This free online course teaches you how to manage mental disorders using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). We begin with an introduction and a short history of cognitive distortions and their treatment. We examine negative thinking and establish its detrimental impact on mental and physical health. The course then traces the origins of cognitive distortions and identifies their triggers and symptoms, starting with the most common example: ‘control fallacies’. We lay out various CBT techniques like cognitive restructuring and role-playing and explain how they can be used to treat cognitive disorders.

The course then moves on to exposure therapy and explores its history and ability to treat mental ailments like post-traumatic stress disorder and various phobias. We break down the CBT functions of ‘thought records’ and journaling, which include identifying automatic negative thoughts and modifying ways of thinking. The course then covers the ‘ABC’ model in CBT, which refers to ‘antecedents’, ‘behaviour’ and ‘consequences’, before delving into role-playing. We identify two steps in role-playing: evaluating answers after the end of a virtual scene and thinking about how to act more effectively in a similar real-life situation. Finally, we train you to use ‘progressive muscle relaxation’ exercises (PMR), a technique developed in the 1930s by Edmund Jacobson to reduce anxiety and tension. 

Cognitive distortions create distorted perceptions of reality and can cause mental disorders, which are among the world’s fastest-growing health problems and currently affect roughly half a billion people. This free online course teaches how to treat people with cognitive disorders using CBT techniques, including cognitive restructuring and role-playing. Sign up to learn how to help people bring order to mental chaos and avoid negative thought patterns that can spill over into their lives.