Best CBT Training Courses

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a type of behavioral therapy; the psychological treatment is effective at treating conditions like depression, addiction, anxiety, and even severe mental health disorders. Advances in CBT have made it a viable psychotherapy option, but many therapists and individuals don’t have certifications in the subject or are unfamiliar with its methods.

Our objective is to make CBT training more widely available and to empower those who require online learning options. Therefore, this article will take you through a handful of the best CBT training courses while helping you narrow down your options.

Read on to learn about the eight best CBT courses.

Orientation

Before we jump into the course, it’s important to break down the factors you need to consider before enrolling in these courses.

Instructor

First and foremost, you need to learn about the instructor before enrolling in a CBT course because they can make or break the learning experience. Read the reviews of instructors and identify their professional backgrounds. Instructors for CBT training courses should have master’s degrees or doctorates, as well as experience with the subject.

That said, you also want the instructor to have some experience with teaching. While everyone has to start somewhere, CBT is a complex psychological treatment, so learning from someone with experience can save you time and money. Therefore, we recommend looking for instructors with backgrounds in education, teaching, tutoring, or online courses.

While there is a lot to look for, we’ve already done the legwork for the courses on our list. Each instructor was vetted and has a relevant background. Still, we recommend learning about each instructor on your own to make the best choice.

Skill Level

Another factor to consider is the skill level of a course. CBT is a challenging subject with many concepts to learn. Therefore, beginners and advanced students differ in the amount of knowledge they have before taking the course. Beginner-level courses are, of course, easier, but they come with less information. These courses tend to be short, general, and a way to help people get started with CBT.

Intermediate and advanced courses, on the other hand, will get more specific. Some intermediate-level courses are complete guides that can take you from beginner to advanced, while other intermediate-level courses will focus on one topic. In most cases, the same rules apply to advanced courses. The main difference between advanced and intermediate courses is that advanced courses will require a lot of prerequisite knowledge.

Regardless of the skill level you choose, make sure you take courses that are in your skill range. Doing so can make them more valuable and easier to understand, which saves you time and money. Still, feel free to take a course of any skill level if you’re looking to challenge yourself.

Topics

CBT courses share similarities, but the topics they focus on can be different. Some CBT courses focus on the basics like understanding CBT methods, while others focus on using CBT to treat specific conditions. For example, some courses might focus on addiction treatment, while others might focus on coping with grief.

There are dozens of topics to choose from, so we’ll include balanced options for you.

Price

CBT courses vary in price based on the platform they’re listed on. When it comes to CBT courses, you’ll find that they can be expensive on websites like Coursera and Udemy. This is because these websites list courses as a one-time purchase. You gain access to the course for life and only have to worry about paying for it once.

That said, there are alternatives. Platforms like LinkedIn Learning and SkillShare provide you with options to pay a monthly rate, but the rate is much cheaper than one-time options if you only use the service for one month. Still, you can leverage the monthly-based platforms to continue your education.

Now that you know what to look for in CBT courses, we’ll take you through the course breakdown.

Course Breakdown

• Best Overall: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Practitioner’s Certificate
• Best for Beginner: Introduction to CBT
• Best for Coaches: CBT: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Therapists and Coaches
• Best for Psychosis: CBT for Psychosis
• Best for Life Coaching: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Life Coaching Certification
• Best for Anxiety and Depression: CBT for Depression, Anxiety, Phobias, and Panic Attacks
• Best for Mindfulness: I am in Control: CBT Mindfulness and Neuroplasticity
• Best for CBT Psychology: CBT Psychology

Top 8 Best CBT Training Courses 2023

---

1. Best Overall: CBT: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Practitioner Certificate

---

Why we like it

We’re big fans of this course because it covers most topics related to CBT, and it comes with the most content. You get a ton of lecture time, downloadable resources, and even a certification upon completion.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Practitioner Certificate is a well-rounded course focused on getting you up to speed on what CBT is. The course has a ton of content that covers beginner-level concepts to advanced-level concepts. It’s also a diverse course that comes with everything you need to use CBT on yourself or others. Overall, it’s the best course regarding content, the instructor, and how it’s taught.

What Sets It Apart

This course is unique because of its value. Compared to other Udemy courses, the price is similar, but it comes with almost double the content of any other course. It’s perfect for covering the vast topics related to CBT and there aren’t many flaws or gaps in information. For overall information and content, this course is the best option.

Things to Consider

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Practitioner Certificate is a great course, but it’s not perfect. The main flaw is that it’s designed for therapists. People who want to learn about CBT for personal use or life coaching would have better luck with more basic courses. If you’re looking for a more beginner-friendly or general alternative, Introduction to CBT is a great option.

Who It’s For

(CBT) Practitioner Certificate is the perfect course for therapists who want to take their practice to the next level. It’s also a good course for people who want to learn the basics of CBT and continue their education. With over 30 hours of content, it’s the best value in terms of the amount of information it provides.

