ObjectivesThe new MSc in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy aims to enable participants to develop the expertise in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy / ‘High Intensity Psychological Therapy’ required in contemporary mental health services, and in particular in respect of the national agenda to Improve Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT).
Entry requirementsThis programme is aimed at professionals in any setting working with clients with mental health difficulties and able to receive appropriate CBT supervision.
-Competence based’ focus on skill development
-‘Scientist practitioner’ process of immersion in a research culture as part of the development and application of research skills.
-Compliant with the requirements of the Department of Health’s national curriculum for the development of ‘High Intensity Psychological Therapies Workers’
-Detailed programme structure
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) has been established as the psychological therapy with the strongest evidence base in mental health care. Successive NICE guidelines have advocated its availability for a range of conditions, notably depression and anxiety based disorders. The IAPT implementation programme has been established to meet this demand, and this programme has also been designed to meet the requirements for ‘High Intensity Psychological Therapies Workers’.
This is an extensively competence based programme to develop defined skills, it presents students with modules in a sequence which enables them to progress from ‘basic competence’ in CBT to advanced practitioner. Modules are based around developing CBT practice with people presenting with a range of common mental health difficulties, supported by integrated CBT supervision and progressing to research. Students will follow an applied ‘Scientist-practitioner’ approach to the development of research skills leading to the development of their final MSc project proposal which might focus on the process of therapy with an individual client, interventions for a defined client group or CBT service evaluation, ensuring that the project establish a firm link with practice and contributes to service improvement.
The programme is rooted in an “escalator model” of development, providing a graduated “step-on step-off” approach to training for all competency levels within the new workforce and linking with education at all levels. The University’s AP(E)L scheme can allow further flexibility by interchange with other equivalent programmes.
Postgraduate Certificate
-Fundamentals of CBT: case formulation and assessment
-Pre-requisite for all the other modules 20 credits
-Fundamentals of CBT: key techniques
-The above two modules can also be taken as a short ‘Basic Competence in CBT’ course 20 credits
-CBT for Anxiety 20 credits
Postgraduate Diploma
-CBT for depression 20 credits
-Using CBT with complex cases 20 credits
-The scientist-practitioner: applied research methods and project planning
-Undertaken by all MSc Mental Health students prior to their final project. 20 credits