In-Congress Workshops

In-congress workshops are half-day workshops and will take place during the main congress, on Thursday 4th, Friday 5th  and Saturday 6th September 2025.

Registration for the in-Congress workshops are now open to people who have registered to attend the Congress.  A link to register will be sent on 14th July to people who are currently registered for the congress . There is an additional charge of £30 for each workshop and delegates will receive a separate certificate of attendance which will include three hours CPD including a skills element

Thursday 4th September 9.00am – 12.30pm

Workshop 1
SOLD OUT

Finessing the Formulation:developing compassionate, comprehensive conceptualisations for complex cases

Stirling Moorey, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, UK

The formulation is one of the essential skills of CBT, yet, as Easden and Kasantzis reported in their systematic review of 2017 “research has yet to adequately establish whether case conceptualization can enhance the outcomes of CBT.” Nevertheless there are aspects of the formulation that have empirical support. These include how it is derived with the client, how understandable it is, and how well tailored to the client’s problems. This workshop will review the literature on formulation in CBT and how a good formulation helps establish a therapeutic alliance, guides therapy, and predicts difficulties. We will look at the basic principles underlying all CBT formulations and their adaptation in the models used to treat different disorders. For complex cases it can be helpful to contextualise the problems using a more comprehensive conceptualisation. We will discuss how the formulation can be developed collaboratively. We will consider how this conceptualisation can be ‘warmed up’ by creating a compassionate therapeutic narrative that tells the story of how the person is doing their best within their experience and world view, and give hope for how new perspectives and behaviours might emerge. The workshop will also introduce some ways in which a formulation using modes or self-states can be shared with clients to help them make sense of chaotic experiences and behaviour.

Primary target audience

This workshop is primarily aimed at high intensity therapists, particularly those more used to working with protocols or disorder specific models. It may also be of interest to therapists working with low intensity interventions. The cases discussed will be adult cases, but may also be of interest to those working with adolescents.

Key learning objectives

  • To understand the principles underlying all CBT formulations and their adaptation for different clinical groups.
  • To feel free to move beyond the maintenance formulation to use a comprehensive conceptualisation with complex cases.
  • To learn how to develop and share a compassionate conceptualisation in narrative as well as diagrammatic form.

Stirling Moorey has over 40 years experience of practising and teaching CBT. He has taught psychiatrists, psychologists and other mental health professionals. His main research interest has been the application of CBT to relive distress in people living with cancer. While maintaining a fundamentally cognitive approach Stirling has also trained in mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and schema therapy. He brings insights from some of these different models into formulation and clinical practice.

Key References

Beck, A. T., & Haigh, E. A. (2014). Advances in cognitive theory and therapy: The generic cognitive model. Annual review of clinical psychology, 10, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032813-153734

Huisman, P., & Kangas, M. (2018). Evidence-Based Practices in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) Case Formulation: What Do Practitioners Believe is Important, and What Do They Do? Behaviour Change, 35(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1017/bec.2018.5

Kuyken, W., Padesky, C. A., & Dudley, R. (2011). Collaborative case conceptualization: Working effectively with clients in cognitive-behavioral therapy. Guilford Press.

Workshop 2
SOLD OUT

Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy for Intolerance of Uncertainty: A three phase, internally generated threat model

Craig Chigwedere, Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin & St Patricks Mental Health Services, Dublin, Ireland

Intolerance of uncertainty is not only a transdiagnostic concept, but a trans-situational one. A range of models have been proposed, each with its own strengths. Building on existing models, we hypothesise that IoU may be born of learning experiences (e.g. attachment), creating areas of life in which uncertainty is unacceptable. Such learning may be retrieved in an overgeneral way, leading to catastrophic future predictions. Such predictions may create an internally generated threat, which biases attentional focus away from the trigger event, leading to worry and reduced problem-solving of the trigger. Our treatment approach has shown early promise as a standalone treatment in single case research and as an adjunctive treatment in an RCT. A treatment manual is in preparation for publication. This is the first workshop to introduce the the model outside our local network.

The goal of the CBT for IoU workshop is to:
·          Introduce an explanatory model of IoU.

  • Introduce the main treatment techniques we have developed so far.
  • Improve participants’ language in talking about IoU.

Who the workshop is aimed at: Those with experience in cognitive-behavioural psychotherapy treatment.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will acquire the following skills:
·          An understanding of a clearly described model of IoU

  • Skills for using IoU specific interventions with a range of disorders
    · Ways that they and their patients can recognise and live with uncertainty
    ·          Future directions in IoU understanding and treatment.

 

Craig Chigwedere (cognitive behavioural psychotherapist) works as a practitioner, supervisor, trainer and researcher. His current research focuses on intolerance of uncertainty, particularly why it is that uncertainty, a ubiquitous concept and acceptable for most people, is intolerable for some. He is currently engaged in research into overgeneral memory retrieval in GAD, the influence of schemas in IoU and further study into the implementation of the model described in the current workshop.

 

Background Readings:

Chigwedere C., and Wilson C.E. (2021) A Clinical Experience Informed Variation to the CBT Explanation and Treatment of Worry. Psychol. Psychother. Res. Stud., 5(1). PPRS. 000601.

Chigwedere, C. and Moran, J. (2022) Further development of the intolerance of uncertainty model of GAD. A case series. The Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, 15(e2), 1 – 16.

Timulak, L., Keogh, D., Chigwedere, C., Wilson, C., Ward, F., Hevey, D., Griffin, P., Jacobs, L., Hughes, S., Vaughan, C., Beckham, K., & Mahon, S. (2022). A comparison of emotion-focused therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: Results of a feasibility randomized controlled trial. Psychotherapy Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 59(1), 84–95.