---

---

2. Best for Beginners: Introduction to CBT

---

Why we like it

We love this course because it introduces some of the basic elements of CBT without going into too much detail. It’s one of the best courses for beginners to start with.

Introduction to CBT is taught by Libby Seery, who is the founder of Renaissance Life Therapies, a leader in innovative therapy courses for students in-person and online. The organization has several opportunities for continuing education but values the beginner-level client who wants to get started on their journey. The course covers some of the general concepts of CBT and prepares students for later lessons and more specific information.

What Sets It Apart

Introduction to CBT is unique because it’s one of the best options for beginners. While it’s one of the shortest courses on Udemy for CBT, it comes with over 40 additional downloadable resources. Moreover, the course comes with one-on-one lessons and additional communication options via Skype and email. These avenues of communication establish a dialog between students and instructors that makes it easier for students to learn.

Things to Consider

Introduction to CBT is a great course. That said, it has a few flaws. First and foremost, it’s a beginner-friendly course, which means it doesn’t dive into advanced topics, concepts, or CBT therapy methods. Therefore, students who have a background in therapy, counseling, or CBT will want to consider alternative options. Another drawback is the lack of video lectures as there are very few compared to other courses. If you’re looking for a more in-depth alternative, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Practitioner Certificate is a great choice.

Who It’s For

Introduction to CBT is one of the best choices for beginners. If you’re someone who doesn’t have a background in CBT or psychology, Introduction to CBT will serve you well. While it won’t give you everything you need to know, it’s one of the best places to start. Plus, the additional downloadable content and one-on-one communication set it apart from other beginner-friendly courses.

---

---

3. Best for Coaches: CBT: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Therapists and Coaches

---

Why we like it

CBT: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Therapists and Coaches is one of our favorite courses because it’s designed to help therapists add another tool to their practices. It’s perfect for coaches, counselors, and therapists who want to add another layer to their treatment modalities.

This is a course designed for life coaches, therapists, and counselors. It focuses on the principles of CBT and trains you to learn the process from start to finish. CBT: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Therapists and Coaches will show you how to identify mental health issues, how to solve them, and how to leverage CBT to give clients and patients more tools to treat themselves.

What Sets It Apart

This course is unique because it’s one of the best options for people who have established coaching careers or client bases. While it won’t teach you everything about CBT, the course gives you enough to use it well in a short amount of time. What it lacks in depth, it makes up for with easy usability.

Things to Consider

CBT: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Therapists and Coaches is a well-rounded course, but it comes up short in a few areas. First and foremost is the instructor’s background. Dan Jones’s experience is more in healing and hypnosis rather than psychotherapy, which can be less useful for more clinically inclined practitioners. Another issue with the course is that it doesn’t give you a proper certification like Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Practitioner Certificate.

Who It’s For

If you’re someone who has a coaching or consulting business, CBT: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Therapists and Coaches is the best choice. It’s made by a coach who has sold millions of books and has helped thousands of clients around the world. If you’re looking to set yourself apart from other coaches, the CBT skills learned in this course can help.

---

---

4. Best for Psychosis: CBT for Psychosis

---

Why we like it

We love CBT for Psychosis because it teaches you about evidence-based CBT methods for handling psychotic breaks and episodes. It’s one of the few courses that teach advanced-level CBT concepts.

CBT for Psychosis is designed for people who want to learn how to use CBT to treat psychosis. The course goes into detail about how to create tools and patterns to handle psychosis and the mental health issues that stem from it. CBT for Psychosis is also a well-rounded course. Many of the concepts can be used for other CBT therapy sessions. For example, the treatment methods for addiction counseling are similar.

What Sets It Apart

CBT for Psychosis is unique because of its instructor, Ron Unger, who is a therapist with over 17 years of experience. Throughout his career, he’s been very involved with evidence-based CBT and has treated people with many types of mental health disorders. Therefore, Ron Unger is one of the best instructors to learn from, especially if you’re looking to emulate these concepts in your practice.

Things to Consider

CBT for Psychosis is a great course, but it’s not the best choice for people who work in the coaching industry since it is designed for psychosis and other serious mental health disorders. For coaches and people who want to learn the basics of CBT, Introduction to CBT is a much better option.

Who It’s For

This course is perfect for people who want to add evidence-based CBT concepts into their therapy practice. Overall, it is made for therapists, and it was designed by one. Ron Unger is one of the best in the industry, so learning the psychology of CBT and psychosis from him is valuable.

---

---

5. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Life Coaching Certification

---

Why we like it

We like this course because it prepares you for a career in life coaching and can give you more credentials — which is important for client trust.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Life Coaching Certification is a straightforward course that’s made for life coaches and people who want to become coaches. The course focuses on teaching you how to leverage the mind and communicate with yourself. It can also help manage negative thoughts and show you why they appear. The content is also designed to be used with other people in coaching sessions and provides you with a certification.

What Sets It Apart

This course is unique because of its accompanying resources. While it’s not the longest course, it comes with downloadable documents you can use to continue your education. Moreover, the course comes with access to additional resources and communication with thousands of other students through the instructor’s network.

