About this level 1 certificate program
Dates: October 29, November 5, 12, 19, 2026
Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET
Facilitators: Kathryn Walker, Ph.D., C.Psych, and Daniel Chorney, Ph.D.
CE hours: 24
This training is suitable for:
- Mental Health Professionals: psychotherapists, counsellors, psychologists, social workers
- Medical Professionals: nurses, psychiatrists, pediatricians, family doctors
- Direct Service Workers: drop-in workers, shelter and hostel workers, child and youth workers, youth justice workers.
Client category: For professionals who work with children, youth and families.
Client age group: For professionals who work with clients aged 0 to adulthood.
Level of training: Introductory
Please note: This is a four-day program, you must complete all four days in order to receive the certificate of participation.
Trigger warning: Participating in our programming may evoke powerful feelings and can trigger participants who have experienced personal trauma.
Description: This certificate program is a comprehensive four-day training that is perfect for mental health professionals beginning their CBT journey and looking to enhance their CBT skills and expertise when working with children and adolescents.
This program will equip you with the essential tools to apply CBT effectively in a child-focused therapeutic context. Over the course of four days, you will gain practical knowledge on building therapeutic alliance and rapport with children, understanding the role of emotions and physical sensations, mastering fundamental behavioural strategies, and addressing common cognitive distortions. Whether you are new to CBT or looking review the foundations of CBT, this program offers key takeaways that will empower you to make a meaningful impact on your young clients’ lives.
By the end of this training, participants will have a solid foundation in CBT principles and techniques and be prepared to implement them with children and adolescents in real-world settings. Expert instructors, Dr. Kathryn Walker and Dr. Daniel Chorney will guide you through a balanced approach combining theoretical insights with practical examples and applications.
“Master core behavioral strategies that work in real-world clinical settings with children and teens. This training gives you practical skills to address everyday challenges in a therapy setting and improve outcomes—tools you can use with confidence in any session.” - Dr. Daniel Chorney
"This training allows practice in key CBT strategies and skills, and highlights how to tailor these to the real clients and families you work with. You will help your clients early in their lives to be self- empowered to manage their own symptoms and meet life’s unpredictabilities and stressors." - Dr. Kathryn Walker
Key topics covered: Please see the Agenda for the full daily learning objectives and session descriptions.
Day 1 - CBT introduction and fundamentals: Gain foundational knowledge of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for children and adolescents, including session components, goal setting, and case formulation.
Day 2 - Therapeutic alliance and cognitions: Learn how to build a strong therapeutic alliance and master the cognitive aspects of CBT for children and adolescents, including the thoughts-feelings-behaviours (TFB) cycle and cognitive restructuring techniques for effective treatment outcomes.
Day 3 - Emotions and physical sensations: Develop emotional literacy and learn effective emotion regulation strategies for children and teens, including relaxation techniques and body cue recognition to support emotional well-being in therapy.
Day 4 - Behavioural strategies: Explore key behavioural strategies in CBT, including exposure techniques and behavioural activation, to treat anxiety and depression in children. Learn practical methods to modify behaviors and enhance coping skills.
Advance your CBT practice!
Build on your foundational skills with the Certificate in cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for children level 2: Clinical applications to specific cases. This advanced 5-day training is designed to help you apply CBT with greater confidence and precision across a range of complex issues, including anxiety, depression, OCD, school avoidance, and more. Learn more at: https://cvent.me/YlYR2q
Continuing Education (CE) Information: SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health Learning Institute is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) to offer continuing education (CE) hours. Full-day programs equal six CE hours; half-day programs equal three CE hours; for less than half-day programs, one hour of programming equals one CE hour. SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health Learning Institute maintains responsibility for the programs.
Other licensing boards and professional organizations will grant continuing education credits for attendance at their own discretion; participants will need to submit the course outline and Certificate of Participation for their consideration.
CACBT - Aligned Continuing Education Hours:
Upon successful completion of this program, the continuing education hours earned may be applied toward the 50 hours of formal CBT training required for certification with the Canadian Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies (CACBT). For full details on the CACBT certification process and eligibility, please visit: https://www.cacbt.ca/certification-process
Take your CBT training to the next level! Upon completion of this training, remember to reserve your spot for our advanced program, Certificate in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for children level 2: Clinical applications to specific cases.
Email Mary Anne Van Rooyen for details: mvanrooyen@sickkidscmhlearning.ca.
Registration closes
If registration has closed and you're still interested in joining this course, please contact Mary Anne at mvanrooyen@sickkidscmhlearning.ca
Accessibility
We strive to ensure our online learning programs are easy for everyone, everywhere. If you have any accessibility requirements (automatic transcripts, closed-captioning, ASL interpreters, advanced access to program materials), please email Mary Anne Van Rooyen at mvanrooyen@sickkidscmhlearning.ca to let us know how we can best support your learning experience.
Photography is being used for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted in the content is a model, except where indicated.