Freeston, M.H. (2023) What if we have too many models of worry and GAD. Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapy, 51, 559 – 678.

Thursday 4th September 2.00pm – 5.30pm

Workshop 3
SOLD OUT

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Nightmares

Kristi Pruiksma and Hannah Tyler, University of Texas, USA and Annette Van Schagen, ARQ National Psychotrauma Center, Oegstgeest, the Netherlands

Nightmares are reported by approximately 30% of psychiatric populations and 65% of those with posttraumatic stress disorder. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine position paper for the treatment of nightmare disorder in adults recommends cognitive behavioral therapy for nightmares (CBT-N), yet there is a critical shortage of trained providers and relatively low provider awareness of the efficacy behavioral medicine interventions. Furthermore, there are several treatment manuals available with unclear overlap and discrepancies and no consensus approach for treating nightmares. Recently, nightmares experts convened to develop a consensus approach. The goal of this workshop is to train providers in CBT-N in the context of trauma-related nightmares and nightmares that present with other psychological health conditions. CBT-N involves strategies to address insomnia, relaxation training, identifying and writing a target nightmare, writing a different storyline for the nightmare, and repeatedly imagining the new dream before sleep. This workshop will provide foundational understanding of normal sleep, assessment of sleep disorders, and facilitate step-by-step guidance on how to implement CBT-N in clinical practice.

Primary target audience Mental health clinicians

Learning Objectives

Participants will acquire the ability to:

  • Identify and describe 2 basic foundations of normal and disordered sleep
  • Summarize the 2 basic factors that regulate sleep.
  • Assess for and identify 3 symptoms of on nightmares and insomnia.
  • Describe step-by-step implementation of cognitive behavioral therapy for nightmares.

 Kristi E. Pruiksma, PhD, DBSM, is an Associate Professor and Licensed Clinical Psychologist at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She works with the STRONG STAR Consortium where she is an expert in behavioral sleep medicine and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for nightmares and for insomnia.

Hannah Tyler, PhD, ABPP, is a licensed psychologist and Associate Professor with the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She is an expert trainer Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia and Nightmares.

Annette van Schagen, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and senior researcher at ARQ National Psychotrauma Center, Oegstgeest (NL), specializing in nightmares and sleep problems.

 

References 

Davis, J. L. (2008). Treating post-trauma nightmares: A cognitive behavioral approach. Springer Publishing Company. Chicago (https://www.springerpub.com/treating-post-trauma-nightmares-9780826102898.html)

Pruiksma, K. E., Taylor, D. J., Davis, J., Diethc, J. R., Peterson, A. L., Balliett, N., Goodie, J. L., Miller, K., Grieser, E., Friedlander, J., Hryshko-Mullen, A. S., Rowan, A., Wilkerson, A., HallClark, B., Fina, B., Hummel, V., Casady, T., Tyler, H. (2021). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia and Nightmares in the military: Therapist guide. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX.

van Schagen, A. M., Lancee, J., de Groot, I. W., Spoormaker, V. I., & van den Bout, J. (2015). Imagery rehearsal therapy in addition to treatment as usual for patients with diverse psychiatric diagnoses suffering from nightmares: A randomized controlled trial. The Journal of clinical psychiatry, 76(9), 8490.

Workshop 4

Repetitive Thinking from a Metacognitive Perspective

Ercan Altınöz, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Hakan Turkcapar, University of Ankara and Kadir Özdel, Health Sciences University, Etlik City Hospital, Turkey

Repetitive thinking, encompassing both worry and rumination, is a core feature in various psychological disorders. Emerging research within the metacognitive framework has highlighted that dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs play a pivotal role in the development and maintenance of these maladaptive cognitive processes. Metacognitive Therapy (MCT) offers novel insights and interventions that diverge from traditional CBT by targeting the regulation of thought processes rather than their content. This workshop will explore recent advancements in MCT, emphasizing evidence-based strategies for managing worry and rumination, with a special focus on how these processes impact anxiety and depression.

Primary Target Audience
This workshop is designed for clinical psychologists, cognitive-behavioral therapists, psychiatrists, and researchers interested in advancing their understanding and treatment of repetitive thinking processes—specifically worry and rumination—from a metacognitive standpoint

Key Learning Objectives

  • Understand the theoretical underpinnings of repetitive thinking within the metacognitive model.
  • Explore clinical applications of MCT for the management of worry and rumination.
  • Learn practical intervention techniques to disrupt maladaptive repetitive thinking patterns.
  • Discuss case examples and current research findings that illustrate successful applications of these techniques.

Hakan Turkcapar: An experienced clinician and researcher in metacognitive therapy, Hakan will introduce the principles of MCT and provide an overview of its application to repetitive thinking. He is a certified Level II therapist from MCT-I, ensuring a robust theoretical and practical foundation for the workshop.

Ercan Altınöz: Focusing on interventions targeting worry, Ercan will delve into specific strategies for modifying maladaptive worry processes. As a certified Level II MCT-I therapist, his expertise highlights how adjusting metacognitive beliefs can alleviate anxiety symptoms linked to excessive worry.

Kadir Özdel: Specializing in rumination, Kadir will concentrate on its relationship with depression, presenting targeted interventions to reduce depressive symptoms. Also a certified Level II MCT-I therapist, his presentation will emphasize cutting-edge methods for addressing rumination and its depressive consequences in clinical populations.


