What is this two-day workshop about?

This two-day, in-depth  practical webinar workshop will help participants develop techniques to treat and support those suffering from GAD. While the focus will be on General Anxiety Disorder we will also cover some aspects of Social Anxiety, Health Anxiety and Phobias.  It will additionally help professionals consider how they can apply anxiety management to themselves.  The focus is on not simply stress management techniques such as breathing, relaxation and meditation to manage anxiety but reduction and prevention of anxiety. The workshop will focus on practical skills and techniques for more effective work with clients. The central importance of thinking biases and skills to help prevent stress through breaking of anxiety maintenance cycles in the first place will be examined. In that context, the role of metacognition and intolerance of uncertainty will be given particular attention.

This is an inclusive and interactive workshop. Over the two days participants will be able to review current practice, develop treatment plans and explore new ways of working. Each day runs from 10am-4pm with scheduled breaks and reflection periods. Small group work, cases studies, interactive polling and collaborative ideas sharing will be a central part of the programme. All delegates will receive an individualized Certificate of Attendance for 12 hours CPD.

Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only a third of those suffering receive treatment. People with an anxiety disorder are three to five times more likely to go to the doctor and six times more likely to be hospitalized for psychiatric disorders than those who do not suffer from anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness, affecting nearly 1 in 5 of the population every year.

There is scientific evidence that chronic worry in generalised anxiety is a result of unhelpful 'metacognitions' (i.e., beliefs about thinking) and behaviours. By targeting metacognitions and associated behaviours in therapy, levels of anxiety and distress can be alleviated. This workshop will focus on simple, practical techniques with a proven track record in helping alleviate the distress of anxiety. 

What does this workshop cover? [Indicative Guide]

1. Contexts
2. Prevalence, Causes and Diagnoses
3. GAD, Social Anxiety, Phobias, Health Anxiety
4. GAD in detail
5. DSM-V
6. Drugs and Anxiety - side effects
7. Assessment for Treatment
8. General Mental Health Management - 5 Key Principles
9. Models of GAD - (i) Wells (ii) Dugas (iii) CFT (iv) Others
10. Skills for Stress Management
11. Breathing
12. Progressive Muscle Relaxation
13. Body scanning
14. Mindfulness skills
15. Guided Meditation for Mindfulness
16. Key Skills and Competencies for managing GAD treatment (UCL)
17. Therapist Drift and the Treatment of Anxiety
18. Challenging beliefs about worrying I - 'worrying is uncontrollable'.
19. Attention training -  tackling distraction 
20. Challenging beliefs about worrying II : 'worrying is dangerous'
21. Challenging beliefs about worrying  III : 'worrying is helpful'
22. Finding a way forward - Problem Solving techniques 
23. Accepting and Tolerating Uncertainty 
24. Avoiding Relapse
25. Special Topic - Pandemic-related Anxiety
26. Special Topic - Anxiety and Children & Young People
27. Summary and Follow Up

What previous attendees have said about this webinar

• Learned a lot of new techniques - thank you!
• Excellent, I’ve learnt a great deal today .... thank you!
• This was very clear and practical l. 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!

Who should attend?

This workshop is suitable for: 

• Counsellors and therapists who would like to know more about the CBT approach to anxiety 
• Students and trainees in counselling, psychotherapy and mental health
• Social Workers and Health care workers who want to secure a solid foundation in CBT models and techniques, and develop basic skills for anxiety management and support
• Anyone who is considering a course or career in therapy 
• Teachers and educators who are involved in delivering direct or indirect psychological support for children and young people 
• Human resource professionals who are considering how to strengthen mental health support for employees across their organisation 
• GPs and other medical practitioners who are involved in referrals to specialist therapy services for anxiety 
• Charities providing support for young people and adults with mental health challenges for anxiety 
• CBT therapists who would like a refresher in core CBT techniques and interventions for anxiety.

Professional Development

A CPD Certificate of Attendance will be available on request to all participants confirming 12 hours CPD.

Who is leading this event?

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) and co-editor of Accounting for Relationships (Methuen). He has been 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 Psychotherapists.