Key facts

Types	Oxford Qualification - Part-time Professional Development
Start date	Sep 2014
Subject area(s)	Health Psychology and Counselling
Fees	Please see payment section for more information
Application status	Closed to new applications
Course contact	If you have any questions about this course, please email octc@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk or telephone +44 (0)1865 738816.

Overview

The Postgraduate Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Introductory Level) offers a comprehensive introduction to the fundamental theory and practice of CBT for common mental health problems. The course is designed for health professionals who already possess basic therapeutic skills and wish to refresh their CBT training, as well as to provide a thorough foundation for those with little or no previous CBT experience. The Certificate programme adheres to the Roth and Pilling CBT Competence Framework and NICE Guidelines for Depression and Anxiety and includes interactive training workshops and opportunities to practice treatment techniques under close clinical supervision. All teaching and supervision will be provided by highly experienced OCTC staff.

Programme details

Course Structure
Dates for terms in 2013-14 are:

Term One:
Two three-day teaching blocks - September 23/24/25 and October 21/22/23 (10 weeks)

Term Two:
Four two-day teaching blocks - January 6/7/13/14 and February 3/4/17/18 (10 weeks)

Term Three:
Choice of one of these options:

Clinical Workshops
Weekly two hour clinical supervision groups - April 7/14/28, May 12/19, June 2/9/16/23/30 and July 7/14/21 (13 weeks)

Formal teaching consists of training workshops (9.30am – 5.00pm). Students are expected to carry out cognitive behavioural therapy with three suitable patients; they will receive two hours small group supervision weekly during term three (Monday afternoons 2.30-4.30pm for 13 weeks).

Reading and completion of written assignments is in addition to the teaching day outlined above. It is strongly recommended that students set aside six to seven hours a week to provide for private study.

Course Content
The teaching on the course is focused on consolidating the fundamentals of CBT with adult clients before taking on the modifications required by working with other specialist client groups. However, it is recognised that some students may come to the course from backgrounds other than adult mental health. Teaching and supervision take account of students' needs and interests, so far as is consistent with the aims of the course.

Module One: The Fundamentals of CBT - Assessment, Formulation & Core Therapeutic Skills

This module will consist of two, three-day teaching blocks, focusing on introducing the fundamental principles and practices of CBT. This will include the development of and theory underpinning the cognitive model, as well as guidelines and contra-indications for its use. There will be a focus on core clinical competencies necessary in undertaking CBT. In particular, participants will be taught the skills of interviewing and assessing clients and producing CBT formulations, or case conceptualisations, of their problems. Students will also be taught the core structural and therapeutic components of CBT, including how to establish a collaborative working alliance with clients, use of two-way feedback, agenda-setting, homework, guided discovery, verbal reattribution methods and behavioural experiments. Each workshop will consist of information giving, role-play, experiential exercises, and video and case demonstrations. Experiential exercises will encourage self-reflection, increase in self-awareness and skill acquisition. Students will be encouraged to develop a critical understanding of the theoretical and research evidence for the cognitive model. The curriculum for module one comprises the following:

• Introduction to the Cognitive Behavioural Model including theoretical and clinical research
• CBT assessment methods including risk assessment, suitability criteria and contra-indications
• CBT formulation skills
• Engagement and socialisation (explaining the CBT rationale, instilling hope)
• Interpersonal skills and the role of the therapeutic relationship in CBT (collaborative empiricism)
• Guided discovery/Socratic questioning
• Structural components of CBT (goal setting, agenda setting, homework, measurement/self-monitoring, blue-printing)
• Identifying and testing negative automatic thoughts
• Devising collaborative behavioural experiments
• Preparing clients for ending treatment and relapse prevention (blue-printing)

Module Two: CBT for Common Mental Health Problems

This module extends students’ understanding of CBT principles and practices by exploring how they can be applied to treating common mental health problems (depression and anxiety disorders). Eight teaching days (four blocks of two days) will cover disorder-specific CBT models and evidence-base for Depression, Panic Disorder with/without Agoraphobia, Social Anxiety, Health Anxiety, Generalised Anxiety Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. There will also be a workshop on Using Clinical Supervision in CBT: core principles. The workshops will address the most up-to-date research developments in treating these common psychiatric presentations. In particular, the workshops will adhere to CBT protocols recommended by NICE guidelines for the treatment of Depression and Anxiety and follow the CBT competencies framework (Roth and Pilling, 2007).

Module Three: Supervision for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Competencies

This module aims to further develop students’ cognitive behavioural therapy competencies through closely supervised practice. Students will be expected to have access to a small clinical case load from a practice setting supporting a cognitive behavioural approach to care. Throughout the term, students will be expected to work with three training clients in a short-term CBT framework (10-12 sessions). Training clients should meet criteria for mild-moderate depression or anxiety according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Version IV). Students will be given guidance on selecting suitable clients. Students will be required to attend group supervision (four students per group) for two hours per week. Supervision will be provided face-to-face in Oxford by OCTC staff who are BABCP accredited. Students will be expected to verbally present their client work at each supervision session and contribute to the discussion of their colleague’s cases and to the overall work of the group. Students will be required to seek consent to record their sessions with clients and bring segments of these recordings to supervision on a weekly basis for the purpose of formative assessment and feedback. Summative assessment will be by evaluation of one clinical audio/video recording (or digitally equivalent format) using the Cognitive Therapy Scale-Revised and by one case study. On successful completion of the module it is envisaged that students will have some competence in the use of basic CBT for depression and anxiety disorders but should not be considered as autonomous clinicians.

