The transfer of CBT education from classroom to work setting: getting it right or wasting the opportunities?

‘It was like the unicorn of the therapeutic world’: CBT trainee experiences of acquiring skills in guided discovery

Training as a cognitive behavioural therapist involves a considerable role transition for mental health professionals where they are expected to demonstrate competence in a range of new skills that emphasise collaboration and Socratic dialogue. This can be in stark contrast to the more didactic style that trainees are familiar with prior to embarking on their training. Guided discovery (GD) is an integral part of formulation and treatment, yet little is known at present about the experiences of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) trainees when learning this new skill; specifically, how they assimilate this with existing ways of working and the challenges this might involve. This research is a preliminary attempt to understand factors that help and hinder GD skill acquisition. Eighteen trainee CBT practitioners completed an online questionnaire with the subsequent data analysed using a grounded theory methodology. Three themes were identified: ‘Competing Selves’, ‘Style’ and ‘Active Engagement and Learning’. These themes were used to develop a preliminary model of factors that enable or inhibit skills in GD. The impact of previous professional roles appears to influence the acquisition of confidence and skill in GD. This paper discusses the implications of the findings for CBT trainers, supervisors and trainees.

Key learning aims

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Role Transition from Mental Health Nurse to IAPT High Intensity Psychological Therapist

Background: The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) initiative has depended on the training of a new NHS mental health workforce. At step 3 of the stepped care model, capacity building has required the recruitment of a wide range of mental health professionals into high intensity therapists training posts. This shift naturally entails role transition on the part of trainees into delivering cognitive behavioural psychotherapy (CBP), but no previous research has examined the experience of such transitions. Aim: To describe the lived experience of transition from mental health nurse to IAPT high intensity therapist and to identify possible factors which moderate effective role conversions. Method: Six qualified high intensity therapists were interviewed using a semi-structured interview and the subsequent interviews transcribed. Thematic content analysis (TCA) was used to analyze personal accounts of role transition. All participants had previously been mental health nurses and attended the same IAPT high intensity therapist (HIT) training programme. Results: Six key themes were apparent from the TCA. Three interconnected themes concerning supervision (style, impact of approach and historical context) and three additional themes of the challenge of learning a new clinical approach, high need for support, and forming a new psychotherapist identity. Conclusions: Findings suggest supervision is the most important factor in supporting complex psychotherapy role transitions. Clinical supervisors may need to incorporate dedicated time on role and identity shift during CBP training to ensure effective assimilation and transition. Methodological short-comings are identified and discussed.