CBTI Courses

The Cognitive Behavior Therapy Institute, or CBTI, was founded by Dr. Joel Becker to educate both professionals and the general public on CBT. Seminars are intended for doctoral level psychologists, physicians and terminal level master degree clinicians who have completed their own programs of study. Courses can be taken by the general public without the continuing education component.

CBTI maintains responsibility for this program and its content. All of our home study courses are provided to the consumer via digital download.

Friday, June 19th, 2020, 11:00AM-12:30PM PST

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a cognitive-behavioral treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Evidence over the past several decades has shown that CPT is effective in reducing PTSD symptoms related to a variety of traumatic events including child abuse, rape, combat, and natural disasters, making CPT a "best practice" for PTSD.

CPT Coach is a free application (app) for mobile devices developed by the VA's National Center for PTSD. CPT Coach was created to increase convenience and adherence for patients and clinicians working through the CPT treatment manual. It is intended to be used as a treatment companion for a patient working with a therapist trained in CPT. Licensed psychologists Greg Stanford, Psy.D. and Emily Owens, Ph.D. will describe the evidence supporting CPT as a treatment approach for PTSD, as well as an overview of the theoretical basis of CPT. The webinar will include an instruction on the application of the protocol using the CPT Coach app to an individual with PTSD.

Webinar objectives:

1. Describe the evidence supporting CPT as a treatment approach for PTSD.

2. Understand the theoretical basis of CPT and how treatment leads to improvement in symptoms of PTSD.

3. Introduce and illustrate using the "CPT Coach" app to a case study of an individual with PTSD.

About Presenters: 

Greg Stanford, Psy.D., Associate Clinical Director of CBA, received his Psy.D. from California School of Professional Psychology in 2009. Dr. Stanford has completed trainings with Dr. Judy Beck and is a Diplomat candidate with Academy of Cognitive Therapy. He specializes in cognitive behavioral techniques related to ADHD, Gender and Sexual Minority Stress, Insomnia, Panic, and Trauma. Dr. Stanford joined CBA in 2017 and became Associate Clinical Director and Co-Director of CBTI in 2019.

Emily Owens, Ph.D. is a staff psychologist at CBA and Director of CBTI. Dr. Owens received her Ph.D. in 2018 from UCLA where she specialized in assessment and intervention for serious mental illness (SMI). She completed her clinical internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the West LA VA, where she trained in various clinics applying cognitive-behavioral techniques to SMI, homelessness, trauma, and substance abuse. In addition to clinical practice at CBA, Dr. Owens is a Clinical Instructor at UCLA Department of Psychology.

1.5 CE credits provided

Cognitive Behavior Therapy Institute (CBTI) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. CBTI maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Joel L. Becker, Ph.D., Founder and Director

Previous Webinars

The Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP)

Trauma Conceptualization and Treatment: Re-Wiring Survival Instincts Toward Healing

OCD-101 - Assessment and Treatment Planning

Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP)

Rebuilding Intimacy Through Acceptance - Integrative Behavioral Couples Therapy (IBCT)

Irritable Bowel Syndrome Managed Through Mind-Body Treatment

Transgender Competence in the Therapeutic Setting

Strengths-Based Parenting Strategies that Work

Treating Psychosis Utilizing Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Biofeedback - An Adjunct Tool in Optimal Patient Care

Conquering Insomnia: CBT-i Introductory Seminar

Bipolar: What CBT Has to Offer

CBT for the Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Presented by Laura Payne, Ph.D., & CBTI

Evidence over the past several decades has underscored commonalities among various emotional disorders, including anxiety and depression. This suggests the possibility of distilling the critical components of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) interventions into a single, unified treatment approach that could facilitate dissemination and may even be more effective. The Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP) is an evidence-based therapy approach that can be applied to any disorder with an emotional component. Laura Payne, Ph.D., licensed psychologist and original co-author of the UP, will describe the evidence supporting a unified treatment approach, as well as provide a detailed overview of the protocol. The webinar will include instruction on the application of the protocol to a case of an individual with anxiety and comorbid depression.

