This course will be offered again in 2027. Please check back in the future for more information.
Workshop Description
This advanced training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for psychosis (CBTp) includes a 3-day workshop (spread over 6 weeks) and 12 biweekly consultation sessions over 6 months. The program is designed to teach the development of clinical formulation skills through practice and guided application.
Formulation, sometimes referred to as conceptualization, is the process of understanding mental health difficulties by drawing on assessment data, psychological theory, and individual perspectives (Thrower et al., 2024). Participants will refine their ability to formulate psychosis by considering the psychological, social, and cultural factors that shape its onset, course, and lived experience. Formulation is a critical tool for guiding interventions (Spencer et al., 2020).
Training methods include didactic content, group discussions, role-plays, and expert-led teaching, including insights from trainers with lived experience. Participants will explore various formulation models to enhance their flexibility and ability to tailor interventions to individuals’ needs. Emphasis will be placed on formulating within a CBTp model, while integrating trauma-informed practices and recovery-oriented strategies.
A critical perspective on formulation will be encouraged, as well as highlighting its use in multidisciplinary teams.
Continuing Education Credit
DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
Stanford Medicine adheres to the Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education.
There are no relevant financial relationships with ACCME-defined ineligible companies for anyone who was in control of the content of this activity, except those listed below. All of the relevant financial relationships listed for these individuals have been mitigated.
Laura Poynter, LCSW / Consultant / Magnus Medical (Relationship has ended)
ACCREDITATION STATEMENT
In support of improving patient care, Stanford Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Credit Designation
American Medical Association (AMA)
Stanford Medicine designates this Live Activity for a maximum of 22.00 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
ASWB Approved Continuing Education Credit (ACE) – Social Work Credit
As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Stanford Medicine is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this activity receive 22.00 clinical continuing education credits.
American Psychological Association (APA)
Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs.
Dates and Attendance
This virtual training took place via Zoom over six weeks in 2025:
Dates: October 23, October 30, November 6, November 13, November 20, and December 4
Time: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM (PST).
This training includes a 3-day workshop (spread over 6 weeks) plus 12 consultation sessions offered every other week for 6 months. Sessions will be recorded to accommodate participants who may miss sessions; however, attendance at 50% of the live sessions is required for participation.
Audience
This workshop is intended for mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, social workers, and other clinicians with experience in working with individuals with psychosis who are seeking to deepen their expertise in case formulation and advanced intervention. Previous training in CBT for psychosis is required – see below.
Prerequisites
Note: This advanced workshop assumes a level of clinical knowledge and skill. For those new to working with psychosis or without prior training, Foundations of CBTp or CBTp Informed Skills training is recommended
References
Spencer, H. M., Dudley, R., Freeston, M. H., & Turkington, D. (2020). What are the essential ingredients of a CBT case conceptualization for voices and delusions in schizophrenia spectrum disorders? A study of expert consensus. Schizophrenia Research, 224, 74–81.
Thrower, N. E., Bucci, S., Morris, L., & Berry, K. (2024). The key components of a clinical psychology formulation: A consensus study. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 63(2), 213–226.
Guest Trainers
Bio
Helen Wood is a clinical psychologist licensed in Vermont and Pennsylvania. She works for INSPIRE’s CBTp training division. She is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Vermont, Department of Psychological Science. Dr. Wood was previously the psychologist for outpatient psychosis services, including a first-episode psychosis service, at an academic medical center in southwest Pennsylvania, where she led CBTp implementation. She has worked as program director for an adult psychosis inpatient unit, as well as in outpatient services in the US and in the UK’s National Health Service. She co-chairs the North American CBTp Network’s early psychosis working group. Dr. Wood values collaboration with people bringing lived experience expertise to clinical, training, and research contexts. Dr. Wood’s clinical and research interests focus on understanding the experience of psychosis and improving services and/or other forms of support. Dr. Wood received her Master’s in Experimental Psychology from the University of Sussex and her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Canterbury Christ Church University, both in the UK.
Bio
Bio
Dr. Rory Byrne is a postdoctoral user-researcher with relevant lived experience, having worked for 18 years at Professor Tony Morrison’s Psychosis Research Unit in Manchester, UK. He has contributed to the development and delivery of multiple world-first clinical trials of CBTp and led qualitative research into experiences of receiving CBTp. He co-led the development of the first systematic evaluation of the potential harmful effects of CBTp (FOCUS trial) and has ongoing involvement in improving the measurement and mitigation of potentially harmful experiences of therapy for psychosis. Rory has also developed expertise in patient and public involvement in psychosis research and is committed to raising the voices of patients and their carers in research and practice.