Child/Adolescent CBT Theory and Practice

CLI BX702 - Child/Adolescent CBT Theory and Practice

Credits: 3

This course focuses on learning theory and its application to cognitive-behavioral interventions to treat the major psychological disorders of childhood and adolescence.  The course begins with an introduction to clinically-relevant foundational concepts in learning theory, including classical and operant conditioning, and then proceeds to a survey of social cognitive theory.  The course then addresses the application of these concepts to cognitive-behavioral assessment and case formulation and treatment.  Practice-oriented clinical skills as well as background research will be covered as regards mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma-related disorders, disruptive behavior disorders, substance use disorders, and ADHD, among others. Interventions will be considered for patients from 3 to 18 years of age.  For the most part, this is a how-to course; students will learn essential techniques, they will learn how to use them individually and in combination, and they will learn how to proceed when the techniques do not work.  Consideration will also be given to forging a therapeutic alliance, cognitive-behavioral assessment, work with parents, and the integration of cognitive-behavioral treatment with other methods.