How to choose a CBT training course

CBT training should teach the fundamental theories and skills that underpin cognitive and behavioural therapy. This includes working with diversity and the theory and practice of CBT with common mental health difficulties.

There are many courses with CBT components. However, you must ensure your course meets with the requirements of including at least 200 hours of taught CBT drawn from our Core Curriculum.

To be certain the course covers these, you will need to check their programme details against our Core Curriculum.

See our MTS and Core Curriculum pages for more guidance.

Our MTS are our criteria for accreditation. If you want to become accredited after a CBT training course, you will need to ensure that your course and collective experiences meet our MTS.

To be eligible for accreditation, our current Minimum Training Standards require that your CBT training must be at Postgraduate level validated by a higher education institution.

This will be at least a postgraduate certificate, postgraduate diploma, Masters’ degree or equivalent. This is Level 11 in Scotland, Level 7 in England, Northern Ireland and Wales and Level 9 in Ireland.

Our Minimum Training Standards say that you need to have completed 200 taught CBT hours on core CBT skills and theory. A minimum of 100 of these hours must have been completed on your structured postgraduate CBT course.

If pursuing accreditation after non-accredited training, you must provide evidence that all your trainers and supervisors were appropriately qualified in CBT through either:

• BABCP accreditation as practitioners, OR
• Postgraduate diploma level CBT training (minimum)

and:

• Are actively in CBT practice
• Are in receipt of CBT-specific supervision

Please note: All BABCP accredited courses use only BABCP-accredited practitioners for training and supervision.

For complete details, see the Guidelines for Accreditation as a Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist 

To learn any skill, you have to practice it. As a trainee CBT therapist, you will be on placement during your training. For accreditation, you will need to have completed 200 clinical practice hours that are supervised by a BABCP Accredited Therapist or equivalent.

Some courses provide the placements (e.g. NHS Talking Therapies courses), while for others you will have to find your own placement.

Clinical supervision while on placement is a key part of your learning. Live supervision (reviewing of audio or videotapes or sitting in a session) is essential for accreditation and there is evidence that this enhances your learning and skills as a therapist.

Both of these are provided on all BABCP accredited courses by supervisors who are all BABCP- accredited practitioners. You will need to check with other courses if clinical supervision is provided as part of their training.

To apply for accreditation, you must have four CBT case studies formally assessed which meet our case study marking criteria.

You will be expected to provide copies of these case studies with your application if you apply from a non accredited course.

If your course requires fewer case studies, you’ll need to complete the remaining ones before applying.

If you are accepted onto an NHS Talking Therapies training, you will not have to pay for your training – you will be a paid NHS employee during the course and your placement and supervision will be included in this training. 

Many other post-graduate trainings have to be paid for by the student or sometimes are partly funded by a commissioner or employer.