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Faculty of Health Sciences

Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences

McMaster On-Line CBT Training Workshops (MOCT)

If you are looking to enhance your CBT skills, increase your confidence as a therapist and improve outcomes with your client populations, McMaster now offers a series of virtual, synchronous, and interactive workshops that will provide you with either basic foundational CBT skills (Fundamentals) or more advanced skills in a variety of different areas (Advanced).

Fundamentals will be offered five times a year. It runs for 7 weekly 2 hour sessions and is suitable for clinicians and clinical learners interested in learning practical and effective core CBT strategies applicable to a broad range of presenting concerns.

The Advanced Workshops, which are listed under the Advanced Workshops tab, will begin in March. Each Advanced Workshop lasts for 8 hours (1 day) and will focus on a specific problem (ie. depression or insomnia) a treatment approach (ie. behavioural activation) or ways to work with specific populations or communities (ie. 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals).

Experienced faculty presenting practical and applicable advice on topics of current relevance in an easy to follow format will make these workshop a valuable addition for every clinician.

Fundamentals Course

Fundamentals of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: Core skills to improve your practice

Overview:

Fundamentals of CBT offers an introduction to the historical foundations and theory underlying cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and in-depth learning of core CBT strategies for use with adolescents and adults.

Designed to aid clinicians in flexibly applying CBT in their clinical practice, including using case formulation, the course content covers a variety of cognitive and behavioural strategies and when and how to apply them to maximize benefit.

Equity, diversity and inclusion concepts will be interwoven throughout the lectures to aid clinicians in applying CBT to individuals from various populations and backgrounds and with intersecting identifies. Led by skilled and experienced faculty, the synchronous lectures include didactic learning, as well as the opportunity for in-class practice and role-play.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand the predominant theories underlying CBT
  • Develop skills in client conceptualization and case formulation from a CBT perspective
  • Learn and apply core cognitive change strategies
  • Learn and apply core behavioural change strategies
  • Increase confidence in ability to apply strategies in a targeted way
  • Identify and troubleshoot common challenges and barriers in CBT
  • Refine skills in treatment termination

Content:

Module 1 – Historical foundations & overview of common presentations
Module 2 – Assessment from a CBT perspective & case conceptualization formulation
Module 3 – Cognitive strategies I (thought records, socratic dialogue, cognitive distortions, modifying automatic thoughts)
Module 4 – Cognitive strategies II (evidence technique, eliciting assumptions & core beliefs, additional strategies)
Module 5 – Behavioural strategies I (behavioural activation & SMART goals)
Module 6 – Behavioural strategies II (intro to exposure, exposure hierarchies, troubleshooting exposure, behavioural experiments)
Module 7 – Putting it into practice and preventing relapse

Dates of Upcoming Courses:

To accommodate the maximum number of attendees, there will be two groups running for each period, covering exactly the same content. The maximum number of participants in each group is 30.

Monday, April 29th to Monday, June 17th (Mondays)
*no session on May 20th – Victoria Day
1:00-3:00pm EST
Register here

Wednesday, May 1st to Wednesday, June 12th (Wednesdays)
3:00-5:00pm EST
Register here

Refunds/Deferment:

Refunds must be requested a minimum of 3 days prior to the first session of the course. A $25.00 administrative fee will be charged on any refund.

Fees:

Regular price $399
Learner price $199 *MUST provide proof of enrollment at an academic institution
Please note costs are in CAD dollars and do not include the 13% HST – Harmonized Sales Tax charged for Canadian applicants.

 

 

Advanced Workshops

We are offering 14 Advanced CBT workshops that will cover a very wide range of topics (below), beginning in March 2024. You can register for as many as you wish and there are no pre-requisites. Each workshop (see below) offers focused training in one specific area of practice, whether it be a clinical problem or treatment approach, or working with a specific population or community, and will be led by McMaster faculty members with extensive clinical and teaching experience.

The date of each workshop is listed below, and to learn more about any specific workshop or to register just click on the workshop name. All workshops will run from 9:00am-5:00pm EST, unless otherwise stated. The cost of each workshop is $249 + HST. Refunds must be requested a minimum of 3 days prior to the first session of the course. A $25.00 administrative fee will be charged on any refund.

If you have any other questions check with the list of FAQs (button above) or send an email to CBTinfo@mcmaster.ca

For details of each workshop and to register, just click on the name of the specific workshop in the list below.

APRIL

CBT for Chronic Pain Wednesday, April 24th

MAY

CBT and Serious Medical Illness Monday, May 13th

JUNE

CBT for Generalized Anxiety Disorder Friday, June 7th
Enhancing Parent Engagement in CBT for Childhood Anxiety Monday, June 10th
CBT for Psychosis
**this workshop will run from 9:00am-1:00pm on both dates		 Friday, June 14th AND Friday, June 21st

Questions about our program?