Things to Consider

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Life Coaching Certification is a solid course for beginners and life coaches. That said, it comes up short if you’re a therapist or need treatment for a mental health disorder. If you’re looking for a more advanced course, CBT for Psychosis is a better alternative. It covers more in-depth concepts and evidence-based CBT treatments.

Who It’s For

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Life Coaching Certification is perfect for life coaches and people who prefer to study in groups. The course comes with a certification for life coaches and teaches coaches how to add CBT methods into their coaching. For students who like learning in groups, the course comes with access to a vast learning network consisting of over 5,000 students in over 100 countries.

---

---

6. Best for Depression: CBT for Depression, Anxiety, Phobias, and Panic Attacks

---

Why we like it

We like this course because it teaches you how to directly treat anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias. We also love the instructor and the extra materials available for download.

CBT for Depression, Anxiety, Phobias, and Panic Attacks is a well-rounded course taught by Libby Seery, the founder of Renaissance Life Therapies. She’s one of the best instructors for CBT in the industry and has taught dozens of courses on the subject. In this course, Seery focuses on giving people the tools needed to treat anxiety, phobias, panic attacks, and depression. She uses evidence-based practices with proven results and trains people to treat themselves and others.

What Sets It Apart

This course is unique because it’s made for people who suffer from anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions. The course can help people treat themselves and treat others. It comes with plenty of CBT concepts that focus on anxiety and other mental health disorders. The course is also unique because it’s taught by Libby Seery, one of the best in the industry, and who teaches other relevant courses like Introduction to CBT.

Things to Consider

This is a great course, but it’s more basic than some of the other general CBT courses. For example, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Practitioner Certificate has more comprehensive information and covers similar content.

Who It’s For

If you’re someone who struggles with anxiety, phobias, panic attacks, or depression, this course is the best choice. It can give you tools to treat your own conditions or give you the tools to treat others using the CBT technique.

---

---

7. I Am in Control: CBT Mindfulness and Neuroplasticity

---

Why we like it

We’re big fans of this course because of how it’s structured and who it’s taught by. Peter Torok is someone with an interesting background in psychology and lucid dreaming.

This is a straightforward CBT course that shows people the tools required to use CBT. While most people use CBT to counsel others, this course takes a different approach. The instructor focuses on teaching students the concepts that apply in their own lives. These include methods to reduce negative thoughts, mitigate addictions, and how to achieve mental freedom. Overall, it’s one of the more well-rounded options for students who prefer the month-to-month model of learning provided by platforms like SkillShare.

What Sets It Apart

This course is unique because it shows people how to use CBT on themselves. Most courses focus on teaching therapists about implementing CBT into their sessions, but this course is more focused on the individual. Peter Torok, the instructor, also comes from an interesting background in sleep psychology, and he includes some unique bits of information relating to that topic.

Things to Consider

I am in Control: CBT Mindfulness and Neuroplasticity is a solid course. It teaches you what it advertises, but that’s about it. If you’re someone who is looking to leverage CBT for your therapy practice, you’ll be better off with an alternative like Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Practitioner Certificate, which comes with more content and methods.

Who It’s For

This course is a great option for people who want to use CBT to help themselves. CBT is a proven technique that can help individuals increase their mood, rewire the brain, and reduce negative thoughts. Therefore, this course is best suited for people who want to use CBT methods to treat mental health issues they’re facing themselves.

---

---

8. CBT Psychology

---

Why we like it

We love this course because it’s one of the simplest courses on CBT. While it doesn’t introduce you to too much detail, it sets the stage and shows you what to expect moving forward with a CBT education.

CBT Psychology is a simple course that prepares you for what to expect when you start learning about this set of techniques. The course comes with basic information and takes you through topics like mental filtering, solving your issue, and facts versus opinions. These are basic CBT tools that individuals can use to better themselves and others.

The course is also taught by someone who has a lot of experience with CBT and mental health issues. Patrick Spring Howell is an internationally recognized life skills coach, so he knows how to empower people and make them better.

What Sets It Apart

CBT Psychology is unique because it’s a short course that still manages to provide value. While you can find other short courses elsewhere, this course acts as a short motivational video that prepares you for what CBT is and how it can boost your spirits.

Things to Consider

This course is great for motivation and for people who want to get started, but it has a lot of flaws. First and foremost, the course is not well-rounded and contains less than 20 minutes of content. Secondly, the course doesn’t teach important CBT concepts or show you how to counsel others. If you’re looking for a more comprehensive option but prefer SkillShare’s platform, check out Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Practitioner’s Certificate.

Who It’s For  

CBT Psychology is a great course for people who need a quick boost of motivation or for those who are unsure if CBT is right for them. While it doesn’t offer much, the value comes from the course’s ability to introduce you to CBT concepts in less than 30 minutes. So, it’s also great for people who are tight on time.

---

---

CBT FAQ

---

---