The course format consists of 10 units of competency, divided across three modules:

MODULE 1:  Foundation Course

MODULE 2:  Applied Course

MODULE 3:  Residential Retreat 

After seven years of piloting various teaching formats, we opted for a teaching structure used by teachers at the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice, at the School of Psychology, Bangor University, UK, as published by Crane, Kuyken, Hastings, Rothwell, and Williams (2010). After examining the details of their courses and several consultations among the Institute’s training team, we have found the rationale for this structure to be very suitable for the teaching of MiCBT at Graduate Diploma level and adopted it as much as possible, for which we are grateful to our colleagues in the UK.

^{Reference  Crane, R. S., Kuyken, W., Hastings, R. P., Rothwell, N., & Williams, J. M. G. (2010). Training teachers to deliver mindfulness-based interventions: Learning from the UK experience. Mindfulness, 1, 74-86.}

MODULE 1: Foundation Course

The 8-week Foundation Course is taught through a combination of block mode face-to-face and online teaching, using WebEx from CISCO, one of the most sophisticated, secure, practical and easy-to-use online teaching platforms. Real case demonstrations on video and in a master class format will be included. The specific delivery is as follows:

1. Week 1: A 2-day (contact) workshop (9am – 5pm) presenting the entire theoretical and research bases underlying MiCBT
2. Week 2-6: Two-hour (online) weekly sessions
3. Week 7: A 1-day (contact) workshop, for the practising of skills learned in the past six weeks
4. Week 8: A 1-hour (online) class, to revise and close the course.

MODULE 1A

Unit Code: MiCBT 01: Understand the principles of classical and operant conditioning in Behaviour Therapy and the Cognitive Therapy approach.

• Understand the principles of classical and operant conditioning
• Understand the cognitive therapy approach and the use of Socratic questioning
• Understand relaxation techniques
• Understand exposure techniques
• Understand the value of activity monitoring
• Understand the value of psycho-education

MODULE 1B

Unit Code: MiCBT 02: Develop and maintain a skilful mindfulness practice.

• Practice Stage 1 skills: developing metacognitive and interoceptive awareness and acceptance
• Practice Stage 2 skills: developing advanced body-scanning (symmetrical scanning) and  learning to apply interoceptive exposure skills
• Practice Stage 3 skills: developing advanced body-scanning (sweeping techniques) and interpersonal mindfulness
• Practice Stage 4 skills: developing advanced body-scanning (transversal techniques) and using Loving Kindness meditation to develop grounded empathy towards self and others, and observing and examining the use of ethical behaviour.

Unit Code: MiCBT 03: Understand the principles of MiCBT.

• Understand the principles of MiCBT and the rationale for it
• Understand how to assess client suitability of MiCBT using standard clinical assessment processes
• Understand how to implement the four stages of MiCBT
• Understand the rationale for using exposure techniques in MiCBT
• Understand how to integrate interpersonal skills in the MiCBT program
• Understand the principles of relapse prevention in MiCBT                              

Unit Code: MiCBT 04: Understand how to apply cognitive and somatic distress reduction techniques.

• Understand how to assist the client to provide a history of the problem using guided imagery
• Understand how to assist the client to identify areas in the body that currently cause them distress
• Understand somatosensory desensitisation and how to use scaling techniques to measure effectiveness of therapeutic intervention
• Understand how to provide appropriate referral for clients experiencing extremely high levels of somatic distress

Unit Code: MiCBT 05: Understand how to resource clients to improve interpersonal and social skills.

• How to work in partnership with clients to develop their interpersonal and social competence
• How to assist clients to monitor and assess their ability to develop and maintain interpersonal relationships using Stage 3 of MiCBT

Unit Code: MiCBT 06: Relapse Prevention.

• How to work with clients to apply MiCBT skills in the development of empathy
• How to assist clients to take a constructive approach to relapse
• How to work with clients to promote ethical behaviour for their well-being