How to develop a Case Formulation in CBT

Case formulation is working towards a psychological explanation of a client's problem, often through diagrammatic representations.

Case Formulation (CF) also known as Case Conceptualisation enables the therapist to identify what the functional connections might be between thoughts, feelings, behaviours and physical symptoms, often with a particular focus on what is maintaining as well what might have caused their problems.

Key ideas in the contemporary approach to CF include Levels of Conceptualization, Collaborative Empiricism and Strength & Resilience.

This workshop will look at frameworks for CFs and how they can best be used in practical ways with clients by examining specific examples across conditions.

Topics to be Covered (indicative)

1. What are Case Formulations?
2. Padesky 5-factor generic
3. Condition Specific Formulations
4. The Collaborative Case Conceptualization-Rating Scale (CCC-RS)
5. Developing a client formulation step-by-step
6. Subformulations
7. Macneil and the '5 Ps' (1) Presenting problem, (2) Predisposing factors, (3) Precipitating factors, (4) Perpetuating factors, and (5) Protective factors.
8. Case Formulations and Treatment Plans
9. Formulations and Relationships
10. Formulation and Comorbidity
11. Summary

Anonymous Feedback from previous delegates of the Case Formulation workshop:

• Really helpful, as a trainee extremely important to clearly identify and stay focused on presenting issue
• Very helpful session on case formulation. Helped reinforce the utility of formulation to enable a better therapy process.
• I am a cpunsellor/psychotherapist and have been using CBT as my main treatment orientations over the past 2 years. This workshop was very interesting and useful and added to my knowledge. Thank you Patrick I always enjoy your workshops
• A very clearly explained, interesting and immersing workshop. Thoroughly enjoyed!
• Very useful. Formulation had always been something i struggle with. So glad to start this at the beginning of my cbt journey.
• Informative and snappy and some great ideas thank you
• Very helpful workshop in helping to integrate Case formulation into practice. Easy to understand and very practical.
• I'm an assistant psychologist and I've always found it difficult to grasp the best way to carry out case formulation in collaboration with clients but this workshop was exactly what I needed to learn about how to work collaboratively.
• Very useful and informative. I look forward to attending further webinars on this topic.

• Perfect!!!
• Really helpful, helped me realise I need more training!
• A really useful and detailed journey through an area often taught poorly on major courses, and then not done well.
• Practical examples really helpful
• I really enjoyed the session . As a student it was extremely helpful to my learning and work with clients.
• Very useful and practical, lots of learning
• I have found this workshop helpful. I struggle with integrating theory to practice at times so I look forward to looking over the notes and slides. Thank you.
• Great presentation of applied CBT skills and courses are covering a wide range of topics.
• I am student CBT therapist and found this workshop on formulation helpful in breaking down and simplifying process. I have leaned new techniques and approaches and now feel more confident about formulation.

• Very thorough and useful exploration of case formulation. As a student it has all made much more sense.
• Much better than I anticipated. Talks through all parts in a way that makes it very easy to understand. Very grateful to have found these webinars!
• I am a trainee CBT therapist. I found this session incomparably illuminating in terms of its ability to draw together the various levels of conceptualisation, and how it is paramount to bringing the therapy to life for our clients.

• Very interesting,loved the interactive aspect of the workshop. As a new graduate, i have little experience in cbt and found it very insightful and i have learned a lot

• Really informative and helped me to re-connect with formulations

• A great workshop Prof Patrick McGhee explained everything very well. I will look forward to the next one!

• This was very interesting and enjoyable. Direct and informative . Thank you. Wish there was more time!!

• Very good presentation - does what it says on the tin. Informed, enthused and helped.

CPD

A Certificate of Attendance will be issued for professionals on request confirming 2 Hours CPD

Intelligent Podcast System

All delegates will get free access for 7 days to our unique AI driven Notebook LM Intelligent Podcast audio which will summarise the entire workshop - and related materials - presented as an engaging two-person conversation. We believe we are the only CPD provider for CBT which provides this service.

Who is leading this webinar?

Professor Patrick McGhee is a CBT therapist, psychologist and UK National Teaching Fellow. Educated at the universities of Glasgow and Oxford, he has completed CPD programmes at Harvard Business School and Ashridge. In 2017 he was a Visiting Fellow/Scholar at the universities of Cornell, Yale and MIT in the USA. He has taught, researched or practised in psychology and therapy for 30 years. His first post was a Research Fellow in Psychiatry and Psychology at St George's Hospital Medical School, University of London. He is the author of Thinking Psychologically (Palgrave), The Ultimate CBT Handbook 2025 and co-editor of Accounting for Relationships (Methuen). He is an occasional columnist for the Guardian, the BBC and the Times Higher. He currently works in private practice in Greater Manchester. He has full accreditation from the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies which is regulated by the Professional Standards Authority.

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