Webinar objectives:

1. Describe the evidence supporting a transdiagnostic, unified treatment approach.

2. Identify the specific components (modules) of the UP and provide an overview of how to deliver them.

3. Illustrate how to apply each component to a case study of an individual with anxiety and comorbid depression.

About Presenter:

Laura Payne, Ph.D., is an Assistant Adjunct Professor and clinical psychologist specializing in central mechanisms and psychological factors, such as depression, anxiety, and emotion regulation, related to pain. Dr. Payne received her Ph.D. in 2007 from Boston University, where she worked with Dr. David Barlow as an original developer and co-author of the Unified Protocol. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship with the Pediatric Pain Program at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. During her time at UCLA, Dr. Payne was awarded numerous NIH grants, including a postdoctoral research award, as well as a career development award to examine central pain mechanisms in primary dysmenorrhea (menstrual pain). Dr. Payne is now continuing her work in menstrual pain with an additional research grant that aims to identify behavioral and neural phenotypes of adolescent girls with menstrual pain that may predict the development of chronic pain conditions. She continues to be actively involved with the Unified Protocol and regularly trains and supervises psychiatry residents in the use of the protocol through the CBT Clinic at the UCLA Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Payne has also written numerous articles and book chapters on the application of the Unified Protocol to emotional disorders and pain.

1.5 CE credits provided

Cognitive Behavior Therapy Institute (CBTI) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. CBTI maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Joel L. Becker, Ph.D., Founder and Director

Click here to download a printable PDF flyer. 

A large percentage of individuals experience trauma during their lifespan and a proportion of these individuals develop a diagnosis of PTSD. Even for those who do not receive a diagnosis of PTSD, the experience of trauma could lead to other mental health concerns and functional impairment. Amanda Gorlick, Ph.D., licensed psychologist, will discuss the identification and treatment of trauma-related symptoms and impairment. The webinar will include a discussion of theories, current literature, and evidence-based practices to inform conceptualization and treatment in clinical practice. Vignettes will be used. 
 
This workshop is designed to help you:

• Describe the various types of trauma and symptom presentations in diverse populations.

• Apply a broad and encompassing conceptualization of PTSD and trauma-related symptoms from a survival/protection perspective, which includes an understanding of the basic neurobiology of fear.

• Utilize a combination of empirically-supported treatment techniques along with non-specific therapy factors to target trauma and associated symptoms.

About the Presenter:
Amanda Gorlick, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist who received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Loma Linda University. She completed an APA-accredited internship at the Phoenix VA Healthcare System and an APA-accredited postdoctoral fellowship at the San Diego VA Healthcare System. Her interests include treatment of trauma-related disorders, sleep-related disorders, and anxiety disorders. Dr. Gorlick has extensive training providing individual and group therapy for a wide range of mental health concerns as well as coping with chronic disease. She utilizes evidence-based practices, while appreciating the uniqueness of clients and the importance of the therapeutic relationship. 

1.5 CE Credits Provided

Cognitive Behavior Therapy Institute (CBTI) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. CBTI maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

 Click here to download a printable PDF flyer. 

$29.95

With more than 3 million cases per year, Obsessive Compulsive
Disorder (OCD) is a common mental health disorder that impacts individuals of all ages. Defined as a chronic and long-lasting disorder, individuals have uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts (obsessions) and engage in behaviors (compulsions) that are experienced as inescapable urges. In this webinar Joel L. Becker, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and Clinical Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) discusses the assessment, potential co-occurring health issues, and the basic components of OCD treatment planning. Upon completion of the Webinar clinicians will be able:

1. To create a treatment plan that has inhibitory learning as an goal

2. To describe “deepened extinction” and apply that in exposure treatments

3. To apply and demonstrate how “linguistic processing” is based on “disruption theory”

About the Presenter

Joel L. Becker, Ph.D. received his doctorate in 1977 from the University of Georgia, and was a
Clinical Fellow in Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
During his years in Boston, Dr. Becker was on the clinical faculty of Harvard Medical School,
Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology and United States Veteran’s Administration,
and served as a consulting CBT practitioner at several psychoanalytical institutes. In 2005, Dr.
Becker launched Cognitive Behavior Associates and the Cognitive Behavior Therapy Institute
an APA approved CE sponsor. Dr. Becker has remained very active in the training of new
clinicians. He is currently a Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychology at UCLA, where
he teaches and supervises doctoral candidates in psychology.

