Deliberate practice in cognitive-behavioral therapy

Developing key skills in CBT in practice
The focus of this book is the issue faced by many psychotherapists, from novice students to experienced professionals - the gap between theoretical knowledge of psychotherapy and the ability to reliably implement it in practice, applying this knowledge. To overcome this problem, the authors suggest using deliberate practice, a teaching method specifically designed to develop the ability to reliably implement complex skills in complex work conditions.

Leading practitioners and researchers in the field of CBT were involved in the preparation of the book. Taking their recommendations into account, a set of exercises was developed, which was then tested in various educational institutions worldwide. Importantly, deliberate practice is not proposed here as a replacement for established educational programs, but as an adaptable teaching method that can easily be integrated into existing courses to develop practical skills based on theoretical competence.

A comprehensive understanding of theoretical and practical literature on CBT is important, but this knowledge can never replace direct practical experience working with clients. However, students have relatively few opportunities to practice a wide range of clinical skills that are theoretically available to them.

The deliberate practice exercises presented in this book are designed to provide such a learning opportunity based on experience - for learning through practice. Furthermore, students are given the opportunity to practice not only what they would say to a client, but also how they would do it, which is often equally important.

This book presents deliberate practice exercises in which students and trainees work on fundamental CBT skills until they become natural and automatic. Step-by-step instructions help participants perform the exercises, define criteria for mastering each skill, and explain how to control and adjust complexity. Guiding principles are also provided to help instructors and trainees get the most out of their learning.