Treatment of Anxiety Disorders with CBT
$45.00
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for the treatment of anxiety is a well-researched intervention for the treatment of anxiety disorders, which includes generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, and other specific phobias. In this seminar, we will discuss the core skills of CBT for anxiety, such as examining maladaptive thought patterns or exposure therapy techniques. In this training, we will consider how these skills are applied to each type of disorder that has it’s own unique cognitive and behavioral challenges. We will use case studies and discussions about strategies to process how we utilize CBT strategies and what other resources are available to treatment providers who might want to deepen their knowledge and understanding of CBT and anxiety disorders.
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
- Identify the core tenets of CBT, such as discussing the cognitive model of CBT, examining core beliefs, and identifying automatic thoughts.
- Apply these core tenets in treatment by using cognitive and behavioral interventions like exposure exercises, cost-benefit analysis, and review of experiences.
- Analyze how to understand each disorder’s unique cognitive and behavioral issues and how that may inform treatment strategies.
Social workers completing this course receive 3 Clinical asynchronous continuing education credits.
For other board approvals, this course qualifies for 3 hours of Clinical continuing education training.
Course Instructor: Dr. Jillian Graves, MSW, LCSW, Ph.D. Social Work
Recording Date: 02/24/2024
Recorded Live Webinar with downloadable presentation slides and/or handouts, evaluation, and a required quiz. The learner is required to pass with a 70% or higher to achieve the CE certificate of completion. The learner is able to reset the test until a satisfactory score is achieved. CE Training Workshops, LLC, provider #1770, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 8/2/2022 – 8/2/2025. CE Training Workshops, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7091. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CE Training Workshops, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. System Requirements: Firefox, Chrome, Brave, Safari, Edge on any modern operating system (Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS). A desktop browser is recommended. We do not provide support resources for issues encountered using a mobile device. For more information about our policies and board approval statements, please visit our FAQS page.
Jillian Graves, LCSW, Ph.D. is an associate professor at Eastern Michigan University in the School of Social Work. She is currently the co-director of the IPE Center in the College of Health and Human Services.
Treatment for Anxiety Disorders with CBT (3 HR) Syllabus
I. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Basics
- CBT focuses on the relationship between thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and outcomes
- Multiple models illustrate the interplay between events, thoughts, and reactions
- Patterns of reinforcement maintain maladaptive behaviors
- Automatic thoughts arise quickly and influence emotional responses
II. Core Beliefs and Assumptions
- Core beliefs are deeply rooted perceptions about self, others, and the world
- Examples: helplessness (“I am powerless”), unlovability (“I am unwanted”), worthlessness (“I am bad”)
- Core beliefs influence and are reinforced by thoughts and behaviors
- Identifying and addressing core beliefs is crucial for effective CBT
III. Assessment Strategies
- Assess anxiety episodes to identify overestimated threats and underestimated coping
- Use longitudinal diagrams to track patterns over time
- Ask targeted questions to elicit anxiety beliefs and worst-case scenario thinking
- Tools include the Beck Anxiety Inventory, Burns Anxiety Scale, and CES-D
IV. Cognitive Interventions
- Gather evidence to support or refute automatic thoughts
- Use Socratic questioning to challenge negative assumptions
- Apply thought records to help reframe anxiety-related distortions
- Perform cost-benefit analyses of maladaptive vs. adaptive beliefs and behaviors
V. Behavioral Techniques
- Behavioral experiments test feared predictions and build coping confidence
- Imaginal and thought exposure help desensitize distressing fears
- Encourage tracking and rating anxiety levels to monitor progress
- Repeated listening/reading of fear scripts supports habituation
VI. Addressing Thinking Distortions
- Identify and challenge cognitive errors such as catastrophizing, filtering, and personalization
- Help clients identify realistic outcomes versus imagined disasters
- Practice reframing habitual negative thinking using structured questions
VII. Treating Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
- Core issues: intolerance of uncertainty, negative problem orientation, cognitive avoidance
- Effective treatments: exposure, problem-solving, sleep management, muscle relaxation
- Focus on reducing pathological worry and promoting acceptance of uncertainty
VIII. Addressing Panic Disorder
- Understand how physical symptoms (e.g., chest tightness, racing heart) trigger catastrophic thinking
- Symptom induction exercises recreate symptoms to increase tolerance and cognitive flexibility
- Clients learn to question assumptions about bodily sensations and manage panic proactively
IX. Interventions for Social Anxiety and Agoraphobia
- Use anticipatory processing exercises for social fears
- Identify dimensions of fear: disapproval, seeming anxious, performance pressure
- For agoraphobia: reduce avoidance, support exposure, and teach self-talk strategies
- Visualization and relaxation techniques help mitigate panic symptoms
X. Integrating CBT Principles into Practice
- Tailor interventions to individual cognitive-behavioral profiles
- Encourage clients to monitor, test, and revise their thinking patterns
- Use structured tools and worksheets to reinforce skills outside sessions
- Promote long-term resilience by challenging distorted beliefs and reinforcing adaptive behaviors
