Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies: High Intensity Training PGDip

Aimed at experienced mental health professionals with experience of working in an IAPT service who wish to become accredited cognitive behavioural psychotherapists. Our course is fully accredited by the British Association of Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) as a Level 2 IAPT course.

Cognitive & Behavioural Therapies: High Intensity Training is a rigorous, challenging and highly rewarding clinical skills training course.

You will be trained in the use of empirically supported treatments, observe expert clinical demonstrations, and receive constructive feedback on your developing clinical competence.

You will also have the opportunity to develop the research competences required to ensure that your clinical interventions are based upon the best available scientific evidence.

Upon successful completion of the course, you will have satisfied the requirements of BABCP minimum training standards, and be eligible to apply for BABCP accreditation.

Accreditations

Why You'll Love It

Exton Park, Chester

Academic Skills Support

Personal Academic Tutors

What You'll Study

Within the Postgraduate Diploma you will have the chance to develop, under supervision, the knowledge and skills required to assess, classify, formulate and treat adults with depression and anxiety disorders; and work with patients who have complex clinical presentations.

Core Modules

The module is intended to equip students with (a) knowledge regarding evidence based approaches to the assessment and treatment of depression and anxiety disorders; & (b) core assessment & clinical intervention skills.

It has been designed to prepare students to work in Talking Therapies services providing high-intensity Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies. It provides an opportunity for intensive skills training and to develop core skills in assessment and treatment of depression and anxiety disorders.

First there is an introduction to key cognitive and behavioural theories. Second there is skills training in assessment interviewing for depression and anxiety disorders. Third there is skills training in the core skills which underpin the majority of evidence based treatments. These core skills include behavioural activation; cognitive restructuring; exposure; and problem solving. Fourth students are orientated to a model of supervised clinical practice that will facilitate safe, efficient, effective clinical work during their studies.

The module is intended to equip students with the knowledge and skills required to select & implement evidence based treatment protocols for adults with depression and anxiety disorders within Talking Therapies services. It provides an opportunity for intensive skills training and to develop core skills in assessment and treatment of depression and anxiety disorders.

The first part of the module focuses on how to develop and share treatment model compliant case formulations. The rest of the module provides training on treatment protocols for depression and anxiety disorders including depression, specific phobia, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, PTSD, OCD, generalized anxiety disorder, and health anxiety.

Due to the applied nature of the training, the running order of protocol training requires a certain degree of flexibility in line with student feedback and stakeholder need. Hence the order in which protocol training takes place will vary from year to year.

The module aims to help students advance their competence by learning how to (a) assess, formulate & treat; or (b) recognise, manage & refer patients with complex presentations of depression and anxiety disorders. This skill is essential for all cognitive behavioural practitioners due to the prevalence of complex presentations within Talking Therapies services.

Optional Modules

This module is intended to enable students to develop & demonstrate in step 3 Talking Therapies services the clinical competences required to assess and treat depression and anxiety as a cognitive behavioural psychotherapist.

It is intended that the supervised clinical work undertaken in this module will enable the student to complete (a) a minimum of 200 hours of clinically supervised practice; & (b) the competent treatment of a minimum of eight cases that meet the criteria set out by BABCP in their minimum training standards and documentation for accreditation of training programmes.

This module is intended to enable students to develop & demonstrate in step 3 Talking Therapies services the basic clinical competences required to assess and treat depression and anxiety as a cognitive behavioural psychotherapist.

It is intended that the supervised clinical work undertaken in this module will enable the student to complete (a) a minimum of 100 hours of clinically supervised practice; & (b) the competent treatment of a minimum of four cases that meet the criteria set out by BABCP in their minimum training standards and documentation for accreditation of training programmes.

This module is intended to enable students to develop & demonstrate in step 3 Talking Therapies services the full range of clinical competences required to assess and treat depression and anxiety as a cognitive behavioural psychotherapist.