Jim McCullough developed Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy, or CBASP, to treat chronic depression. This treatment is based on the underlying theory that chronically depressed adults function at the pre-operational stage of cognitive development, having either not progressed further in the case of early onset depression, or having regressed in cognitive functioning in cases of late-onset depression. 

This workshop is designed to help you: 

• Understand why treatment, as usual, tends to be ineffective in treating chronic depression.

• Discern the mechanism of change and employ the two main interventions: Situational Analysis and Interpersonal Discrimination Exercise.

• Conceptualize interpersonal behavior of chronically depressed patients in order to determine their stimulus value and adopt optimal interpersonal style to bring about change.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the training. The cost is $29.95, and 1.5 CE credits are provided.

About the Presenter

Vanessa Hurwitz received her Ph.D. from Fuller School of Psychology and interned at VAMC, WA (Spokane & Walla Walla). She completed a fellowship in CBT at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where she completed Dr. McCullough's CBASP training, received intensive CBASP supervision and provided training and supervision in the model. In addition, Dr. Hurwitz is certified by the Academy of Cognitive Therapy and a practitioner of CBT and DBT at the Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center. 

Recommended Reading

McCullough, J. P. (2003). Treatment for Chronic Depression: Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy. NY: Guilford Press.

Couples often struggle with navigating differences and initiating positive behavioral changes in their relationship. Andrew Christensen, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and professor emeritus at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) will discuss Integrative Behavioral Couples Therapy (IBCT) and how it works towards the twin goals of acceptance and change through a behavioral treatment framework.

This workshop is designed to help you:

        • Distinguish IBCT from Traditional and Cognitive Behavioral Couples Therapy
        • Conceptualize themes and patterns in relationships
        • Understand IBCT strategies for resolving conflict and building intimacy

Andrew Christensen received his Ph.D. from the University of Oregon, interned at Rutgers University Medical School, and is a Distinguished Research Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles. 

He has published over 150 professional articles on couples conflict and therapy, with his research cited in various publications including the Washington Post, New York Times, Newsweek, Time Magazine, and U.S. News and World Report.

Dr. Christensen is co-author of the influential scholarly book, Close Relationships (Freeman, 1983, reprinted in 2002), authored Acceptance and Change in Couple Therapy:  A therapist’s guide for transforming relationships (1998, Norton) with Neil S. Jacobson, and most recently authored Reconcilable Differences (2000, 2014, Guilford) with Jacobson and Doss.  

With support from the National Institute of Mental Health, Christensen and Jacobson conducted the largest clinical trial ever done evaluating the impact of couples therapy, including Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT; http://ibct.psych.ucla.edu/) the couples therapy protocol they co-developed. 

In 2010, IBCT was adopted by the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs as one of their evidence-based treatments. Additionally, with his former graduate student Dr. Brian Doss at the University of Miami and support from the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, Dr. Christensen has developed an online, internet-based therapy approach for couples based on IBCT (www.ourrelationship.com).

Click here to download a printable PDF flyer. 

Recent statistics indicate up to 22% of the U.S. population reports symptoms consistent with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), a functional bowel disorder defined as recurrent abdominal pain associated with altered bowel habits. Traditional medicine has had limited success in helping those suffering from IBS. Jayson Mystkowski, Ph.D., will discuss an IBS treatment protocol adopted from anxiety disorder treatments, providing an example of how mind-body treatments can help conditions that were once viewed as outside the realm of psychological intervention.

This Webinar is designed to help you:

• Summarize IBS diagnostic information.

• Recognize the extensive similarities between Panic Disorder and IBS, with specific focus on etiology, maintenance, and treatment.