Selection criteria

There may be specific subject requirements for your course, so do check the selection criteria below. These will be used by the University in assessing your application.

Read full selection criteria

Staff

Course aims

Students attending the course will learn:

• The fundamental principles of CBT and the evidence base for its application
• CBT models of depression and anxiety disorders
• How to establish and maintain a collaborative working alliance with CBT clients
• How to conceptualise the development and maintenance of depression and anxiety disorders
• How to use CBT under clinical supervision to help clients with mild-moderate depression and anxiety disorders

The Postgraduate Certificate forms a starting point for students later wishing to acquire more in-depth knowledge and skills via the Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Attendance on the course, and later completion of diploma and degree training in CBT, will also equip candidates with the necessary knowledge, skills and supervised clinical experience required for accreditation as a CBT Therapist with the BABCP.

Assessment methods

Assessment is designed to determine whether the aims of the course have successfully been met. Students successfully completing the assessment will be awarded the Postgraduate Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy from the University of Oxford's Department for Continuing Education.

Students are expected to take an active part in teaching and supervision sessions, and to carry out cognitive therapy with the required number of patients. Their competence and knowledge will be assessed through written assignments and direct evaluation of clinical performance, as follows:

Written assignments

a) Essays
All students are required to complete two 4,000 word essays: the first in term one and the second in term two. Essays will assess critical appreciation of the theory, research and practice related to teaching in each term. This is an opportunity to explore areas of particular interest in depth.

b) Case Report
Students are required to write up one treated case in the third term. The case report should be 4,000 words. Case reports include: references to relevant literature, a description of the patient, a cognitive-behavioural formulation of the case, a treatment plan demonstrating knowledge of appropriate cognitive therapy interventions, and an evaluation of outcome, and a concluding discussion.

Evaluation of clinical performance

a) Supervision of clinical casework
During weekly supervision in term three, students will be expected to audio or video record all therapy sessions. Case discussions during supervision routinely include presentation of recordings. Students are expected to show competence (appropriate to introductory level) in general therapeutic skills (e.g. ability to structure sessions and to form an equal collaborative relationship), in formulating overall treatment strategies, and in carrying out specific CBT techniques.

Students are required to keep a log book of their supervised practice over the term. The format for this log book taken from the BABCP will be provided in the Course Handbook.

b) Audio/video-recorded treatment sessions
Students must submit one audio or video recorded example of mid-treatment cognitive behavioural therapy sessions. Using this recording, development of cognitive therapy skills will be evaluated by means of the Cognitive Therapy Scale - Revised, an established measure of therapist performance.

Teaching methods

Formal Teaching
This covers theoretical and research issues and clinical skills. A workshop format is normally used, involving active participation, a strong experiential element, and clear relevance to clinical practice. A range of OCTC staff who are all experienced CBT therapists, Trainers and Clinical Supervisors will contribute to delivering workshops and supervision sessions.Teaching is also provided by invited speakers with specialised knowledge of particular topics.

Small group supervision of clinical casework
Term 3:
Supervised clinical practice is organised to encourage exposure to a variety of clinical and to a range of therapeutic styles within cognitive behavioural therapy. All supervisors are trained, experienced and accredited cognitive behavioural psycho-therapists. Students are expected to follow through three clinical cases and to routinely record treatment sessions to review in supervision groups. Students will have the opportunity to set personal learning objectives and receive close supervisory feedback on their developing clinical skills.

Guided reading and library resources
Students are advised to set aside six to seven hours a week for private study. Guidance on references will be provided by tutors and supervisors. When Students enrol on the course, they are issued with University of Oxford student cards giving them remote access (via a "single sign-on account") to the wide range of resources availble through the University of Oxford Libraries, including electronic books and journals. Further information about library services can be found on the OUDCE website. Students allso have access to a small selection of core cognitve behavioural therapy texts held at the OCTC Administrative Office, including a range of therapy and training CDs/DVDs.

Accommodation

Accommodation is available at the Rewley House Residential Centre, within the Department for Continuing Education, in central Oxford. The comfortable, en-suite, study-bedrooms are rated 3-star, and come with free high-speed internet access and TV. Guests can take advantage of the excellent dining facilities and common room bar, where they may relax and network with others on the programme.

Payment

For 2013-14 academic year:

• Home/EU - £3,360
• Overseas = £5,670

For NHS employees, CPD funding may be available through your employing Trust. For staff employed by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, please direct your funding enquiries to David Slingo (Head of Learning and Development) or to Fiona Whitehouse (CPD Facilitator).

Scholarships

Details of funding opportunities, including grants, bursaries, loans, scholarships and benefit information are available on our financial assistance page.

Apply for this course