This practical workshop will cover key, contemporary, evidence-based techniques for treating general anxiety disorder (GAD). The workshop is aimed at practising therapists and counsellors, students and trainees and will include practical, evidence-based techniques for treating GAD delivered through live demonstration, case studies, presentation and anonymous 'Ask The Audience' interactive polling.

A Certificate of Attendance confirming 6 hours CPD will be available to all attendees.

Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only a quarter of those suffering receive treatment. In 2023, an average of 37% of women and 30% of men reported high levels of anxiety in the UK and Ireland. Although highly effective treatments for anxiety disorders exist, only about 1 in 4 people in need receive any treatment.

The workshop will include opportunities for you to observe best practice and optionally practice your own client skills in a supportive and safe environment.

Consideration will be given to how these techniques can be applied by counsellors to manage our own stress.

Key ideas

Introduction - What is GAD?
Overview of Treatment Principles
GAD Prevalence, symptoms, DSM-V and NICE/HSE Guidelines
Causes vs maintenance factors in anxiety
Relaxation Techniques
Unhelpful Beliefs about worrying (Wells)
Postponement of Worry
Problem solving and anxiety
Anxiety and Neurodivergence
Guided Meditation and Mindfulness (UCLA)
Intolerance of Uncertainty (Dugas)
Compassion and Anxiety (Gilbert)
Relapse Prevention, Discharge and follow up
Applying the techniques to ourselves as therapists.
Summary

What previous attendees have said about this event

Learned a lot of new techniques - thank you!

Excellent, I’ve learnt a great deal today .... thank you!

This was very clear and practical. The techniques simple to understand. Excellent session

Interesting Patrick - helps me to get my thoughts in order. Enjoy some of the links and will find overall very useful - especially metacognitions

I have learned new techniques on working with GAD that I think will be very useful in practice. Thank you!

Resources

A full set of slides with extensive clickable links to free online resources, is sent free to all delegates after the event.

CPD

A CPD certificate of Attendance confirming 6 hour skills CPD is available free to all delegates who attend. See specimen certificate below.

Venue Details

Air Conditioning
Lift
Disability Access
Paid Parking Available
Free WiFi
Unlimited Bean to Cup Coffee
Lunch available to buy in on-site cafe restaurant

Facilitator

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.

Treating Generalised Anxiety Disorder with CBT - A Practical Approach