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

How You'll Learn

Teaching is via lectures, experiential skills training workshops, and group and individual clinical supervision.

You will be assessed via a critical essay, clinical case studies, videos of assessment and treatment sessions, a clinical practice portfolio and an original piece of research.

This course is designed around in-person study

Trainees are expected to conduct 200 hours of supervised clinical practice by the end of the course.

How we teach at the University of Chester

Your Future Career

Job Prospects

Successful completion of the PG Dip makes individuals eligible to apply for BABCP accreditation as a cognitive behavioural psychotherapist. The vast majority of successful completers gain employment as High Intensity therapist within IAPT services.

Careers service

The University has an award-winning Careers and Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences; through the curriculum, through employer contact, tailored group sessions, individual information, advice and guidance.

Careers and Employability aims to deliver a service which is inclusive, impartial, welcoming, informed and tailored to your personal goals and aspirations, to enable you to develop as an individual and contribute to the business and community in which you will live and work.

We are here to help you plan your future, make the most of your time at University and to enhance your employability. We provide access to part-time jobs, extra-curricular employability-enhancing workshops and offer practical one-to-one help with career planning, including help with CVs, applications and mock interviews. We also deliver group sessions on career planning within each course and we have a wide range of extensive information covering graduate jobs and postgraduate study.

Entry Requirements

Honours Degree	Applicants should normally have a science based honours degree or demonstrate equivalence
Extra Requirements	Applicants should have a core profession in mental health as recognised by BABCP or demonstrate the BABCP requirements for Knowledge Skills and Attitudes (KSA) through a satisfactory KSA portfolio. Applicants should have a clinical placement in a Talking Therapies service that includes weekly clinical supervision from a BABCP accredited practitioner and a clinical caseload of patients experiencing depression and anxiety disorders (equivalent to NICE Step 3).
Interview	Applicants that meet the entry qualifications must attend and be successful at an interview for the course.
Professional Status	Applicants should have a core profession in mental health as recognised by BABCP or demonstrate the BABCP requirements for Knowledge Skills and Attitudes (KSA) through a satisfactory KSA portfolio.
DBS Check	A DBS Check is required
Occupational Health	An Occupational Health check is required

Students from countries outside the UK are expected to have entry qualifications roughly equivalent to UK A Level for undergraduate study and British Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) for postgraduate study. To help you to interpret these equivalents, please select your country/region of residence to see the corresponding entry qualifications, along with information about your local representatives, events, information and contacts.

For more information on our English Language requirements, please visit International Entry Requirements.

IELTS	6.5 (Min 5.5 in each sub-skill)
Honours Degree	Applicants should normally have a science based honours degree or demonstrate equivalence
Extra Requirements	Applicants should have a core profession in mental health as recognised by BABCP or demonstrate the BABCP requirements for Knowledge Skills and Attitudes (KSA) through a satisfactory KSA portfolio. Applicants should have a clinical placement in a Talking Therapies service that includes weekly clinical supervision from a BABCP accredited practitioner and a clinical caseload of patients experiencing depression and anxiety disorders (equivalent to NICE Step 3).
Interview	Applicants that meet the entry qualifications must attend and be successful at an interview for the course.
Professional Status	Applicants should have a core profession in mental health as recognised by BABCP or demonstrate the BABCP requirements for Knowledge Skills and Attitudes (KSA) through a satisfactory KSA portfolio.
DBS Check	A DBS Check is required
Occupational Health	An Occupational Health check is required

Fees and Funding

£0,000 for the full course (2026/27)

Guides to the fees for students who wish to commence postgraduate courses are available to view on our Postgraduate Fees page. Here you will also find information about part-time fees and project/placement year fees.

The majority of applicants will be funded by NHS England commissioning. This applies to applicants that are successful in gaining employment in a high intensity trainee post, in a talking therapies service, that has been allocated funded high intensity training places at this University.

Cognitive & Behavioural Therapies: High Intensity Training PGDip

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