The Course takes full advantage of the unusually high levels of theoretical knowledge and clinical expertise available among practitioners of CBT in Albania. All those primarily responsible for its design and organization, and for providing the training and supervision are the Institute for Psychological Services for the Community, IShPK Albania and the Israeli Association for Cognitive and Behavioral Psychotherapy (ITA) in accordance with predefined standards of European Association for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy (EACBT) accredited therapists and/or international supervisors and trainers, with experience in the practice of CBT and in related training and research.

 

COURSE STRUCTURE

Level  I           

First Level

8 modules

At the end of the first year the participant will take a certificate in Basic Level in CBT signed from ITA supervisor and ICPS .

 

 

Level  II         

Expert Level

8 modules

At the end of the first year the participant will take a Diploma as a Psychotherapist in CBT from ITA.

 

 

Term  I: Basic concepts and skills

In teaching sessions, emphasis is placed on observation of CBT in action, and on experiential learning with participation in role-play and other practical exercises.

Topics include:

  • Beck’s cognitive model of emotional disorder
  • CBT assessment and formulation
  • The structure of CBT ( agenda setting, goal setting, pacing, homework etc.)
  • The style of CBT (collaboration, explicitness, feedback) Socratic methods
  • Identifying and re-evaluating automatic thoughts
  • Identifying and re-evaluating dysfunctional assumptions and core beliefs, the role of behavioral experiments.
  • Working with imagery, role-play and other non-verbal methods Process and termination issues in CBT
  • The role of research in CBT 

 

Term II: Special applications - Developing the basics

Term II covers the use of CBT with common mental health problems (anxiety, depression, eating disorders). Sessions focus on consolidating and developing basic knowledge and skills and on emphasizing concepts and methods especially relevant to each problem area. Teaching practical CBT skills is linked to outcome data and other related empirical research. Workshops focus on problem areas such as:

  • Panic disorder and Agoraphobia
  • Social phobia
  • Health anxiety
  • Obsessive compulsive disorder
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Depression and suicidality
  • Eating disorders
  • Psychosis

 

Term III: Complications and advances in CBT

Sessions focus on pinpointing and managing difficulties arising in the practice of CBT, and on recent developments in working with complex cases and personality disorders.

Topics include:

  • Formulation with complex cases
  • Schema theory and schema change methods
  • Challenges in applying CBT (for example. managing avoidance, problems in the therapeutic relationship)
  • Advanced imagery interventions Use of compassion in CBT Meta cognitive approaches
  • Working with victims of childhood trauma CBT for low self-esteem
  • Ethical issues in CBT