References

Wells, A. (2009). Metacognitive Therapy for Anxiety and Depression.

Papageorgiou, C., & Wells, A. (2003). Metacognitive beliefs about rumination in recurrent depression.

Matthews, G., & Wells, A. (2012). A comparison of metacognitive therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy in the treatment of anxiety disorders.

Friday 5th September 9.00am – 12.30pm

Workshop 5
SOLD OUT

Positive Affect Treatment for Depression, Anxiety and Anhedonia

Michelle Craske, University of California, Los Angeles, USA

Threat and reward sensitivity are fundamental processes that become dysregulated in the context of vulnerability to, or expression of, anxiety and depression. Treatments have traditionally targeted reductions in threat sensitivity with limited effects upon reward mechanisms. Investigation of reward sensitivity is essential for our understanding of psychopathology and for targeted treatment approaches. These findings led us to develop a treatment that specifically targets reward hyposensitivity, termed Positive Affect Treatment, which we have shown to be more effective than conventional cognitive behavioral therapy for anxious and depressed individuals. I will present the evidence from randomized controlled trials. Then I will present the step by step details of Positive Affect Treatment, accompanied by video demonstrations. The content will include treatment rationale, positive emotion labelling, behavioural activation with imaginal recounting, cognitive strategies for attending to rewarding stimuli and generosity, loving kindness, gratitude and appreciative joy exercises.

Key learning objectives:
Understand the role of reward hyposensitivity in anhedonia, depression and anxiety
Understand the evidence for the efficacy of Positive Affect Treatment for anhedonia
Gain familiarity with the principles and procedures of Positive Affect Treatment

Brief biography:
Michelle Craske is Professor of Psychology, and of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Kevin Love Fund Centennial Chair, Director of the UCLA Anxiety and Depression Research Center, and co-director of the UCLA Depression Grand Challenge. She has published extensively in the area of fear, anxiety and depression, including over 625 peer reviewed journal articles as well as academic books and therapist guides, and is a Web of Science Most Highly Cited Researcher. She has been the recipient of extramural funding since 1993 for research projects pertaining to risk factors and treatment for anxiety and depression and is currently the lead PI of a P50 Center grant focused on clinical decision making tools for evidence based therapies. She is Editor-in-Chief for Behaviour Research and Therapy. Dr. Craske holds the position of Officer of the Order of Australia.

References:
Craske, M.G., Meuret, A., Echiverri-Cohen, E., Rosenfield, D., & Ritz, T. (2023). Positive affect treatment targets reward sensitivity: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 2023 Mar 9. doi: 10.1037/ccp0000805. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36892884.

Sandman, C. F., & Craske, M. G. (2022). Psychological Treatments for Anhedonia. Current topics in Behavioral Neurosciences, 58, 491–513.

Craske, M.G., Dunn, B.D., Meuret, A.E. et al. Positive affect and reward processing in the treatment of depression, anxiety and trauma. Nat Rev Psychol 3, 665–685 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-024-00355-4

Workshop 6

OCD Unlocked: Evidence-Based CBT Strategies for Immediate Impact

Lata McGinn, Yeshiva University, US

Based on multiple randomized trials, CBT for OCD, with exposure and response prevention (ERP) as the key ingredient, is a first-line treatment for OCD with a very strong evidence base in the treatment of children, adolescents, and adults. This workshop will offer clinicians with the knowledge and skills to effectively treat obsessive-compulsive disorder across the lifespan using a comprehensive approach to enhance gains.

The workshop will cover how to functionally assess symptoms to set goals and use and refine different strategies, including psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, cognitive defusion, exposure, and response prevention. Emphasis will be placed on (1) cognitive and meta-cognitive strategies to maximize gains, reduce suffering, and increase client willingness to engage in ERP; (2) creation of overall and operational exposure hierarchies; (3) selection of type of exposure based on symptom presentation (4) design, implementation, and motivation and commitment for response prevention to block rituals (5) Use of different treatment formats to enhance and maintain gains (6) Incorporation of families to reduce accommodation and enhance gains.  A case vignette will be used to illustrate techniques. Clinicians are encouraged to ask questions and bring in treatment cases to ensure maximal learning

Key learning objectives:

  1. Participants will learn how to use cognitive and meta-cognitive strategies specific to OCD and learn to conduct effective behavioral experiments.
  2. Participants will learn how to effectively incorporate cognitive and meta-cognitive strategies to help reduce obsessional anxiety, decrease rituals, reduce suffering and increase willingness for EXRP.
  3. Participants will learn when how to use different types of exposure and learn how to effectively implement exposure and response prevention.
  4. Clients will learn how to maximize gains in exposure and response prevention by incorporating principles of inhibitory learning.

Brief biography:
Lata K. McGinn, PhD is a Professor of Psychology at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University and Director of the Cognitive & Behavioral Therapies (CBT) Training Program for Anxiety Disorders, OCD, Trauma, and Depression and is Co-Founder and Co-Director of Cognitive & Behavioral Consultants (CBC), an evidence-based clinical and training Center.

Dr. McGinn’s clinical, training, and research expertise is in CBT for the prevention and treatment of OCD, anxiety disorders, stress, trauma, PTSD, and depression. She has developed and tested a selective intervention to prevent at-risk depression in a NIH funded research study. She has also developed and implemented he Mind-Action-Mood (M&M) Program, a Universal (Tier 1) program in schools to prevent anxiety and depression, build resilience and improve functioning. Her extensive publications span peer-reviewed journal articles, chapters, and her co-authored books, “Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder” and “Treatment Plans and Interventions for Depression and Anxiety Disorders,” which has been translated into 14 languages.

