working with someone to uncover and explore these deeply held belief systems.
People don't become clinicians unless they value connection, believe in healing, and care about the process. If you were to believe the soundbites about CBT, it would seem like it's a cookie-cutter structured model that anyone could do. This is untrue. I want to show you cognitive behavioral therapy's depth, beauty, and richness.
In reality, CBT is one of the richest practice modalities around.
The endless skills you’ve heard about are real and relevant, but they are used individually and personally for each client. You don’t start the work prescribing skills; and you start the work by getting to know the client.
The case formulation is the standard beginning of CBT treatment. This process involves understanding how the client sees themselves, others, and their world. In CBT, we cannot solve problems without knowing the person fully. We must understand how they think, believe, and drive their behavior. Only when we have this understanding can we work collaboratively, helping them figure out how to resolve issues.
Collaborative is a keyword here.
Real CBT involves a strong alliance and connection with the client.
Real CBT clinicians understand that change involves a therapeutic relationship and a deeper understanding of how each person views their situation. Yes, there is structure to the sessions, but this structure doesn’t make the work less interesting; instead, it makes it more focused, deeper, and fuller. Yes, the work is measurable, but accountability isn’t a bad thing. Therapists care about their work, and they want to do their best. I don’t think we’re scared of evaluations of success; we’re worried about our clients and ensuring we are doing our best work for them. CBT has impressive research, and this research is a good thing. We want to show that therapy helps and makes a difference. We wouldn’t have committed our careers to this field if we felt otherwise.
Are you interested in working together?
Here a clear CTA for what kind of consults and trainings are available. How is this container different than the following ways?
Current CBT Workshops for Therapists
My workshops are a fun and engaging way to learn more about CBT in clinical practice.
Current workshop offerings include:
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The primary CBT workshop briefly reviews the history of the therapy and the federally-funded research that defines the practice. From there, you will learn the skills you need to make the work of CBT both fun and relevant. Through our work together, I will help you understand the relevance of the research in our approach and the case formulation approach. You will leave with tools and strategies that you can immediately put into practice.
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This is a fun workshop that teaches the basic concepts of CBT in a way that is accessible and meaningful to kids. The workshop opens with a brief overview of the significant NIH-funded research studies for kids, and the remainder of the workshop focuses on practical skill-building techniques and interventions. Participants will learn the material through lecture, role play, and creative interactive exercises. I will share custom forms and handouts and offer additional resources for further learning.
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Overestimation of risk and underestimation of resources defines the CBT theory for anxiety. Anxiety causes us to see things as bigger and worse than they are, making us feel less capable of dealing with the situation. Anxiety is the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorder, and it is also a treatable disorder. This workshop reviews the cognitive formulation for anxiety, the reality of living with an anxiety disorder, and teaches the basics of exposure therapy.
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The teen brain is amazing! Recent research has given us insight into why teens feel so deeply, why adolescents take so many risks, and the challenges teens face with peers and relationships. When it comes to the teen brain, knowledge really is power. In this course, you will learn the basic neuroscience of the teen brain (beyond dopamine, but not too far beyond!) and build your evidence-based toolbox with strategies to help kids and parents create real change. (can be adapted for parent or professional audiences)
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Angela Duckworth’s research on grit clarified the role that grit plays in success. Successful people can tolerate distress, persevere, and recover from setbacks. But what happens when these skills aren’t easily identifiable, when kids struggle to get back after things go wrong and when they quit easily and often? This workshop teaches the foundations of building grit and resilience. Grit can be learned, and CBT is the ideal modality for creating and implementing the strategies. In this training, participants will learn techniques to help kids see situations in different ways, actively choose to be optimistic, solve problems, cope with change, practice flexibility, increase assertiveness, and much more.
Custom Trainings
I’m always happy to partner with groups and organizations to create custom presentations for their current needs. Past custom trainings have included topics including, but not limited to:
Feeling Better: CBT and Positive Psychology to Feel Better Now
Getting Along: Using Research to Understand and Improve Workplace Relationships
Stressed!: Tools and Strategies for Managing Stress and Burnout
Stress, Mindset and Self Care
CBT in a Middle School Setting: Managing Drama with Skill
CBT for Emotional Regulation: Concrete Strategies for Teaching Self-Calming
CBT for School Counselors: Keep Calm and Counsel On
CBT Supervision: Training Clinicians to Effectively Use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Practice
