CBT Training Program - Workshop Esteem

Cultivating Self-Esteem: A Compassion-focused Approach

This workshop is based on a creative integration of the work of Melanie Fennell (1999), Paul Gilbert (2005), and Kathleen Mooney & Christine Padesky (2000).  Building on the initial CBT formulation of low self-esteem by Fennell, we will focus in particular on Gilbert’s ‘compassionate mind’ work, looking at the implications of his ideas for clients with high degrees of self-criticism and/or self-loathing, and deriving and practising strategies which may work to their benefit.  To the mix, we will add some of the ideas of Padesky and Mooney, who suggest the particular importance of imagery and behavioural experiments in helping clients to develop new ways of being.

In building new perspectives and skills, a mix of didactic teaching, demonstration, client/therapist role-play, and group and self-experiential exercises will be used, reinforced by reflective practice prior to and following the workshop.

The objectives for this workshop are that participants will:

1. Knowledge: Gain a good understanding of:

a) New perspectives in understanding self-esteem including Fennell model of Low Self-esteem and Gilbert Compassionate mind Model and the knowledge to put these into practice.

b) The theory and practice of Compassionate Mind Training.

c) The presenter’s synthesis of Padesky’s New System model and Korrelboom’s COMET model

2. Skills: Gain a strong grounding in and consolidation/expansion of prior skills:

a) to cultivate self-esteem in their clients

b) to set collaborative goals for clients with Low Self-Esteem

c) to formulate client’s self-esteems issues using the models outlined above

d) to measure and monitor client’s Self-Esteem over the course of therapy

e) to set up Behavioural Experiments for clients with Low Self-Esteem

f) to utilize Compassionate Mind Training with client

g) to assist clients in developing New Ways of Being and to test out the New Ways of Being

3. Attitudes: Understand and have experimented with  building key CBT attitudes. In particular attitudes of:

a) Curiosity

b) Collaboration

c) Engaging willingness to experiment

d) Warmth, Empathy, and Genuineness of interest and concern

e) Acceptance and validation of feelings

f) and enhanced confidence in working with clients with low self-esteem

Applicants will be encouraged to practice CBT skills on themselves post-workshop, as a means to further their confidence to try out their new skills and learned strategies in work contexts.

NB. As with other NRUDRH workshops, this workshop will be supported by pre-workshop reading and an exercise (2 hrs), and post-workshop reflective practice (1-2 hrs)

References:

Fennell, M. (1999). Overcoming low self-esteem. Robinson, London.

Gilbert, P. (2005). Compassion: Conceptualisations, research and use in psychotherapy. Routledge, London.

Mooney, K.A. & Padesky, C.A. (2000). Applying client creativity to recurrent problems: Constructing possibilities and tolerating doubt.  Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 14, 149-161.

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