Course overview
Begin your journey to accreditation with the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapists (BABCP) as a cognitive behavioural psychotherapist. This course will equip you with both the theoretical knowledge and practical clinical skills necessary to become a proficient psychological therapist, specialising in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
Founders' Awards 2024 - The Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Team | University of Birmingham
Transcript
Transcript
We have been running the Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy since 2008 working in partnership with NHS England and local NHS Talking Therapy Services. We train the next generation of cognitive behavioral psychotherapists. If you live in the West Midlands region and you seek help from the NHS for difficulties related to anxiety or depression, there is a good chance that the therapist you will see is one of our former students. We only select applicants with a proven track record comprising both academic achievement and direct experience in the provision of mental health care in the year that they spend with us. Students engage in a full time program of study and practice where they learn how to apply the latest evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy techniques under supervision on placement with local service providers. We are committed to providing a stimulating teaching environment full of opportunities for both theoretical and experiential learning. We are passionate about equipping our students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to make a meaningful contribution to the psychological well-being of the local community. Since we are exclusively focused on teaching. We can't measure impact in the way that the university traditionally does. And according to our best estimates, the therapists that we have trained since 2008 have delivered about two million hours of psychotherapy to people within the West Midlands and beyond. This equates to around 250,000 of your relatives, friends and colleagues who will be sleeping more easily, engaging in their roles in society more effectively and simply living better because of the help that our students have offered to them. as part of England's first civic University. We are proud of our reputation for providing high quality psychotherapy, training and of the therapists that we train who go on to serve the wellbeing and prosperity of our society.
CBT is an increasingly popular form of evidence-based psychological therapy. Upon completion of this course, you’ll be well-equipped to use CBT to help people explore and change the patterns of thinking and behaviour that contribute to difficulties with anxiety and depression.
This course has been an amazing experience, both in terms of what I've learned professionally, and also personally, in terms of growth and endurance. I would recommend it to others and I hope I do the course team proud in terms of my practice going forward. You have made a difference to our lives as students, and to the lives of our service users.
Course Structure
This course will run over 12 months in a full-time-mode. The below information is based on a full time Masters course.
30/09/2025 - 18/12/2025 (12 weeks)
The first term focuses on foundational knowledge and skills with most of the teaching sitting within the introductory 'Principles and Practice of CBT' module. You will learn the basics of CBT theory, how to assess and formulate from a CBT perspective, and key cognitive and behavioural intervention strategies.
