Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression: Working with Service Members and Veterans (CBT-D) via Second Life

This intensive 2-day workshop provides training in the fundamentals of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression for behavioral health providers working with Service members. The workshop will begin with a discussion of depression in the military, followed by a summary of the theory underlying cognitive behavioral therapy.  Participants will then learn how to conceptualize depressed patients according to this model, plan treatment, and utilize both cognitive and behavioral strategies.  Participants will have the opportunity to watch video examples and practice intervention strategies through their own role plays.  Participants must attend both days.

This course will be held online through Second Life. If you are unfamiliar with Second Life, we HIGHLY recommend watching these brief orientation videos we have created to introduce Second Life to new participants. Full attendance on both days is required. We will take attendance manually at the start, end and throughout the workshop. Attendees must participate using a separate computer rather than joining a group of people viewing via one machine to acquire credit for attendance. To be successful in a course offered through Second Life, participants will need to complete multiple steps before the start of training. Step-by-step technical support is provided within the course itself, and trained staff are available to assist as needed.  

1. Have or create a Second Life account (link here)
2. Download the Second Life Viewer application (link here)
3. Attend a MANDATORY CDP Open House for proficiency in Second Life. (sign-up in purchase confirmation email)
    

If you require technical assistance with the above steps, please feel free to contact our Technical Support Specialist, Mr. Phil Thompkins at phillip.thompkins.ctr@usuhs.edu. For questions regarding the training itself or credits, please reach out to the manager of the workshop, Mr. Aric Bowie at aric.bowie.ctr@usuhs.edu.
 

A functioning microphone is MANDATORY to attend, in order to hear the presenters and participate in the role-play sessions. Headphones are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to reduce audio feedback and echoing effects.

Participants are also required to attend one of the pre-event "Open Houses" held online in Second Life, unless they have previously attended a CDP-led training in Second Life. This is to ensure that participants can successfully log into Second Life, enter the training space, hear the presenter and speak with them via their computer's microphone. Participants will not need to attend for the entire "open house," just a portion of the two-hour window.

The scheduled times for the open-houses are as follows:

• Monday, 12 April, 7-9 p.m. Eastern
• Thursday, 15 April, 10am-12 Noon Eastern
• Friday, 23 April, 1-3 p.m. Eastern
• Monday, 26 April, 2-4 p.m. Eastern

Failure to attend one of the Open Houses will result in being disenrolled from the training.

Learning Objectives:

1. Evaluate the prevalence rates of depression in the military.
2. Distinguish treatment considerations specific to a military population when utilizing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression (CBT-D).
3. Apply four central principles of cognitive behavioral therapy when working with patients presenting with depression.
4. Differentiate between the three levels of cognition (automatic thoughts, underlying assumptions, and core beliefs).
5. Categorize the three types of thought that make up the “negative cognitive triad” thinking style that characterizes depression.
6. Develop an individualized case conceptualization for patients based on the cognitive behavioral model.
7. Design a full course (schedule) of treatment for a CBT-D patient based on the phase-driven treatment approach.
8. Use information from self-report measures and clinical interviews to aid in diagnosing depression.
9. Organize the components of a CBT-D therapy session into a standard framework.
10. Use behavioral strategies from CBT-D to modify unhelpful behavioral patterns in Service members.
11. Utilize cognitive strategies from CBT-D to modify unhelpful cognitions in Service members.
12. Differentiate between cognitive distortions common in military personnel vs. civilian populations.
13. Apply the Socratic Method to guide discovery in CBT.
14. Demonstrate ability and confidence to utilize CBT skills with depressed Service members through role-play activities.

Agenda:

DAY 1

1100               Course Intro

                        Depression in the Military

                        Roots of CBT-D

                        CBT Approach to Therapy

1230 - 1245    BREAK

1245               Cognitive Theory & the Military Mindset

                        CBT Theories of Depression

                        CBT Case Conceptualization

1445 - 1545         LUNCH

1545                CBT Case Conceptualization (continued)

                        Elements of CBT

1730 - 1745         BREAK

1745                 Course of CBT-D

                        Initial Phase of Treatment

                        Clinical Assessment

                        CBT-D Session Structure

1930                Wrap-up

DAY 2

1100               Review of Day 1

                        Behavioral Activation

                        Activity Monitoring/Scheduling

1230 - 1245    BREAK

1245               Additional Behavioral Strategies

                        Rating Emotions

                        Identifying ATs

                        Thought Records

1430 - 1530       LUNCH

1530                 Evaluating Automatic Thoughts

                        Socratic Dialogue

1715 - 1730         BREAK

1730                Cognitive Strategies for Underlying Assumptions

                        Cognitive Strategies for Core Beliefs

                        Problem-Solving Strategies

                        Later Phase of Treatment

1930                 Wrap-up

This activity is approved for 14 continuing education credits (CEs).

The Center for Deployment Psychology is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Center for Deployment Psychology maintains responsibility for this program and its content.