What CBT Course Do You Need to Take to Become a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist?.
Navigating through life is a rollercoaster, with plenty of highs and lows. While this eventful ride is full of memories to cherish, there are also moments of hardship and stress. We all have to learn to take the rough with the smooth, but our ability to cope with what life throws at us is heavily dependent on our mindset and the way we mentally process the world around us.
Individuals plagued by negative thoughts are prone to struggling more severely with problems that come their way. They may also unconsciously commit patterns of behaviour that damage their mental wellbeing, leaving them in a perpetual cycle of unhappiness.
Thankfully, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a solution that teaches individuals how to change their way of thinking so that they can improve the way they feel on a day-to-day basis. It can be a life-changing process, and if you would love to learn how to qualify as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, then continue reading.
We explore the principles of this form of therapy and what CBT course you can enrol on to guide you towards a rewarding and important career.
What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?
Cognitive behavioural therapy, more widely known as CBT, is a talking therapy that is designed to help individuals change the way they think and act in order to better manage their problems. Generally, this type of therapy is used to treat depression and anxiety, but people with other mental health issues or physical health problems can benefit from CBT.
Unlike other forms of talking therapy, CBT focuses on a person’s existing problems as opposed to delving into past events. The primary purpose is to tackle the negative thoughts that are dominating an individual’s mind and teach them through practical methods how to improve their mindset.
By doing this, a person will be able to better cope with overwhelming problems and break patterns of behaviour. Essentially, cognitive behavioural therapy is built on the premise that thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and physical sensations are all interconnected. So, if a person has negative thoughts, that could heavily affect their day-to-day living.
If you are keen to become a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, then you will learn about the process in more detail while studying accredited CBT courses.
What Does a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist Do?
If you successfully complete training through accredited CBT courses, then you will be eligible to work as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist. Before you reach this stage and enrol on a CBT course, you should familiarise yourself with the role and responsibilities of this role.
Firstly, if you work as part of the NHS, you will likely provide one session a week to a single patient, with a CBT course of treatment generally lasting between 5 and 20 sessions. When working with the individual, you will identify the problems that they are dealing with and break them down into smaller, manageable sections. Usually, you will separate them into thoughts, physical feelings, and behaviours.
After analysing these areas, you will help the individual understand how to change their negative thoughts and behaviours. Once this has been realised, you will ask the patient to put the changes into practice through various methods. Eventually, they should be able to apply these approaches to their daily lives.
Who Will You Treat?
It is important to note that no two patients are the same, and while a CBT course of treatment contains similar principles, you have to be able to adapt to the needs of the individual. As a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, you will be working with adults from all walks of life and different backgrounds.
Some professionals specialise in providing CBT to children, so if you opt to go down this route, you may also be working with the children’s parents or carers. As mentioned, CBT is generally used to treat depression and anxiety, but there are other mental health issues and disorders that can benefit from this form of talking therapy, such as:
- Bipolar disorder
- Eating disorders
- Panic disorder
- Phobias
- Borderline personality disorder
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Psychosis
- Schizophrenia
Working as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist means having to collaborate with other professionals, including:
- Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (PWPs)
- Clinical psychologists
- Mental health nurses
- Psychiatrists
As part of your role, you may also need to manage referrals and work with other agencies, which means that you will need to interact with other healthcare professionals, as well as employment advisors.
Should I Study a CBT Therapy Course?
The above information should give you a taste of what to expect if you go down this route, but if you would like to gain a solid understanding of cognitive behavioural therapy before you start training, enrol on CBT courses. UK-based learners will be better informed to make a decision about their career path this way.
With the help of Stonebridge Associated Colleges, you can take a CBT online course that provides you with a detailed knowledge of the talking therapy and the practical methods that come with it. Whether you are hoping to train as a Counsellor or you currently work in the sector and are keen to expand your skillset, our CBT course can help.
Our Cognitive Behavioural Therapy course is delivered solely online, so you can get to grips with CBT from the comfort of your own home. Through interactive learning methods, you will gain foundational knowledge about CBT, which will get you ready for accredited CBT courses.
What Does a CBT Course Involve?
While studying our CBT online course, you will complete a series of modules, focusing on various topics, including:
- Basic counselling skills
- Developmental psychology
- Psychotherapy
- Humanism
- Practical methods of CBT
- Philosophy
- Planning
You will also explore the following:
- Mindset
- Working with minor/serious emotional issues
- Managing disorders
- CBT for relationships
- Anger and stress management training
- Professional practice
Rather than having to pass an exam to gain your qualification, you will simply have a series of assignments to complete. This CBT online course, UK learners, will either help you decide whether this is the right career path for you, or give you foundational knowledge to build on ahead of training.
Why are CBT Training Courses Important?
To work professionally as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, you should be accredited by a governing body, with the leading organisation in the UK being the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP).
To become an accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, you will need to demonstrate that you meet the standards of the BABCP through accredited CBT courses. For example, some universities deliver degrees that are approved by BABCP.
If you want to join the BABCP register, then you should enrol on accredited CBT courses to complete your training. Once you have successfully enrolled on the register, you will be able to practice professionally.
What Accredited CBT Courses are Available?
So, what accredited CBT courses will get you qualified? Firstly, you should be aware that to qualify as a practitioner, you will need to meet Minimum Training Standards (MTS) either partially or fully, and you can do this by completing one of two levels of study, of which we have outlined below:
Level 1
BABCP Level 1 accredited CBT courses cover most of the MTS criteria, but this differs depending on the course you enrol on. For example, one Level 1 CBT course will require more clinical practice hours than others.
Once you have completed this CBT course, you will need to apply for registration, demonstrating that you are continuing to practice cognitive behavioural therapy, and are receiving proper supervision of your work. As long as all standards are met, you will be added to the register.
Level 2
BABCP Level 2 accredited CBT courses include all of the MTS criteria, so you will receive all the necessary training needed to fulfil all standards. Once you have completed one of these CBT courses, UK professionals do not need to be working as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist to apply for accreditation.
However, the understanding is that you will be intending to start supervised CBT practice within six months of applying.
Other Counselling Skills
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a popular talking therapy, but there are other approaches that can be incredibly helpful to the individuals that need extra guidance. If you are starting out in counselling and psychotherapy, you may want to explore other forms.
As well as the aforementioned CBT online course, we also provide a range of other courses within this sector, including:
- Counselling Skills
- Mental Health and Counselling
- Drug, Solvent and Alcohol Abuse Counselling
- Counselling Children and Adolescents
Please note that you will require additional training to work professionally as a Counsellor that provides talking therapies.
Start Your CBT Training Journey Today!
If your passion is to help others take control of their lives through cognitive behavioural therapy, then you can get a taste of what to expect in this role by studying a CBT online course. Once you have gained solid foundational knowledge of the practice, you can embark on official training.
To learn more about how we can help you get prepared for accredited CBT courses, speak to one of our Course Executives by calling 0121 392 8288 or reach out to us online.
