Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Diabetes (Module 2)

Please note, that applicants need to search for the following title to find this short course on King's Apply portal:

Postgraduate Psychological Medicine Free Standing - module 2 (15 Credits)

This module will run twice per academic year, in Semesters 2 and 3 (January and April entry points).

Please note, only new students need to apply via this route. If you are a current MSc student completing Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Diabetes Module 1  you don’t have to re-apply.

Lead by Dr Amy Harrison and Professor Khalida Ismail, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Diabetes Module 2 is a six-week short course delivering practical, intensive, and detailed training to provide knowledge and skills in a diabetes-specific cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) model and its applications in the diabetes setting.

Students will build on the knowledge and skills that they developed in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Principles for Diabetes Module 1 (link) by practicing and reflecting on their use of CBT competencies in their clinical practice. This course will be delivered online using the Keats platform, allowing you the flexibility to fit study around personal and professional commitments. Teaching content will be in the form of interactive Power Point presentations, videos and written information that you will engage with in your own time.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Diabetes is designed to increase staff and student confidence and competence of CBT in diabetes, ultimately, developing our workforce to support integrated mental and physical health. There are two 15-credit modules, and each will run twice per academic year. We are also planning to deliver future modules with credits towards a Post-Graduate Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Diabetes.

The module aims to provide students with opportunities to develop a portfolio of case examples (via simulations and in-vivo clinical settings) demonstrating where they have used CBT skills in their clinical work in a diabetes setting. This may be focused on using CBT skills to support patients with diabetes self-care or with psychological difficulties that often present alongside diabetes, such as depression, anxiety and eating disorders. For example, the course will introduce the Cognitive Therapy Rating scale – for understanding and observing CBT competencies.

1. Demonstrate the ability to apply CBT principles to clinical practice through engaging in simulations with professional actors, course peers and patients in the student’s clinical setting; and record these CBT informed interactions in a CBT skills portfolio.
2. Review recordings of real or simulated CBT informed clinical interactions and use rating systems such as the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Scale Revised to evaluate CBT competencies, using peer and tutor feedback.
3. Demonstrate a critical appreciation of one’s own CBT competencies and develop and understanding of how to further develop skills in a diabetes clinical setting

Aimed at professionals and students working in, or planning to work in, specialist fields in medicine and life science, this course is a brilliant opportunity for diabetes healthcare professionals to develop their skills to ensure better care for people living with diabetes.

The course is for you if you are a doctor, nurse, dietician, GP working in diabetes and wanting to develop new psychological skills to support people with their diabetes self-management.

Entry requirements

 Successful completion of the pre-requisite CBT for Diabetes Module 1, or a pass or higher in an undergraduate degree from a science cognate area such as nursing, medicine, psychology or biological sciences

• Students will work on an individual project which involves them practicing CBT skills and recording the case examples in a portfolio which will comprise the assessment for this module. Students will be advised to dedicate around 3 hours per week to this individual project (total of 18 hours).
• Questions to reflect on the topics discussed

• Weekly webinars on Wednesdays at 12:00 – 13:30pm: students will attend supervised learning sessions for 6 weeks; this which will involve 1.5 hours of group CBT supervision for 4 weeks, and individual, and tutor-led CBT supervision for 2 weeks.
• Interactive online material for asynchronous learning over the course of 7 weeks on KEATS.
• Week 7 will involve a 1.5 hour online Q&A session focused on answering final queries about the portfolio assessment.