• Apply CBT techniques from Panic Disorder treatment to clients suffering from IBS.

Click here to download a printable PDF flyer. 

Parents are often trying to juggle many demands at once, making
it difficult to always be thoughtful about the way they are
parenting their children. Lauren Shapiro, Ph.D., will focus on
evidence-based parenting techniques that amplify a child's
strengths, enhance the parent-child relationship, and teach
children contingencies: when they behave well, good things
happen; when they do not, there are logical, natural consequences.

This workshop is designed to help you:

• Explain the role of emotional awareness and regulation

• Create routines in the home and between parent-child

• Assess dysfunctional vs. effective parenting strategies that enhance the parent-child relationship

Click here to download a printable PDF flyer. 

Gender minorities continue to be an under-served population, often presenting with previous/current harm(s) from healthcare providers, positive prognosis for therapeutic growth, and specific risk factors. Dr. Greg Stanford, Psy.D., WPATH will discuss the ethical and clinical considerations of working with transgender clients. Creating a safe environment, as well as identifying a practical level of competence regarding transgender issues will be presented. At the conclusion of this program, participants will be able to: 

• Negotiate the concerns of transgender oppression such as individual, cultural, and institutional

• Identify non-medical transition (social transition) and medical transition (i.e., hormones and surgeries)

• Apply appropriate therapeutic skills as they relate to gender minority stress

Dr. Greg Stanford, Psy.D., is a Licensed Psychologist with practices in Arcadia, Beverly Hills, and Cypress, California. He is a member of World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). He received his Psy.D. in clinical psychology from California School of Professional Psychology in 2009. He began his clinical training at Los Angeles LGBT Center (formerly Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center) in 2006.

His doctoral project consisted of a selective literature review of the harms, considerations, and need for affirmative therapy for survivors of sexual reorientation attempts, culminating in delivering a presentation to mental health professionals. He completed his postdoctoral internship at Ocean Park Community Center, providing services in shelter communities and with recently housed, formerly homeless individuals. Dr. Stanford has over 10 years of experience in serving the trans community.

Melissa Magaro, Ph.D., provides an overview of CBT for Psychosis (CBTp). A treatment that addresses chronic and often debilitating psychotic spectrum illnesses characterized by hallucinations, delusional thinking, paranoia, and reduced social interaction and motivation. Specifically, participants will learn:

• Individualized CBTp case formulation

• Key methodology utilized in CBTp

• Case management focused on empowerment and supportive recovery

Dr. Megan Wagner, Ph.D., BCB will provide an overview of how biofeedback (BFB) can help clients self-regulate their physiological responses to stress, and how BFB can be used in combination with other treatments (e.g., psychotherapy, medication, physical therapy). Client responses measured include heart rate, heart rate variability, skin conductance, breathing rate, muscle tension, and peripheral blood flow. Research has found BFB to be an effective tool in the treatment of anxiety disorders, chronic pain, headache (migraine, tension, & mixed), hypertension, depression, motion sickness, Raynauld’s disease, TMJ, and others. 

Specifically, participants will learn:

• The theoretical underpinnings of BFB

• How specific populations interface with the technology

• Integration of BFB into treatment planning and patient care

Dr. Megan Wagner received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 2011 from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. While completing a postdoctoral fellowship at the VA Loma Linda Healthcare System she received specialized training in Clinical Health Psychology focusing on understanding and treating problems pertaining to the reciprocal relationship between psychological and physical health. Dr. Wagner is board certified in biofeedback therapy by the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance. 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) — the only scientifically proven non-drug insomnia treatment,” is now available for digital download. Dr. Joel Becker, Cognitive Behavior Associates will present this course as an introduction for clinicians and psycho-education for clients.

$29.95

Dr. Joel Becker's Tele-seminar Bipolar: What CBT has to Offer  is now available for purchase for 1.5 Continuing Education credits, as well as to the general public.

Dr. Jayson L. Mystkowski's Tele-seminar CBT for the Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome is now available for purchase for 1.5 Continuing Education credits, as well as to the general public.