In addition, Dr. McGinn treats adults and adolescents in her practice, teaches and supervises doctoral trainees, serves on the editorial board of peer-reviewed journals, gives invited keynotes, lectures, master clinician seminars, and workshops, and provides consultation to professionals, consumers, and organizations.

Dr. McGinn is the president of the World Confederation of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies (WCCBT) and in that capacity, works with the regional organizations across the Americas, Europe, Asia, Australasia, and Africa and the World Health Organization to promote evidence-based mental health practices.

In recognition of her achievements. McGinn has earned the titles of Beck Scholar and Fellow of the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Psychotherapies (ABCT). She was awarded a certificate of appreciation in recognition of her professional contributions on trauma prevention interventions on a Trauma Taskforce following September 11, 2001, and won the ABCT Outstanding Service to CBT award in 2020.

References:
Leahy, R.L., Holland, S, & McGinn, L.K. (2011). Treatment Plans and Interventions for Depression and Anxiety Disorders. NY: Guilford Press.

McGinn, L.K. (2015). Understanding and Treating Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.  The Independent Practitioner. 35, 50-57

McGinn, L.K. & Sanderson, W. C. (1999). Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.  New Jersey: Jason Aronson, Inc.

Spencer et al., (2023). CBT for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Psychiatr Clin N Am 46 (2023) 167–180

Workshop 7

Existential concerns and cognitive-behavioural procedures: Managing death, isolation, identity, freedom and the search for meaning.

Ross Menzies, University of Technology Sydney, Australia

Clients enter therapy with a range of problems of living. They don’t speak in diagnostic terms, but instead focus on the everyday difficulties that confront them. These difficulties may include isolation, loneliness, anxiety and sadness, guilt and regret, and problems making decisions (i.e. indecisiveness) in a world that offers seemingly endless choice. In contrast, the cognitive-behaviour therapist is trained in the language of conditioning and extinction, avoidance and safety behaviours, behavioural activation and attentional biases. This workshop explores the ideas of the existentialist philosophers as a bridge between the suffering client and technically trained clinician. The workshop seeks to place CBT in the broader context of the most popular philosophic tradition of the 19th and 20th centuries. The existentialists argued that each of us must confront the ‘Big 5’ issues of death, isolation, identity, freedom and meaning and find solutions to these problems. The workshop explores these themes and their relevance to a range of conditions including (but not limited to) OCD, panic disorder, illness anxiety disorder, phobic disorders, major depression and substance use problems. The workshop highlights the limitations of some current CBT interventions in failing to address underlying existential concerns.

Key Learning Objectives:

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

  1. Describe the five core existential concerns as conceptualized by existential philosophers.
  2. Assess for the presence of these existential concerns using reliable, contemporary scales.
  3. Recognize the limitations of traditional CBT packages and programs in addressing existential themes commonly presented by clients.
  4. Integrate existential ideas within cognitive-behavioural formulations to enrich case conceptualization.
  5. Adapt CBT interventions for disorders such as OCD, panic disorder, illness anxiety, and depression to incorporate existential dimensions of suffering.
  6. Develop a broader therapeutic stance that bridges philosophical enquiry with CBT technique, fostering deeper therapeutic engagement and meaning-oriented change.

Brief biography:

Professor Ross G Menzies is a clinical psychologist in the Graduate School of Health at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), and is a three-time National President of the Australian Association for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (AACBT). He was the Convenor of the 8th World Congress of Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies in 2016, and is the current Treasurer of the World Confederation of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies (WCCBT). He continues active research in anxiety and mental health and has published a dozen books and more than 220 journal papers and book chapters. He has received continuous national, competitive grant funding for over three decades and has a strong interest in existential issues and their relationship to mental health conditions. Professor Menzies was the editor of the AACBT’s scientific journal, Behaviour Change, for 17 years. He is a Fellow of the AACBT and a previous winner of the Distinguished Career Award of the association. In 2023, along with his daughter Dr Rachel Menzies, he won the prestigious William James Book Award from the American Psychological Association (APA) for their volume, Mortals: How the fear of death shaped human society. In addition to his academic career, Professor Menzies has run a large private practice in Sydney for the last thirty years.

Key references:
Menzies, R. G., Menzies, R. E., & Dingle, G. (Eds.) (2022). Existential concerns and cognitive-behavioral procedures: An integrative approach to mental health. Switzerland: Springer Nature.

Menzies, R. G., & Menzies, R. E. (2024). Existential therapies and the extended evolutionary meta-model: Turning existential philosophy into process-based therapy. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science. Advance online publication 14 September https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212144724001200

Menzies, R. E., & Menzies, R. G. (2023). Death anxiety and mental health: Requiem for a dreamer. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 78, Article 101807. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2022.101807

Workshop 8

Working with transdiagnostic dissociative experiences

Emma Cernis, University of Birmingham, UK

Dissociative experiences, like depersonalisation, which cause distressing feelings of ‘strangeness’, being ‘detached’ or ‘unreal’ are common across the full range of mental health services and presentations. Online discussion of dissociation is driving awareness and recognition among the general public (and young people in particular) – but many psychological therapists do not feel confident that they know how to work with dissociative complaints.

In this workshop, founded upon robust research evidence and drawing upon insights from clinical practice, you will learn how to assess, formulate, and intervene for a common type of dissociation. Taking a cognitive-behavioural approach, we will cover both content and process issues, and through discussion and interactive exercises, you will build your confidence in using the skills you already have to work with dissociation, whatever your professional context.

