Cognitive Therapy

149: Is Cognitive Therapy a Cure-All for Everything?
by

149: Is Cognitive Therapy a Cure-All for Everything?

I recently published the results of a survey of Feeling Good Podcast fans like yourself. The findings were overwhelmingly positive and illuminating. However, there were a few criticisms as well, like the excellent and thoughtful comments Rhonda and I will address in this podcast. I appreciate negative feedback, as this provides the greatest opportunities for growth and learning. 

However, like most people, I sometimes find criticisms emotionally challenging  and want to lash out, defending myself! Do you sometimes feel that way, too?

When I feel defensive, its because I think I have a “self” or some cherished “territory” that’s under attack. When I let go of this “self,” it can be incredibly liberating to find truth in a criticism and discover that the feedback is really coming from a trusted colleague or friend, rather than some enemy who is trying to destroy or defeat you! 

Here’s what s/he wrote:

Dr. Burns, you seem to disregard healing modalities outside of CBT. CBT is wonderful and nobody teachers it better than Dr Burns—I believe that it is a foundational practice to well-being. However, working with difficult emotions is very important and not always well addressed through CBT alone.

Thinking CBT is the answer for most issues is loaded with cognitive distortions. Example–Discounting the Positive in other practices, All or Nothing Thinking, Magical Thinking, and seeing CBT as a “cure all.” In my personal healing journey CBT has been absolutely essential–as has self compassion, learning to let things go, inner child work, mindfulness, somatic awareness and more. I have noticed there has repeatedly been a dismissive tone for other valuable practices.

Obviously. the Feeling Good Podcast is about CBT and sticking to your expertise is essential. However, I would be careful not to disregard other healing practices that could potentially help someone out.

I have such respect for Dr Burns and his team-but your words carry weight- please be thoughtful about discounting other methods that could be helping someone.

Thank you, whoever you are, for this thought-provoking feedback. And you are SO RIGHT. Cognitive Therapy has value for some problems, but it is definitely NOT a panacea. In fact, no treatment is! The belief that you have THE ANSWER for everything is incredibly misguided but unfortunately, way too common in our field. 

I have no doubt that many people have shared your concerns. Let us know what you think after you hear today’s podcast! 

David and Rhonda

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You can reach Dr. Burns at david@feelinggood.com. Dr. Rhonda Barovsky practices in Walnut Creek, California, and can be reached at rbarovsky@aol.com.

If you like our jingle music and would like to support the composer Brett Van Donsel, you may download it here. 

* * *

There will be two more intensives
for you this summer and fall! The SF program is starting soon, so act fast if you want to attend.

 

July 29 – August 1, 2019
South San Francisco four-day intensive
Sponsored by Praxis

 

November 4 – 7, 2019
Atlanta, Georgia four-day intensive
Sponsored by Praxis

 

The intensives are always THE BEST!
I hope you can join me at one of these incredible events!

 

Is there only one way to do things?
by

Is there only one way to do things?

Hello everyone,

At my Stanford Tuesday training group this week, one of our members asked a super-important question, “Does David believe there is only one correct way to do things?” By way of coincidence, Rhonda and I recently recorded a podcast on this very topic, and it will be published on Monday. This is the title: “Is Cognitive Therapy a Cure-All for Everything?” You might enjoy it, and you’ll get my thinking on several controversial topics.

If you’re not yet a podcast fan, you and some of your patients might like them. Here’s an email I got just this morning from someone in Kosovo.

Dr. David,

Greetings from Kosovo. Your book has been a wonderful journey on my self-help regarding my anxieties, worries, and stress – so thank you very much. After reading the book I found out about the podcast (very recently) and ever since I started watching all of the episodes one by one from the very first one. The story of Marilyn has hit me deeply and has made me realize how irrational I am being about my problems – although they feel very real to me. However, seeing how Marilyn coped with her severe anxieties, mine went away almost instantly. I’m sending all my love to You, Matt and Marilyn. I have recommended your book and podcast to all of my friends.

Gratefully, Dea

As you can see, Dea actually experienced significant improvement just from listening to the live work with Marilyn. You or your patients might also find that my podcasts o books might greatly accelerate learning and recovery.

