The Pathway to Becoming a CBT / REBT Therapist

Here at the College of Cognitive Behavioural Therapies, it’s our goal to guide students through the process of becoming fully accredited and experienced therapists, practicing Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT).

We do this by taking you through our carefully structured and fully supported programme of courses and diplomas, designed to equip you with the skills needed to practice professionally and safely, regardless of your current starting point.

Whether you already have a background in counselling, therapy or mental health, or are starting on a completely new career path, making the journey to a fully qualified and accredited cognitive behavioural therapist doesn’t have to be daunting. Each level of progression leads naturally to the next, and your confidence and ability will grow with every new certificate achieved.

Below, we share a quick run through of our various course levels, what they include, and what you can expect.

Counselling Skills and Ethics

If you are coming to REBT / CBT as a complete novice, this is where you start. This short, two-weekend course focusses on learning the basics of being a counsellor. This means learning about and practicing the art of active listening, getting a person to open up and share through open questions, summarising, reflecting, body language and more.

Whilst your actual introduction to the philosophy of REBT is limited to general notions of emotional responsibility and how what we believe influences how we feel, wider issues such as how to manage counselling sessions, the ethics of counselling and how to respond to various issues are all explored.

Read a more detailed blog all about the Counselling Skills and Ethics course here.

With lots of role-play and lively discussions, at the end of this short course you will feel much better equipped to handle the responsibility and privilege of working as a therapist.

We also offer a Blended Learning Counselling Skills and Ethics course which is a mix of home study and online role play sessions with one of our lecturers. This course can be started at any time to suit the student’s timeline.

We advise that you contact us at admin@cbttherapies.org.uk before paying for either course just in case you already have enough counselling experience and can apply directly for the Diploma in CBT/REBT.

See all the details and how to apply here.

Diploma in CBT / REBT

Depending, again, on your experience levels, you may be beginning your journey here, rather than the Counselling Skills & Ethics course. On the Diploma in CBT/REBT , students begin to get to grips with the basics (the ABCs, if you will) of REBT and how it is applied. Guided by a team of experienced and knowledgeable practicing therapists, you learn the structure and foundation of Rational Emotional Behavioural Therapy and how it works in practice.

The course runs over a period of six months (one training weekend a month with assignments in between), and features lots of role-play and interactive discussions, allowing you to really explore the ideas and get a feel for what it’s like to work with a client. Whilst learning a whole new philosophical way of working may seem a challenge, things quickly fall into place and you are soon thinking and talking like an REBT counsellor!

Check out the Diploma in CBT / REBT in more detail here.

Advanced Diploma in CBT / REBT

Now you know the ABCs of REBT, the Advanced Diploma goes into greater detail about its philosophy and application in the real world and in the context of specific issues.

The course looks at a range of symptoms and concerns that you will meet as a therapist, and explores how CBT / REBT can be used to treat them. These include:

• Insomnia
• Depression
• Panic Disorder
• Generalised Anxiety Disorder
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Eating Disorders

You are pretty much guaranteed to meet most if not all of these issues in your professional career, so the insights gained are invaluable.

This is also when you start seeing clients of your own – the course requires a minimum number of client hours to pass (50 hours at time of writing). These can be accrued at various places, such as placements, volunteering with charities or working with employee support programmes. You also now become a student member of the National Counselling Society, our accrediting organisation.

This might seem scary at first, but once you dive in it becomes easier and easier. Think of it as your own REBT therapy. You are once again supported and advised by the team at CCBT, and nothing will ever be the same again!

Read up on the Advanced Diploma in CBT / REBT here.

Advanced Diploma in Integrative CBT/REBT I

By now, you will be feeling a lot more confident with the theory and practice of REBT in client sessions. So it’s time to add some new ingredients into the mix…

The Advanced Diploma in Integrative CBT/REBT I introduces you to various other therapeutic disciplines, their applications and how they relate to or differ from REBT, which will always be your core ‘therapeutic bias’ (you can read up on its core elements here).

CBT therapeutic approaches will be explored in detail and you will practice them in role-play situations. All will be important to know about, and some will go on to become core elements of your regular sessions. Learning different ideas gives you lots more tools to lean on when clients present their often-complex issues in the therapy room.

When you have successfully completed this course, you can then apply to become a fully accredited member of the National Counselling Society. Congratulations, you are now a qualified and accredited REBT therapist!

Full details of the Advanced Diploma in Integrative CBT/REBT I course.

Advanced Diploma in Integrative CBT/REBT II

By now you will have achieved accreditation and be seeing regular clients on your own, but there is still much to learn, and this course helps you on your way.

This course introduces you to Psychodynamic Theories and protocols, and how they can be integrated with or complement the REBT model, where appropriate.

This is also an opportunity to learn and practice hypnotherapy, and discover what conditions and issues it can help with, such as smoking, weight loss, presentation / performance anxiety etc.

This will deepen your understanding of CBT and the wider therapeutic field, and enable you to help and support more clients dealing with more complex issues.

You do not have to take the Advanced Diploma in Integrative CBT/REBT II with us. You will have achieved accreditation at the end of the previous step. However, this course will provide you with further integrative options for your client work, plus accredited status with the National Hypnotherapy Society, opening up a wider range of clinical practices and clients available to you.

Get all the details about the Advanced Diploma in Integrative CBT/REBT II course here.

If you’ve read this far, well done! Hopefully this makes the pathway to becoming an NCS accredited therapist clear. You can read about the personal benefits of the training here, and if you have any questions or you are ready to begin your journey now, please get in touch with the College and its team at admin@cbttherapies.org.uk.

Nick Jones
CBT / REBT Counsellor