Cognitive therapy training for psychiatrists

Abstract

Psychological therapies are a necessary component of any mental health service. Psychiatrists will require a working knowledge of different psychological approaches and many will wish to develop clinical skills to practice at least one model of psychotherapy. Historically, most psychiatry training schemes have offered exposure to psychodynamic psychotherapies, while training in other approaches has been less systematic. The expansion of research into brief psychological therapies and a wealth of recent publications on the subject have led to an increasing awareness of the benefits of training in other models of psychotherapy. The most widely practised and researched brief psychological intervention is cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). This paper will outline the principles behind providing training in CBT, and the barriers to successful implementation of a training programme.