Workshop Description
This training in Formulating Psychosis includes a 3-day workshop (spread over 6 weeks) plus 12 consultation sessions offered every other week for 6 months.
This advanced workshop is designed for clinicians who wish to enhance their skills in the understanding and formulation of psychosis. Formulation, sometimes referred to as conceptualization, is a process used to understand mental health difficulties, drawing on assessment information, psychological theory, and including client perspectives (Thrower et al., 2024). In this workshop, participants will refine their ability to develop formulations of psychosis, which include understanding the psychological, social, and cultural factors that contribute to the onset, course, and experience of psychosis. Formulation is critical for guiding interventions (Spencer et al., 2020).
Participants will learn about and practice formulation via didactic content, discussions, role-playing, and expert-led teaching, including trainers with lived experience expertise. Participants will be exposed to a range of different formulation models to enhance flexibility and their ability to tailor therapeutic work to different individuals’ needs. Emphasis will be placed on integrating cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for psychosis, third-wave models (including compassion-focused interventions), trauma-informed approaches, and recovery-oriented strategies. The workshop will take a critical perspective on the formulation process, for example, weighing up the process of knowledge creation and collaboration. Participants will also be introduced to the role of formulation in multidisciplinary teams. Formulation strategies will be used to support the introduction of advanced interventions, including working with complex delusions/extreme beliefs and distressing auditory hallucinations, including voices.
Guest Trainer
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.
Dates and Attendance
This virtual training will take place via Zoom over six weeks:
Dates: October 23, October 30, November 6, November 13, November 20, and December 4, 2025.
Time: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM (PST).
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
Participants should have completed the CBTp informed skills training or Formulation Driven CBTp training with INSPIRE Training or equivalent courses to attend. Please reach out for further information if you are unsure.
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.