Declaration of commercial interest: alongside her academic role, Dr Cernis also runs a private practice specialising in dissociation/depersonalisation.

Workshop 9

CANCELLED

Managing Cravings and Addictive Behaviors using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

This workshop will not run and has been replaced by the new workshop below.

Workshop 9

Addressing Persistent Depression: The Cognitive Behavioural Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP)

Kim Penberthy, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Marianne Liebing-Wilson. Scotland and Massimo Tarsia, NHS Lanarkshire, Scotland

Primary Target Audience: This workshop is designed for mental health professionals, including psychologists, psychiatrists, counsellors, nurse therapists and social workers, who work with adults experiencing persistent depression, particularly those with histories of early trauma. No prior knowledge of this therapy system is required. Graduate students and trainees in clinical psychology or psychiatry may also benefit.

Cognitive Behavioural Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP), a treatment model designed for patients with persistent depression, has proven to be extremely effective in reducing depression in this population, especially in those with early trauma histories. This workshop will provide an introduction to the theory of CBASP and hands-on introduction to the major techniques of CBASP and explore its adaptation for group therapy. CBASP is designed to address interpersonal avoidance and teach coping skills by promoting felt emotional safety with the therapist and increasing the patient’s ability to recognise and begin to change the consequences of their behaviour (perceived functionality). The theory behind and treatment strategies of CBASP will be presented and include the Significant Other History (SOH) gathering, the Situational Analysis of situations (SA) and two techniques using therapist disciplined personal involvement. SA is an interpersonal problem-solving algorithm taught to patients to facilitate learning about their relationship in the world and increase perceived functionality. The disciplined personal involvement methodologies are used to heal earlier developmental trauma and also employ disciplined personal feedback from the therapist in a contingent manner to modify pathological interpersonal behaviour. Evidence for the effectiveness of CBASP will be reviewed, including specific hypothesised mechanisms of action such as changes in avoidance behaviour. Potential ethical dilemmas and strategies to address these will also be presented and reviewed.


Key Learning Objectives:

Participants will:

  1. Describe the theoretical foundation and rationale for CBASP, including its three core components.
  2. Describe the specific CBASP strategies, such as developmental history collection, Situational Analysis (SA), and Interpersonal Discrimination Exercises.
  3. Discuss the potential ethical challenges involved in the implementation of components of CBASP such as the disciplined personal involvement.


Teaching Methods:
The workshop will incorporate a combination of didactic presentations, live demonstrations, and experiential learning opportunities. Hands-on practice with core techniques such as Situational Analysis and interpersonal discrimination exercises will be introduced. Participants will engage in abbreviated role-play scenarios to practice these methods and receive personalised feedback. Additionally, case examples and discussions will illustrate the application of CBASP in individual and group therapy contexts.

Friday 5th September 2.00pm – 5.30pm

Workshop 10

Advanced and Ethically Sound Strategies to Maximize Exposure-Based CBT for Youth with Anxiety Disorders

Anne Marie Albano, Columbia University, USA, Aleta Angelosante , New York University, USA and Sandra Pimentel, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, USA

Referrals for treatment of anxiety disorders (ADs) in children, adolescents, and emerging adults (hereafter, “youth”) are increasing internationally at an alarming rate (Fortuna et al., 2023). Youth with ADs evidence significant distress, global impairments in functioning, and high risk for the development of secondary conditions such as depression, substance use disorders, and suicidality. Exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy (EXCBT) is the most well studied psychosocial treatment for these conditions with over 50 years of randomized controlled trials and dissemination studies establishing its empirical support. Yet, the effectiveness of EXCBT is often limited by clinicians with little training in this modality. Moreover, misinformation and myths about exposure therapy for anxiety fuels resistance to clinicians learning to administer EXCBT as well as fear among youth and parents who may benefit from its effectiveness. The presenters will bring to bear in this workshop their collective experience in treating youth with ADs using EXCBT, from their clinical trials as well as in their practices and training programs. Basic CBT knowledge will be assumed, as the focus of the training is on the assessment, treatment planning, and implementation of exposure therapy. Setting up exposures for youth at different ages and developmental stages, which bring their own unique challenges in terms of ecological validity and involvement of parents or partners, will be presented. Ethical issues in conducting exposures both within and outside of the therapy office will be addressed, with particular attention to quandaries that occur, such as when an exposure may conflict with religious or cultural beliefs. While conveying some basic information on exposure theory and practice, the presenters will focus on challenging clinical presentations, such as treating the comorbidity of social phobia and selective mutism in adolescents, climate change anxiety, and interoceptive exposure. The workshop will also focus on specific issues and barriers such as protecting confidentiality when conducting in vivo exposures out of the office, low motivation, or the limited insight younger children and adolescents may have regarding the impact ADs have on their daily lives and functioning. The presenters will utilize clinical case examples, give demonstrations, set up role plays, and encourage questions and interaction with attendees throughout the training.

Workshop  11

Loading...

Compassion Focused Therapy for Complex PTSD

Deborah Lee and Hjordis Lorenz, Berkshire Traumatic Stress Service, UK

CFT was developed by Professor Paul Gilbert (2005, 2009) to address issues related to self-criticism, shame, and difficulties with self-soothing. The approach helps clients develop a sense of psychological safeness by activating the soothing-affiliative system. Expert consensus, including UK Psychological Trauma Society guidelines (2019), supports the use of CFT as part of a phased treatment approach for Complex PTSD (CPTSD). This workshop will explore how CFT principles can be integrated into trauma-focused therapy to enhance treatment outcomes.

