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CBT Foundations and Case Formulation
Six hours on cognitive behavioral therapy as actually practiced: the cognitive model, individual case formulation, behavioral activation, cognitive restructuring that goes beyond thought records, and session structure, taught through a multi-session worked case progression.
BySeph Fontane Pennock
Reviewed byMichael Callans, MSWCurriculum and outcomes
After this course you will be able to
- Separate situations, appraisals, emotions, body responses and behaviors
- Build and revise an individualized, collaborative CBT case formulation
- Plan behavioral activation from a functional analysis, with feasible, meaningful actions
- Use restructuring techniques beyond the thought record, including experiments
- Structure a session with agenda, focused work, practice and feedback
- Judge progress and decide when to adapt, consult or refer
What the course covers
- 01The cognitive model: five parts of an experience
- 02The model in context: adversity, evidence and what makes it CBT
- 03Levels of cognition: automatic thoughts, rules and core beliefs
- 04Assessment and the problem list
- 05Building and testing the formulation
Who this course is for
- Clinicians who use CBT techniques and want the full framework
- Recent graduates consolidating training into practice
- Integrative therapists adding structured formulation
- 06Session structure: agenda, focused work and practice planning
- 07The relationship in CBT: collaboration, repair and adaptation
- 08Behavioral activation: rationale, monitoring and scheduling
- 09Behavioral activation: avoidance, graded tasks and troubleshooting
- 10Restructuring in session: guided discovery and balanced appraisal
- 11Beyond the thought record: belief-level methods
- 12Behavioral experiments
- 13Progress, relapse prevention and Luis from start to finish
- 14When the plan is not enough: reassessment, consultation and referral
How it works
This is a self-paced, asynchronous course (home study), not a live webinar or scheduled class. Reading with optional audio, case material worked in full, and short knowledge checks along the way. The course ends with a final exam (60 questions, retake allowed) and a course evaluation. Your certificate of completion issues immediately and stays downloadable from your private course link.
Common questions
Is this basics or advanced?
Intermediate: it assumes graduate training and builds real formulation and intervention skill through one continuous worked case, Luis, alongside shorter cases.
Does it certify me in CBT?
No course does. It teaches foundations and formulation honestly and points to the recognized certification pathways if you want to pursue them.
How is it different from a CBT book?
Session structure, worked dialogue, decision points, and an exam that tests application. It is built as training, not reading.
Our promise
Take the course. Work the cases. If it is not what you needed and you have not yet passed the final exam, one email within 30 days gets you a full refund. No forms, no questions, no partial credit games.
Three ways to take it
This course
$69
- 6 hours of instruction
- Final exam and certificate of completion
- 12 months of access
- Courses that are not open yet offer a waitlist
Secure checkout by Stripe. Invoice included automatically. Full refund within 30 days if you have not yet passed a final exam. Email us to request it.
Saves $48 against buying the three separately
The Launch Bundle
$99
- Three flagship courses, 12 hours
- Ethics, suicide assessment, AI in practice
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- Each with exam and certificate
Annual CE Membership
$149/year
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- Every course we have open
- Every course we release this year
- Certificates stay yours if you cancel
The Psychology.com standard
How our courses are developed and delivered.
Development
Built to a specification written by licensed clinicians, first-drafted with generative AI, and reviewed by our editorial board before release. The development disclosure appears on each course page. We disclose the AI drafting because you deserve to know how the material was made, and because a course you rely on professionally should never hide its method.
The exam
The final exam opens after you mark every reading module complete. Question and answer order are randomized for each attempt; retakes are allowed.
Sources and dates
The course reader includes a bibliography. Our state requirement guides identify board sources and show a last-verified date.
Credit
Our courses are not CE-approved and carry no license-renewal credit. Completion earns a certificate of completion.
Eligibility
This course is self-paced and asynchronous, so it does not satisfy any requirement for live or synchronous training. CE credit approvals for this course are in progress with our accreditation partners. Until an approval is confirmed for your license type and state, treat this course as professional development. This page will list the exact approvals the course carries; we do not claim approvals we do not have.
Crisis resources
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) in the US. Our courses train professionals and are not a crisis service.