First Ever Specialty Topic Workshop at Beck Institute

SEPTEMBER 2011: This week Beck Institute held its first ever Specialty Workshop: Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Active Duty and Veteran Military and their Families. Psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, counselors, military service members, VA Hospital therapists and other professionals traveled from 23 states to receive training in Cognitive Behavior Therapy.

Participants received professional training from Aaron T. Beck, M.D., Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., and David Riggs, Ph.D., the Executive Director of the Center for Deployment Psychology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland.  Dr. Riggs discussed special issues in the subculture of active duty and veteran military and their families including: characteristics of the military culture; stressors that impact these groups at all levels of the deployment cycle; and special issues related to combat deployment.

CBT Techniques

Dr. Judith Beck discussed techniques CBT of depression for military service members, veterans, and their families. Dr. Beck’s lectures and role-plays emphasized the need for the therapeutic alliance, setting goals, structuring sessions, and therapist-patient collaboration.

CBT Demonstration

One of the highlights of the workshop was watching Dr. Aaron Beck (left) conduct a role-play session with a workshop participant.  Dr. Beck started the session with a mood check and followed with setting the agenda.   Dr. Beck led a case discussion with workshop participants (see video clip below):