What is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) training and why should you do it?

Cognitive behavioural therapy is a well-established, well-researched, and well-practiced form of therapeutic treatment for a wide range of mental health conditions. It is the front-line treatment for the majority of mental health problems in the world. That is why it is so important to ensure we have well-qualified therapists in order to provide the best possible treatment for those who are in need of it. Here we will go through what cognitive behavioural therapy is, what are the roles of a cognitive behavioural therapist are, and what routes you can go down to become one.

What is cognitive behavioural therapy?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a commonly used therapy technique used across the globe. It is used to treat many different mental health conditions such as most types of anxiety, depression, PTSD, ADHD, OCD, easting disorders, addictions, bipolar disorder, and many more. It is an action focused form of therapy, meaning it aims to take a front seat role and includes client and therapist in changing behaviour and thought processes that maintain mental health difficulties. It looks to target the root problem by addressing thought process, so that clients are equipped to manage previously triggering situations by yourself, without the need for a therapist. This can contrast more passive forms of therapy and counselling, which focus on talking about problems and past situations – CBT looks into changing future outcomes too.

CBT is very well researched, and has consistently been found to be an effective treatment. For example, upon reviewing meta-analyses investigating the effects of CBT, Hofmann et al. (2012) found that it was statistically effective in treating and lessening symptoms of numerous mental disorders. It has solidified its reputation in research as one of the best therapy techniques, and it is used in major nationwide health services such as being the primary therapeutic treatment method used in the NHS.

What does a cognitive behavioural therapist do?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapists’ roles can vary depending on many factors, such as the condition or disorder they are trying to tackle, where they are conducting their therapy, and who their patients are.

CBT can be conducted on an individual or group basis. As this indicates, it can be carried out as a one-on-one with the patient and therapist, or it may also be carried out with 1 or 2 therapists and a small group of patients (usually 5-16). Both group and individual CBT can be used to treat a myriad of mental health conditions, and sometimes even physical conditions. This can include mild to severe cases. There are different pros and cons of each of these CBT styles, for example, the cost efficiency of group CBT and confidentiality and personalisation of individual CBT.

Between these CBT styles, the therapist’s roles may change slightly. In individual CBT, the therapist should provide all of their attention to their patient and explore their thought processes and behaviours in depth. However, in group CBT, the therapist takes a small step back and acts more as a conversation guide and educator. They may encourage the patients to talk to one another.

As we discussed earlier, CBT is a technique used by many services such as the NHS, private practices, and charities. Where they are practicing can also mould the roles of the CBT therapist. In the NHS, the therapist is slightly more limited for the number of session they can provide and the length of sessions may be shorter. This is due to the sheer volume of patients waiting for CBT, the NHS will try to enable as many patients to be seen by a cognitive behavioural therapist as possible. They often also must work in a very structured way, following closely to guidelines given to them by the NHS. In private practice, the therapist can become more flexible with their patients. They may also have more freedom to work in a style that they get on best with, for example they may prefer to give more frequent but shorter sessions. In charities, the therapists often must work in a budget-friendly manner, depending on the charity size and funding. This could be offering only online sessions to reduce transportation and hiring spaces.

In order to become a CBT therapist, there are certain qualifications that you must obtain first, which we will go through in more depth soon. There are clinical bodies which can accredit your qualification such as the BACP and BABCP. Before you apply for this, you often need a bachelor’s degree in a related field (often psychology) and have experience in working with mental health in some way. Many people then go on to gain post graduate degrees such as a masters or doctorate. They can then train before applying for an accreditation from one the of the CBT accreditation bodies.

Training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

There are different training routes you can do down to become a cognitive behavioural therapist. In order to ensure that CBT stays one of the most effective forms of treatments in mental health research, it is imperative that those conducting it have a high level of training and sufficient qualifications. There are several directions you can go to achieve this, and here we will go through 3 of the routes you can take to pursue this impactful and rewarding career:

1. Apply for a Level 5 diploma CBT diploma. However, in order for you to apply for this, you must already have a Level 4 diploma in a related or the same area, or equivalent. This also means you will need levels 2 and 3 in counselling or psychotherapy.

   
   

2. You could also become a High-Intensity CBT therapist from being a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP). This requires a sufficient amount of clinical work experience. This often means 2 years of PWP experience before applying for HI training. This accredited training can often take place under the NHS.

   
   

3. If you have a core profession (e.g. nurse or occupational therapist), then you can become a cognitive behavioural therapist through obtaining a master’s degree in CBT. You can do this through the NHS or privately through a university.

   
   

In this blog, we explored what it is like to be a cognitive behavioural therapist, the roles and responsibilities involved, how to get into that career. We hope this has been useful as CBT therapists are a vital element in today's healthcare services. If mental health conditions go untreated, this can go on to unfortunately impact other aspects of their lives such as their work, relationships, and physical health. If you are looking to train in a CPCAB accredited Level 5 Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - one of the routes to becoming a cognitive behavioural therapist we discussed earlier, we are currently taking applications for our September in-take.

We also have another blog focusing on CBT with anxiety specifically, if you are interested in learning more about that, please click here.