The success of CBT Today magazine is due to the efforts of BABCP members who contribute to each issue. We’re always thankful for submissions, as it shows that members are committed to sharing with others.
The magazine has developed over time, and with membership numbers increasing, both in number and workforce diversity, we want to provide you with information about how to submit articles to CBT Today.
The guidelines below were agreed at the February 2026 meeting of the BABCP Board, and are what we will follow, when considering any article’s suitability for publication.
CBT Today Editorial Guidelines
CBT Today is our members’ magazine. It is published four times each year and it contains a variety of articles and information that is considered of value and interest to BABCP members.
Submissions to CBT Today are encouraged from among our membership, with relevant news items from within BABCP and around the wider mental health community being formulated for inclusion in the magazine by the Managing Editor.
We encourage members to consider submitting items which might engage members with BABCP considering the policy on external communications.
We recognise that BABCP membership is not a homogenous group, so therefore there are a range of thoughts and ideas among our members.
Article submission
Articles are encouraged from all BABCP members. Of particular interest is promotion of the work of our Special Interest Groups – we want to encourage members to become involved in the SIGs as an opportunity to share information in their spheres of work.
Articles can focus on any subject matter that is relevant to CBT, but they must:
- Have a clear link to CBT practice, research or environment
- Follow the style and content guidance below
- Follow the submission requirements established below
Style and content
CBT Today is not an academic journal, so is free of the rigorous demands of such publications. Therefore, we encourage less formal writing in submitted articles.
BABCP members are not a homogenous group, so your article should aim to convey its message in a clear concise way.
Some suggestions on how to write your article include:
- Write in your own natural voice
- Make the article friendly and as accessible as possible for non-specialist readers
- Avoid jargon where possible
- Provide evidence for what you have written, whether that is from academic research, other articles, or simply from your own experiences
- Use proper referencing in your article. The preferred referencing style is
- If using tables or graphs from other sources, ensure that permission is obtained from all those involved in the work to confirm their acceptance of publication of this All authors must email editorial@babcp.com to confirm their acceptance of publication.
Anonymity and confidentiality
If you include case studies, or make reference to patients in your writing, please confirm separately from the article itself that the information contained will not lead to the identification of an individual client. Consider if the client was to read the article, would they be able to identify themselves?
Submission requirements
Email editorial@babcp.com with your idea for an article. Our Managing Editor will be in touch about this.
Your article must be:
- A Word document which you can submit by
- Include confirmation that the article is your own work. If it is a jointly-written article, include the contact details of all co-authors. We reserve the right to contact these to confirm their agreement to
- If your article has already been published elsewhere, either in print or online, please provide details of publication, as well as details of how we can contact the original publishers to determine our ability to republish this work.
- Submit a short biography of the author with no more than two sentences of information to let readers know who you You might want to include your current position/research/field of interest. You may also include an email address if you want readers to contact you about the article.
- No longer than 1,400 words (plus references). We may ask you to submit an article that is shorter than this.
If your article is to be published in CBT Today, we may edit it to fit our house style. Any significant alterations will be confirmed with you prior to publication.
Copyright
BABCP retains the copyright for all articles unless otherwise agreed with the editor.
Editorial decision-making
The Managing Editor will be free to refuse, edit or delay publication of any submitted article. The Managing Editor may consult with any relevant member of staff, Trustee or Committee in order to determine the suitability of any submission.
