About this certificate program
Dates: October 22, 23, 29 and 30, 2026
Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET
Facilitator: Nili Benazon, PhD.
CE hours: 24
This training is suitable for:
- Mental Health Professionals: psychotherapists, counsellors, psychologists, social workers.
- Direct Service Workers: drop-in workers, shelter and hostel workers, child and youth workers, youth justice workers.
Client age category: For professionals who work with adult and youth clients
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.
Description: Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an empirically validated form of psychotherapy used to treat a wide array of clinical disorders such as depression, anxiety and stress. In this introductory course, participants will learn cognitive and behavioural strategies including case formulation and conceptualization in CBT, identifying and modifying thoughts, behaviour activation and experiments, exposure, stress-reduction strategies, and problem-solving therapy. The focus of this training is for working with adult clients, however, Dr. Benazon also addresses CBT for working with youth clients.
Dr. Benazon will explain and demonstrate these strategies, as well as provide clinical examples. Participants will listen to prepared lectures, view video illustrations, discuss clinical case examples and engage in exercises to consolidate learning. This course is not focused on a specific client population or clinical disorder. Rather, it provides instruction on a set of tools that can be applied to common and more complex mental health conditions.
Learning objectives:
- Dive into the foundations of CBT, exploring case formulation and conceptualization techniques, and mastering the art of working with automatic thoughts.
- Applying specific cognitive and behavioural techniques.
- Delve deeper into cognitive strategies, learning how to identify and modify underlying assumptions and core beliefs, while also gaining proficiency in problem-solving therapy.
- Explore advanced CBT strategies for the treatment of anxiety and complex disorders.
- Discover the nuances of applying CBT principles when working with youth clients, ensuring a well-rounded understanding of this versatile therapeutic approach.
By the end of this certificate program, participants will be armed with a powerful toolkit to facilitate positive change and improve the well-being of their clients. Embrace this transformative learning experience and unlock the full potential of cognitive behavioral therapy.
Please see the agenda tab at the top of this page for information on the daily learning breakdown.
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 behaviour therapy (CBT) level 2: Application to specific populations.
Email Mary Anne Van Rooyen for details: mvanrooyen@sickkidscmhlearning.ca.
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
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.