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Certificate in CT Theory and Methods

Wednesday 4 March 2009

BCTC launch new course Jan/Feb 2010

5- MONTH PART TIME CERTIFICATE IN
COGNITIVE THERAPY THEORY AND METHODS (CCTTM)

Course Background

Belfast Cognitive Therapy Centre (BCTC) holds the first professionally accredited course in Northern Ireland, including those counselling courses held at both universities. The Centre was a finalist in the Regional Training Awards and was the sole counselling and training organisation in N. Ireland to be cited in a 2002 Government Report in to standards of counselling.

A growing number of our applicants are concerned that they do not meet our Postgraduate Diploma entry requirements.

They have therefore requested alternative training which will eventually lead to similar professional accreditation with one of the major accrediting bodies. (The Centre's P/G Diploma has been accredited by both IACP and BACP for a period of five years).

When is the Course held?

The Certificate is a 140 - hour qualification, delivered over 20 days, held on Saturdays, between February and June 2009 and is composed of six core units of 23 hours each.

Is the Course accredited?

Since one cohort of students needs to be graduated prior to accreditation and the certificate has just begun, it is not yet accredited. Nonetheless, all of the training is designed by the same chartered psychologist who devised the original accredited P/G Diploma in Cognitive Therapy and also taught by all of the tutors who already train on the accredited P/G Diploma Course.

What will participants gain from the certificate course?

The certificate course is part of a series of training programmes run by Belfast Cognitive Therapy Centre (BCTC) Applicants who are considering undertaking cognitive therapy training at Diploma or P/G Diploma level with BCTC or elsewhere, will find that the certificate course will provide them with the training for such progression.

An outline of how students may undertake such a progression will be carried out as an initial aspect of the training.

The overall aim of the certificate course, is offer practical training with the aim of developing and enhancing student's patient and client work practice.

The purposes of the Certificate are to:

1. Enable practitioners to develop a beginning level of understanding of C.T. theory and skills.

2. Help develop the practice of those currently working in counselling and related fields, who have little or no knowledge of C.T. and who wish to learn to use it appropriately in their work.

3. Assist practitioners in identifying and addressing common patient and client difficulties.

4. Assist practitioners to acquire beginning cognitive interventions in work with suitable anxious and depressed clients and patients.

5. Assist practitioners to acquire beginning behavioural interventions in work with suitable anxious and depressed clients and patients.

6. Enable practitioners to assess those clinical difficulties with which s/he can work safely and effectively, and those which should be onward referred.

Who is eligible to apply to undertake the Certificate?

The Certificate is suitable for a range of mental health and social care professionals from both the statutory and voluntary sectors, who wish to develop their patient and client work practice in the areas outlined above.

The six core units are:

1. The Basics of Cognitive Therapy, including the Alliance and Interpersonal Processes.

2. Assessment and Case Formulation.

3. Understanding anxiety and depression.

4. Cognitive Interventions and underpinning theory.

5. Behavioural Interventions and underpinning theory.

6. C.T. structure, homework and note taking.

NB: In order to complete the Certificate students should successfully
complete all six units.

How is the certificate course assessed?

Assessments will take the form of assignments, practical work and personal and professional development activities.

The BCTC Training Team

All BCTC core training staff have a qualification in social work, psychology or advanced counselling/ therapy. Course Assistants must have a minimum of three hundred post graduate client/patient work hours and be working towards professional accreditation. All staff are members of the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies. Psychologists and trainee psychologists are members or chartered members of the British Psychological Association.

Ms Anne Kelly. C. Psychol. Clinical Director

Anne is a Chartered Psychologist and a Cognitive Therapist, accredited with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Therapists for a period of twelve years. Anne has been Course Director of BCTC for a period of 10 years. Her specialist interest is in the area of trauma, including trauma, psychosis and dissociation.

Ms Francesca Waters, Assistant Director

Francesca graduated the BCTC P/G Diploma in Cognitive Therapy in 2001 and has now also been accredited as a Cognitive Therapist with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Therapists for three years. Francesca is working completing her work towards chartership as a Counselling Psychologist with the British Psychological Society.

Mrs Lena Bambrick, Assistant Tutor

Lena graduated the P/G Diploma four years ago and is now accredited with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Lena is also working towards accreditation with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Therapists.

Mrs Martina Mc Kay, C. Psychol. Assistant Tutor

Martina, a Chartered Psychologist, is also a graduate of the BCTC P/G Diploma in Cognitive Therapy and is currently working towards accreditation with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Therapists.

Ms Rose Anne Donnelly, Course Coordinator

Also a past graduate, Rosie acts as Assistant Tutor and Course Coordinator.