Individuals with CPTSD often experience severe symptoms beyond PTSD, including deep-seated shame and self-loathing, distrust, emotional dysregulation, interpersonal difficulties, and dissociative experiences. This workshop will examine the evolutionary basis of shame within Social Mentality Theory (Gilbert, 2005), explaining how trauma shapes human development and the social brain. We will explore how compassion acts as an antidote to shame by fostering safeness and shifting cognitive and emotional processing from self-attack to self-care (Gilbert, 2009).
Primary Target Audience
Individuals interested in using Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) in their practice.

Key Learning Objectives

Participants will gain a deeper understanding of:

  • The role of compassion in reducing shame and promoting emotional safety in clients with CPTSD.
  • How to use CFT techniques (e.g., breathwork, imagery, and meditation) to help clients develop an embodied sense of safeness.
  • Strategies for fostering self-compassion in clients to enhance their ability to tolerate distress and process trauma memories.
  • How to use compassion-focused states of mind to de-shame trauma memories, facilitate grief, and integrate compassionate narratives into trauma-focused interventions.

Dr Deborah Lee is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Head of the Berkshire Traumatic Stress Service and OPCOURAGE Integrated Services for Veteran Mental Health for the South East of England. Dr Lee has worked in the field of trauma for 33 years, with a clinical and research focus on working with shame and self-loathing in the context of interpersonal trauma. She has pioneered the application of CFT for PTSD and Complex PTSD, authored The Compassionate-Mind Guide to Recovering from Trauma and PTSD (2013), and developed a group-based intervention, ‘Compassionate Resilience,’ currently being evaluated in an RCT for CPTSD. Dr Lee has widely disseminated her work through publications, workshops, and international keynote presentations.

Dr Hjördis Lorenz is a Specialist Clinical Psychologist at the Berkshire Traumatic Stress Service, specializing in trauma and anxiety disorders. She holds a PhD and DClinPsy from the University of Oxford, with a research focus on improving PTSD treatment and prevention. Since 2022, she has been using and researching CFT in adjunct to trauma-focused therapies such as TF-CBT.

References

Gilbert, P. (2005). Compassion: Conceptualisations, Research and Use in Psychotherapy. London: Brunner-Routledge.

Gilbert, P. (2009). Introducing Compassion Focused Therapy. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 15, 199-208.

Lee, D.A. (2013). The Compassionate-Mind Guide to Recovering from Trauma and PTSD. New Harbinger.

Workshop 12

Loading...

Get out of your Symptoms and into your Life: Using an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy approach for Long Term Conditions

Trudie Chalder and Debra Brewin, King’s College London, UK

The impact of any LTC on quality of life can be considerable. There is evidence that ACT improves psychological flexibility as well as functioning, anxiety and depression in the treatment of pain BUT has less of an effect on the symptom of pain itself (Lai et al 2023). There is also preliminary evidence that ACT is helpful for several LTCs, namely HIV, Cancer, Epilepsy, Muscle Disease (Graham et al 2016). We draw on experience using ACT in the context of Randomised Controlled Trials (RCT) i.e. in muscle disease, (Rose et al 2022) and people with ongoing issues who have recovered from cancer, (Moschopoulou et al 2022).

Target Audience: Therapists seeking to expand knowledge and skills in the application of a process approach to improve quality of life (QOL) and distress for people experiencing persistent health challenges.

Therapeutic aims:

  1. Explore the personal impact of LTC, formulate difficulties using an ACT framework and discuss how the approach can improve QOL.
  2. Work with unhelpful emotional and behavioural responses associated with LTC (avoidance, frustration, loss, hopelessness, attentional focus on symptoms) using Mindfulness skills to build acceptance, self-compassion and encourage values-based action.
  3. Increase flexibility and adaptive behaviour which improves QOL, symptoms, emotional adjustment and satisfaction.

Learning Objectives: 

  • Summarise recent evidence for ACT in LTC and its application.
  • Knowledge on how to integrate education about relevant physiological processes into therapy for LTC.
  • Skills  to use an ACT formulation and approach to address the impact of LTC, increase flexibility and improve quality of life.

Trudie Chalder is Professor of CBT at King’s College London and South London and Maudsley NHS Trust and Director of the Persistent Physical Symptoms Unit. She develops specific models for understanding and treating symptoms and associated disability and has recently evaluated ACT for LTC in context of RCTs. 

Debbie Brewin is a CBT/ACT Therapist, Supervisor, Trainer and co-author of five self-help books. She develops intervention training for Healthcare Professionals and CBT therapists.

References:
Hayes, S. C., & Smith, S. (2005). Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life: The New Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. New Harbinger Publications.

Graham CD, Gouick J, Krahé C, Gillanders D. A systematic review of the use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in chronic disease and long-term conditions. Clin Psychol Rev. 2016 Jun;46:46-58. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2016.04.009. Epub 2016 Apr 20. PMID: 27176925.

