Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Long Term Conditions and Medically Unexplained Symptoms

Develop additional skills in recognising and working with long term medical conditions such as diabetes and airways disease, and with medically unexplained (psychosomatic) symptoms

Fact file
Course code	NURS4144
Target students	You must be a qualified cognitive behavioural therapists (CBT) in IAPT (or be a qualified non-CBT therapists with appropriate CBT experience).You must also be working in a mental health, social care or associated independent sector agency, where you would be able to assess and treat patients with MUS and LTC for at least part of the time. All students accepted onto the course must be a member of the BABCP and adhere to its Code of Practice and maintain this membership through the course.
Credits	30 If you're interested in completing a non-credit bearing version of this course, please contact HS-CPD@nottingham.ac.uk
Academic level	4
Duration	February to August 2025
Price	£2,800.00 (Home only, not open to International) Please contact us directly to discuss NHS pricing.
Application Deadline	10 January 2025

Overview

On completion of the course, students will more fully understand the medical aspects of long-term conditions (LTC) and medically unexplained symptoms (MUS), collaborate more efficiently with colleagues such as GPs and community nurses, engage a potentially hard to reach patient group, and identify and treat episodes of depression and anxiety.

The curriculum will follow the high intensity curriculum as recommended in the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies LTC/MUS Curriculum 2016, with topics including: Therapist beliefs and values, knowledge of the LTCs and MUS, psychological processes in these conditions.

Assessment and formulation of problems in the context of multidisciplinary working;
Adapting CBT for these conditions to promote cognitive and behavioural change, involving the partner in treatment;
Health promotion in long term conditions;
CBT protocols for LTCs and MUS The use of high intensity;
CBT approaches such as meditation, health promotion, and adjustment and acceptance therapy.

Course learning outcomes

Intellectual skills

Critically examine the demands of their professional role and individual training needs regarding patients with LTCs and MUS encountered in clinical practice
Critically appraise and evaluate the current evidence base underpinning high-intensity interventions in LTCs and MUS
Demonstrate a systematic understanding of national policies and guidance concerning LTCs and MUS

Professional / practical skills

Demonstrate how they would apply high intensity CBT interventions in clinical work with patients with LTCs and MUS
Demonstrate an enhanced ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues such as GPs and community nurses
Critically reflect on how their knowledge and skills have developed throughout the course

Transferable skills

Oral presentation skills
Teamwork across disciplinary boundaries in health care
Critical thinking
Professionalism

How you will learn

The course offers a range of teaching methods including lecture engagement, face to face/live streamed sessions, on-line seminars, guided on-line study and on-line tutorials, independent learning.

Total student activity: 200 hours

Course dates

19 February 2025
5 March 2025
19 March 2025
2 April 2025 - home study
30 April 2025
14 May 2025
28 May 2025
11 June 2025
25 June 2025
9 July 2025
6 August 2025 - date of essay submission
20 August 2025 - date of live case study presentation

Apply for this course

When applying through MyNottingham please search and select ‘Health Sciences – No Award’ and enter the Module Code and Title of your chosen module in the Personal Statement section of the application form.

Postgraduate

Study at postgraduate level and add 30 credits to your learning record.

Have a question?

Email our CPD team