PGDip Evidence-Based Psychological Treatment (High Intensity)

Our Postgraduate Diploma in Evidence-Based Psychological Treatment (High Intensity) will equip you with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) strategies to help adults overcome anxiety and depression. You’ll gain the theoretical knowledge and clinical skills to qualify as a high intensity cognitive behavioural therapist.

Choose CBT training at the University of Reading

• Your training will be delivered within the University's Charlie Waller Institute. Established in 2008, the Institute offers award-winning training underpinned by psychological research.
• This course is accredited by the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP). When you graduate, you’ll be eligible to apply for level 2 accreditation with the BABCP.
• You’ll be taught by experienced and enthusiastic practitioners. We’ve delivered high intensity CBT training to more than 22 cohorts of trainees since 2008, and have maintained our accreditation since then.
• You’ll gain a theoretical understanding of common mental health problems and clinical skills to support clients using CBT.

What you’ll learn

On this course, you’ll follow the NHS Talking Therapies National Curriculum for high intensity cognitive behavioural therapy.

The programme combines theory and practice-based learning at the University, alongside clinical practice under supervision at an NHS Talking Therapies service in England.

Self-funding or sponsored students may undertake their clinical placement at a suitable alternative setting.

High intensity CBT therapists provide evidence-based psychological interventions for adults with depression and moderate to severe anxiety disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

Your academic learning will:

• provide you with a theoretical understanding of the nature and treatment of depression and anxiety
• develop your clinical competency to offer evidence-based treatment at Step 3 of the stepped care model – through observation, role-play and skills practice.

Who is the programme for?

Applicants employed by the NHS

Most of our students will be directly employed as a trainee high intensity CBT therapist within a partner NHS Talking Therapies service. The course is fully funded by the NHS for these students. Trainees will receive a salary equivalent to a full-time NHS band 6 over the year, along with supervision within their service.

Fully funded trainee CBT roles are advertised on the NHS jobs website. Applicants should apply directly to NHS services for these roles. The University of Reading will review applications and be present on interview panels.

Self-funding applicants

You can apply directly to the University of Reading if you are interested in self-funding (covering the costs of training yourself as an individual), or being sponsored by your employer.

You’ll need to complete a minimum of 200 clinical hours and 70 supervision hours to pass this course. Prior to starting the course, it is therefore essential that you have access to appropriate training cases (clients) and supervision within your service/placement.

To find out more, please read our guidance on suitable training cases (docx file).

The University of Reading is unable to help with securing a suitable placement or supervision if these are not already in place.

Documents to be provided

You will need to complete our Information Particulars and Objectives form (docx file) at enrolment. The form also offers guidance around your responsibilities, and those of your employer/placement organisation and clinical supervisor.

Course duration

This is a full-time taught programme, spanning 12 months. It normally runs twice a year, starting in February and September.

How you'll learn

You'll study at the University’s Charlie Waller Institute, which specialises in research and high-quality training in evidence-based psychological treatments.

Our courses are taught by nationally and internationally recognised academics who are experts in improving clinicians’ skills.

A significant component of your learning will focus on skill acquisition and development – approximately 50% of all in-house teaching days are clinical in nature.

In your first module, the focus will be on the development of generic CBT competences, including:

• assessment skills
• formulation skills
• cognitive and behavioural techniques utilised within CBT interventions
• strengthening skills to help meet the requirements of the standardised measures used to assess clinical competence.

The second and third modules will focus on developing intervention skills for the treatment of anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and body-dysmorphic disorder.

During teaching, and also on Thursdays in university supervision, there will be a focus on practical learning. You'll take part in role-play, followed by group discussions to ensure the development of generic clinical skills.

Course structure

• Induction days: you will attend two mandatory induction days (one online and one on campus). 
• Intensive teaching: your learning will begin with a five to six week block of intensive teaching. You’ll be required to attend classes from 09:00 to 16:00, three to four times a week. Most of your teaching will take place on campus at the University of Reading. Some lessons will be provided online.
• Teaching: after the intensive teaching block, you’ll learn through a mixture of face-to-face and online teaching, usually on a Wednesday (9:00 to 16:00).
• University supervision and clinical skills sessions will take place on Thursdays, 09:00 to 16:00. In addition to university supervision, you will receive weekly supervision within your workplace.
• On-campus teaching: you will need to attend all of your timetabled teaching and supervision days on campus. The number of on-campus teaching days will vary from week to week.
• Study days: you are entitled to 20 study days over the course of the year. These must be agreed with your line manager in your service.
• Support services: we offer a range of support services, including individual and group tutorials, study skills support, an allocated academic tutor, and access to student counselling services.

Clinical practice

Over the year, you’ll need to complete a minimum of 200 clinical hours with clients and 70 supervision hours (between your workplace and the University).

As part of your 200 clinical hours, you must complete eight training cases. You will need to regularly bring your training cases to your university supervision sessions. To meet BABCP criteria, you’ll need to work with at least five presenting problems with five different protocols.

For further details, please see our guidance on suitable training cases (docx file).

Assessment of competencies

This postgraduate diploma includes a significant academic component. You’ll need to complete a range of academic and clinical summative assessments, including:

• an essay
• one process case report
• two extended case reports
• a live case presentation
• three assessed recordings of client sessions.

Formative assessment of recordings using the CTS-R framework will take place in supervision. This will support your learning and help prepare for assessed work.

You will be required to keep a Practice Portfolio throughout the course, providing evidence of your successful completion of all elements of the course. This includes completing:

• a self-directed learning log (evidencing 250 hours of self-directed learning)
• a clinical log of your 200 clinical hours
• an audit of eight training cases
• reflections of CBT literature (two per module)
• training case reports of the five cases not submitted for the summative written pieces.

Requirements to pass the course

To pass this course, you must achieve a pass rate of 50% in all your academic and clinical assessments, supervisor assessments, and student portfolio (which includes evidence of self-directed learning, client outcomes and feedback, and student reflections on training).