Rose MR, Graham CD, O’Connell N, Vari C, Edwards V, Taylor E, McCracken L, Radunovic A, Rakowicz W, Norton S, Chalder T. A randomised controlled trial of acceptance and commitment therapy for improving quality of life in people with muscle diseases. Psych Med. 2022 Feb 23. doi.org/10.1017/S0033291722000083

Moschopoulou E, Brewin D, Ridge D, Donovan S, Taylor SJC, Bourke L, Eva G, Khan I, Chalder T; SURECAN Grant Investigators. Evaluating an interactive acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) workshop delivered to trained therapists working with cancer patients in the United Kingdom: a mixed methods approach. BMC Cancer. 2022 Dec;22(1). doi.org/10.1186/s12885-022-09745-4

Workshop 13

Building Therapist Resilience and Confidence in Client Care

Aylin Webb, Mind & Mood UK

In the demanding world of client care, therapists often prioritise others’ needs over their own, leading to burnout, anxiety, self-doubt, and reduced resilience. “Building Therapist Resilience and Confidence in Client Care” is a practical and empowering workshop designed to help therapists build the resilience and confidence they need to thrive in their roles. In this interactive session, participants will explore key strategies for self-care, mindset transformation, and confidence-building specifically tailored to therapists’ unique challenges.

The workshop addresses the pressures CBT therapists face, including burnout, emotional exhaustion, empathy strain, and self-doubt, which can impact client care. Therapists often deal with perfectionism, high workloads, and pressure for measurable outcomes, which can lead to self-criticism, negative self-talk, and a sense of inadequacy. Professional organisations highlight the urgent need for targeted support to help therapists sustain their well-being. This workshop provides practical tools for building resilience, self-compassion, and confidence, empowering therapists to manage stress, set boundaries, and maintain effectiveness in their roles. Promoting therapist well-being helps ensure long-term success and quality care for clients.

By focusing on resilience-building, self-compassion, and confidence, the workshop aligns with key CBT principles of self-awareness and adaptive thinking, offering therapists actionable tools to sustain their well-being and tackle issues around perfectionism.

Additionally, the workshop’s emphasis on self-care and boundary-setting supports therapists in managing their own cognitive and emotional needs. By encouraging therapists to apply familiar CBT techniques—like reframing unhelpful thoughts, addressing perfectionistic tendencies, or implementing structured self-care activities—to themselves, the workshop reinforces the value of self-care as a professional skill.

Who the workshop is aimed at: Early to mid-career CBT practitioners and Low-intensity therapists.

Learning Objectives:
Participants will acquire the following skills:

  • Develop resilience-building techniques to manage stress and avoid burnout
  • Nurture a mindset of confidence and self-compassion
  • Establish sustainable self-care practices tailored to your role as a therapist
  • Learn strategies to manage boundaries and avoid overextending in client care effectively

Aylin Webb (Psychologist, CBT Therapist, Author, Life Coach and Podcaster) works as an experienced practitioner supporting individuals in overcoming burnout, stress, and perfectionism. With a diverse background—born in Istanbul, having lived in Copenhagen, and residing in London for 25 years—Aylin brings a multicultural perspective to her work. She is passionate about empowering individuals to build resilience, confidence, and sustainable self-care practices. As a trainer and facilitator, she combines professional expertise with lived experience, delivering engaging, practical workshops. Aylin’s compassionate approach and real-world insights create a supportive learning environment that fosters growth and well-being.

Background Readings:

1 – Rössler, W. (2012).  Burnout: A major problem for mental health workers. Occupational Medicine, 62(2), 145–147. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqr232

2 – Delgadillo, J., Saxon, D., & Barkham, M. (2018). “Burnout and Psychological Wellbeing Among Psychotherapists: A Systematic Review”. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1475. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01475

Workshop 14

Loading...

Knowing you, knowing misophonia: expanding your CBT skills for working with sensitivity to specific sounds

Jane Gregory, University of Oxford, UK,  Zach Rosenthal and Grace Heppes, Duke University, USA, Tom Graham, Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre (OCTC) Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, UK

Misophonia is a relatively unknown yet surprisingly common phenomenon, where sounds like chewing, coughing and muffled noise from neighbours evoke reactions of anger, panic and helplessness. Individuals seeking treatment for misophonia report significant distress and impairment in their daily lives.

With no apparent problems in auditory processing, individuals may benefit from a psychological approach to reduce the intensity of reactions and improve daily functioning. Given the relative infancy of misophonia treatment literature, interventions must be highly individualised and collaborative. Together the therapist and client develop theories about maintaining factors and target those mechanisms using established CBT strategies, learning as they go and revising theories to incorporate new information.

This workshop introduces two frameworks for helping a client to make sense of their misophonia. The “Three Cycles” formulation maps out the individual’s sensory processing and attention cycle, the in-the-moment symptom spiral cycle, and the between-moments burden cycle. Each cycle is targeted with a series of behavioural experiments using established CBT principles. A process-based therapy approach involves collaboratively identifying and prioritising biopsychosocial mechanisms underlying impaired functioning in misophonia, and targeting these using well-established, transdiagnostic, evidence-based interventions. In both frameworks, traditional exposure and habituation methods are not endorsed, and feedback from experts by experience indicates that this can increase distress. Instead, inhibitory learning principles are applied, testing whether novel and safe experiences of engaging with sounds can help develop new, less threatening associations.

Primary target audience

Clinicians with limited experience of working with misophonia, wanting to adapt their existing CBT skills and learn new strategies.

Learning objectives

  • Construct a formulation of misophonia and apply existing CBT tools
  • Distinguish inhibitory learning approaches from traditional exposure
  • Design sounds-based experiments using a client-centred framework

 

Jane Gregory is a clinical psychologist researching cognitive-behavioural mechanisms of misophonia at the University of Oxford. Tom Graham is a Counselling Psychologist seeing clients with misophonia at the Oxford Health Specialist Psychological Intervention Centre and a trainer and supervisor at Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre. Grace Heppes has lived experience of misophonia and is the Outreach and Education Coordinator for the Duke Center for Misophonia and Emotion Regulation at Duke University. Zach Rosenthal is a clinical psychologist, Associate Professor, and Director of the Duke Center for Misophonia and Emotion Regulation at Duke University.

