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1. Basic Requirements for the accreditation of practitioners in cognitive and/or and behaviour therapy

1.1 All therapists would have:

An approved basic qualification in an appropriate profession (psychology, nursing, medicine, social work, education, OT or counselling) from a recognised university.
Full registration or license to practice with the relevant registration board
Two years experience since their initial core professional training.

1.2

Therapists will be using cognitive and/or behaviour therapy in a systematic way as their main, or one of their main therapeutic models.

1.3

Therapists must demonstrate their commitment to cognitive and/or behaviour therapy by evidence of ongoing professional development in cognitive and/or behaviour therapy related activities (e.g., attendance at relevant conferences, workshops, membership to CBT organisations, etc.).

1.4

Cognitive and/or behaviour therapists are expected to practice ethically, professionally with due regard for the dignity and well being of their clients, and be cognisant of the relevant legislation. Since they will already be members of a professional group (e.g. psychology, nursing, medicine, social work, education, OT or counselling), it is expected that they will be bound by their own professional code of ethics or code of professional conduct.

2. Training

2.1

Training, including Basic Professional Training and experience, and relevant cognitive and/or behaviour therapy training, will not normally be less than five years, and will include the following minimal requirements.

2.2

The basic training should usually include a critical understanding of human development, psychopathology, psychology, social issues and evidence based practice.

2.3

Formal training of 100 hours of postgraduate university courses and/or approved workshops in a recognised model(s) of cognitive and/or behaviour therapy. This may include a specialist area of its application, i.e. it may focus on a specific area of interest.

3. Supervised clinical practice

3.1

Therapists will have received 100 hours of supervision in assessment and practice of cognitive and/or behaviour therapy within not less than two years, and not more than five years, following their initial basic qualification.

3.2

All therapists will have received supervision during this period by an experienced cognitive and/or behaviour therapist who would also have met these minimum standards themselves, prior to providing supervision. It is preferable that supervisors will also accredited with the AACBT.

3.3

Supervision will include regular feedback and discussion of cases, and the use of live, audio or video-recorded cases is preferred

3.4

A minimum of 10 clients will be treated during the period of training from initial assessment and conceptualisation to completion or termination of treatment before a therapist is regarded as having completed their training. These cases will cover at least three types of problems and three cases will have been closely supervised as defined above.

3.5

Details of supervised clinical practice and case mix will be recorded in a client log and may be audited by the request of the accreditation committee.

4. Professional referees

4.1

Therapists will be required to provide the name of two Members of the AACBT (or other approved CBT organisation) who are willing to provide references and confirmation of the training and supervised practice. (One of these may be the approved supervisor).