Email for more information

Instructors

FAQ

For all courses and workshops:

CERTIFICATES / CREDITS:
Q: Will a certificate be provided at the end of the course? If so, are the charges included in the fee?
A: Yes, you will receive a signed certificate of attendance via email from McMaster University. This is included in the cost of the course.

Q: What will the certificate give me? Is it RCPSC/MOC accredited for CME?
A: The hours accumulated in this training will count toward the 50 hours needed for accreditation by the Canadian Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies (CACBT).

Q: Are the workshops eligible for continuing education credits?
A: We have not formally applied for the workshops to be accredited by any specific governing organization, but most organizations will recognize and give credit for courses at major Universities such as McMaster University. All workshops are formally approved by McMaster which is why we can provide a certificate of completion.

Q: When will I receive my certificate of completion?
A: Certificates will be e-mailed within 10 business days of completing the course or workshop.

Q: Can it be applied towards McMaster’s Clinical Behavioural Sciences – Graduate Diploma?
A: Unfortunately, although the content of the course will prove to be very helpful for anyone taking the CBS Diploma Program they are not connected and cannot be applied or provide any extra credit towards that Program. 

COURSE CONTENT:
Q: Will the workshops be delivered in person or online?
A: All MOCT workshops are only offered virtually (via Zoom)

Q: Will I need a camera and microphone to participate?
A: Yes, you will need a working camera and microphone.

Q: Are any of the workshops offered in other languages?
A: Currently, all McMaster CBT workshops are only available in English.

Q: Does McMaster have any pre-recorded CBT courses which I can take at my own pace for certification and/or credit hours?
A: At this time we’re not offering it asynchronously, although we hope to be able to offer pre-recorded workshops down the road. When pre-recorded versions become available they will be listed on our website or you can be added to our mailing list to be kept up to date by contacting cbtinfo@mcmaster.ca

PAYMENT / REFUNDS / DEFERMENT:
Q: Can I request a refund?
A: Refunds will be available up to 3 days before the start of a course or workshop. There will be an administrative processing fee of $25.00 for any refund. You should expect to receive the refund within 10 days of contacting us. To obtain a refund, simply contact cbtinfo@mcmaster.ca

Q: I noticed there are “Learner” prices available for the Fundamentals course. Is there a Learner price for the Advanced Workshops?
A: No. Currently, there is only one price for all Advanced Workshops.

CONTACTS / COMMUNICATION:
Q: How can I learn more about future workshops? Is there a mailing list to stay updated?
A: To be kept up to date on all MOCT news, including future workshops, send an email to cbtinfo@mcmaster.ca or visit our website:  https://psychiatry.mcmaster.ca/education/continuing-education/cbt-training-workshops/

SPECIFIC QUESTIONS FOR FUNDAMENTALS COURSES:
Q: I have limited experience and want to pursue a career in the area of mental health. I’m looking to understand the basics of CBT and its application in practice. Will this course be suitable?
A:  Yes

Q: I have no prior experience in practice and have not completed related schooling. Am I still able to take this course?
A:  Yes, there are no pre-requisites to take the CBT Fundamentals course

Q: What happens if I miss a session? 
A: Missing a session, if unavoidable, is OK. A participant must attend a MINIMUM of 5 out of 7 sessions in order to meet the mandatory attendance requirements to receive a certificate upon completion.

Q: If I miss a session, can I view a recording?
A: No, as sessions are not recorded. You can, however, contact the facilitator and request any documents or references that were provided.

Q: If I am unable to attend all the sessions, am I able to complete those missing sessions at a future workshop series date? 
A: No. That is not possible 

Q: Is there an evaluation component?
A: There is no formal evaluation of participants as part of the program. But to help us continue to improve the workshops, we will be sending you (electronically) a feedback form at the end of your workshop / course to complete and return to us.

Q: Is there homework to complete outside of the workshop?
A: No, there is no formal homework to be completed.

Q: Will there be opportunities for practical demonstration or interactions with clients?
A: No. Currently, there is no component requiring participants to demonstrate skills or work with “live” clients.

LEARNER STATUS / PROOF OF ENROLMENT:
Q: What is the criteria for a Learner vs. Regular price
A: A learner is someone who is currently enrolled in an educational program at a recognized academic institution (and able to provide documentation/proof of status at time of registration)

Q: What can I submit as my “proof of enrolment” to be considered for learner status? 
A: Registrants can provide a pdf or photo of supporting documents such as: a tuition receipt, current timetable, or equivalent (with a clearly displayed date). If you are unsure if you have the proper documentation, please email cbtinfo@mcmaster.ca

Q: How and when do I submit my proof of enrolment documents?
A: You can upload the relevant documents directly at the time of registration.

Questions about our program?

Email for more information

Contact Us

Do you have general questions about our program? Our team is here to help.

Please email CBTinfo@mcmaster.ca for any questions.