 

Key references

Gregory J, Graham T, and Hayes B (2023). Targeting beliefs and behaviours in misophonia: A consecutive case series from a UK specialist psychology service, Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 52(1)

Rosenthal, M. Z., Shan, Y., & Trumbull, J. (2023). Treatment of misophonia. Advances in Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, 3(1)

Saturday 6th September 9.00am – 12.30pm

Workshop 15

Loading...

Brief Group Schema Therapy (BST): A Structured, Experiential Approach for Complex Cases

Michiel Van Vreeswijk, G-kracht mental health institute, the Netherlands and Kirsty Gillings, NHS Tayside, Scotland

Brief Group Schema Therapy (BST) is a structured adaptation of standard Group Schema Therapy (GST), designed to maximize therapeutic impact within a shorter timeframe. It integrates core ST principles, such as limited reparenting and experiential techniques, with a clear phase-based structure to optimize client engagement and therapeutic outcomes. Emerging research suggests that BST can be an effective alternative for clients who may not have access to longer-term GST, offering a pragmatic solution for clinical settings with time and resource constraints.

Recent studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of schema-based group interventions, with a transdiagnostic and person-centred approach showing promising results in predicting treatment outcomes (van Vreeswijk et al., 2024). This workshop will introduce the evidence base for BST and provide a practical framework for implementing this approach, focusing on key mechanisms of change, group dynamics, and co-therapy roles.

Primary Target Audience

This workshop is designed for clinicians with interest in Schema Therapy (ST) and group facilitation who wish to learn how to deliver Brief Group Schema Therapy (BST). It is particularly relevant for therapists working with clients who have entrenched clinical syndroms and personality pathology and require a structured, time-limited intervention.

Key Learning Objectives

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Set up a successful BST group, including client assessment, selection, and administration.
  • Conduct experiential group interventionstailored to the three phases of BST.
  • Navigate the roles and tasks of BST co-therapiststo enhance group cohesion and therapeutic effectiveness.
  • Manage group dynamic processes to foster corrective emotional experiences and schema change.

Dr. Kirsty Gillings, PhD: Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Advanced Certified Schema Therapist, Supervisor and Trainer, and Clinical Lead for Personality Disorders at NHS Tayside. Dr. Kirsty Gillings has extensive experience in the delivery of time-limited schema therapy in individual and group modalities and provides regular training and supervision to mental health services implementing it as part of their complex trauma/personality disorder pathways.

Michiel van Vreeswijk, MSc Clinical Psychologist at G-kracht Mental Health Care Institute, Netherlands. He is a Certified Schema Therapist, Supervisor and Trainer (ISST, VSt), Certified Group Therapist, Supervisor and Trainer (NVGP), and Certified Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, Supervisor and Trainer (VGCt). 

Michiel van Vreeswijk is a leading international expert in Schema Therapy, known for his extensive contributions to research, clinical practice, and training.


References

van Vreeswijk, M. F., Spinhoven, P., Zedlitz, A. M. E. E., Vugts, M. A. P., & Eurelings-Bontekoe, E. H. M. (2024). A person-centered, transdiagnostic schema and mode profile approach to predict outcome in time-limited schema group therapy. Psychotherapy Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2024.2375251

van Vreeswijk, M., Broersen, J., & Nadort, M. (2012). The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Schema Therapy: Theory, Research, and Practice. Wiley-Blackwell.

Workshop 16

Loading...

Teaching Recovery Techniques: An Evidence-Based Intervention for Children Affected by Trauma

Dennis Ougrin, Queen Mary University of London, UK and

Anna Tarasenko, Ukrainian Medical Association of the United Kingdom and Mindly Ltd.

TRT is a structured program developed to address trauma symptoms by teaching young people self-regulation techniques, problem-solving skills, and strategies to reduce intrusive thoughts and avoidance behaviours (Smith et al., 2017). The workshop begins with an overview of the impact of trauma on young minds, followed by a description of the core components of TRT. Participants will learn how to create a supportive environment, facilitate group sessions, and adapt the techniques to meet the cultural and contextual needs of their populations and how to incorporate principles of positive parenting to enhance TRT.

Interactive elements of the workshop include role-playing and case studies. These activities provide hands-on experience in delivering TRT and positive parenting while emphasizing the importance of empathy, patience, and adaptability when working with trauma-affected youth. Additionally, the workshop addresses ethical considerations and self-care practices for facilitators to mitigate secondary trauma (Brown et al., 2021).

This workshop is ideal for mental health professionals, educators, and community workers committed to fostering resilience in young people impacted by trauma.

Brief Biography:  Dennis Ougrin is Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Global Mental Health at Queen Mary University of London. He graduated from a medical school in Ukraine in 1998 and came to England to undertake his post-graduate training. He completed his higher training in child and adolescent psychiatry at Guy’s and Maudsley and is currently an honorary consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Enhanced Treatment Service at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. Professor Ougrin leads a programme of information exchange between the UK and Ukraine.  His main professional interests include prevention of Borderline Personality Disorder and effective interventions for self-harm in young people.

Key references:
Brown, T., Miller, R., & Williamson, H. (2021). Trauma-informed practices in child and adolescent care. London: Routledge.

Smith, A., Green, M., & Taylor, D. (2017). Evaluating the impact of Teaching Recovery Techniques on trauma-affected youth. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 22(4), 234-241.