Working with Depression: New Thinking & Effective Interventions

Working with Depression: New Thinking & Effective Interventions

Why you cannot afford to miss this course:

• Radically rethinking depression as a concept
• Age, ethnicity and gender issues - research challenging common assumptions
• A current review of "what works" and "what doesn't"
• Stepped models of service delivery including "low impact" approaches
• New thinking on engagement with poorly motivated depressed clients
• Effective evidence based Non-CBT approaches to working with depression
• Video demonstrations of 2nd and 3rd wave CBT techniques and strategies

"Theoretically stimulating and intensely practical. A rare combination. Would strongly recommend this to colleagues" J.B., Cognitive Psychotherapy Services Manager

Course Outline:

• 09.30 Registration & refreshments
• 10.00 Depression - The nature of the problem

-Depression : the 20 fold increase demographic. Gender, age & ethnicity issues
-What exactly is "depression". Limitations in definition and assessment. From DSM IV to the Beck Depression Inventory
-Differential presentations and their implications. Mild to severe depression, differentiating depression and grieving.
SAD, post-natal depression and OCD
-Suicide Risk Assessment (1). Limitations of current accuracy. How NOT to conduct an assessment.

• 11.15 Refreshments
• 11.30 Depression - The nature of the problem (cont.)

-Suicide Risk Assessment (2). Assessing and keeping clients safe
-The role of substance misuse and depression. Alcohol, cannabis and cocaine. Impact on mood and depressive
thinking. How to work with substance misuse in depressed individuals.

• 12.00 What works ?

-The question of motivation and depression. Assessing motivation and the use of strategies to increase motivation in
depressed clients
-Effective interventions in working with depressed clients. The role of CBT. The ARC model for working with negative
cognitions and beliefs. Treatment strategies - the stepped care model and its implications for our practice. The current
limitations of CBT and the issue of relapse
-Non-CBT approaches. The evidence base for Brief Solution Focused Therapy (BSFT) and Exploratory approaches in
working with depression. An integrative resource based therapy (RBT) model approach to depression. Case illustrations

• 13.00 Lunch
• 14.00 2nd & 3rd Wave techniques for addressing negative beliefs and cognitions (1)

-Addressing the content of negative thoughts and beliefs
-Weakening and changing negative self regard
-Making rigid thinking more flexible
-Strategies for addressing clients' cognitive ruminations
Case Studies and video illustration of techniques

• 15.15 Refreshments
• 15.45 2nd & 3rd Wave techniques for addressing negative beliefs and cognitions (2)

-Changing clients' negative expectations
-Techniques for effectively working with "hopeless" cognitive styles
-Strategies for treating negative intrusive mental imagery
Case studies and video illustration of techniques

• 16.25 Plenary
• 16.30 Finish