You can find a list of all the podcasts and show notes on my website.  In addition, you will find a search function in the right-hand panel of every page. This makes my entire website searchable, which is super-convenient if you want to recommend certain kinds of podcasts to your patients, or if you are looking for self-help. For example, you can type in “Five Secrets of Effective Communication,” “Positive Distortions,” “Anxiety,” “Suicide Prevention,” or whatever you want, and some wonderful resources will pop right up!

david

 * * *

And if you need training, CE credits, or just four days of training and personal refueling, attend one of my upcoming intensives. The Calgary program is coming up in two days but if you move fast, you can still register!

High-Speed Treatment of Depression and Anxiety Disorders—

Attend one of the three Summer / Fall Intensives

With David D. Burns, MD!

Three Great Locations—

Calgary, July 15 to 18, 2019

South San Francisco, July 29 to August 1, 2019

Atlanta, Georgia,November 4 – 7, 2019

 Learn powerful new tools to boost your effectiveness in the treatment of depression and all of the anxiety disorders! Discover how TEAM-CBT can produce extremely rapid and lasting changes for your depressed and anxious clients—and for you.

This workshop will be experiential. You will have the chance to practice lots of innovative techniques in small groups and get immediate feedback so you can refine your skills. You’ll also have the chance to work on your own feelings of self-doubt so you can leave this workshop on a high, with renewed confidence and excitement about your clinical work.

This dynamic workshop offers:

  • State-of-the-art TEAM-CBT techniques for depression and all of the anxiety disorders.
  • Powerful new methods for the treatment of habits and addictions—your own and your clients’!
  • Innovative resistance-busting techniques to boost patient motivation and eliminate “yes-butting.” Learn to pinpoint and eliminate the eight most common forms of therapeutic resistance.
  • Live demonstrations and video clips from actual therapy sessions.
  • Powerful Relapse Prevention Training for lasting results.
  • Lots of fun and the chance to get some much-needed emotional refueling!

The annual intensives are almost always the best workshops of the year. If you can join us this year, they will be even better!

This workshop has been approved for Levels 1 through 3 TEAM-CBT Certification
and is suitable for novice as well as highly experienced therapists.
Of course, you’ll get tons of CE credits as well.

The two intensives will be similar, but there are some differences that may be important to you.

Special features at this year’s South SF intensive

  • Sunny Choi will be speaking on “TEAM with Compassion.” Sunny spoke last year and was amazing, so he is returning, as they say, “by popular demand.” He describes incredible, high-speed TEAM therapy to populations with severe problems and extremely limited resources, including immigrants who do not speak English.
  • Dr. Jill Levitt will be joining me as co-therapist for the live demonstration on the evening of day 1. In past years, these dramatic live demos have provided tremendous opportunities for learning. If you have never seen Jill, this will be a real treat for you!
  • I will be joined by many expert helpers from the Feeling Good Institute who will help provide feedback for you during the many practice sessions.
  • There will be two amazing evening sessions to add depth to your training. You’ll be totally exhausted, but chock-full of incredible new skills and insights that can change the direction of your career and transform your personal life as well.

Special features at this year’s Calgary, Canada intensive

  • The three optional evening hikes / meals together will be a highlight for many. While hiking, you will have chances for personal work with David, Q and A, difficult case consultation, and additional practice with the new techniques you are learning.
  • If you don’t want to hike, you can enjoy your evenings with friends or family and refuel for the next day.
  • There will be a live demo on the morning of day 2. In past years, these live therapy sessions have been inspirational and wonderfully informative. Last year’s live therapy demonstration in Whistler was jaw-dropping!
  • And, as you probably know, Jack Hirose always puts on an amazing event, designed to provide you with maximum comfort, delight, and learning!

In both workshops, David promises to catapult at least 65% of the participants into a state of joyous enlightenment. Would you like to finally free yourself from feelings of self-doubt and endless obsessions about whether you’re “good enough?” Check out the registration links now!

Feeling good feels wonderful! You owe it to yourself to feel good! Join me in

Calgary (in two days!)

or

South San Francisco (at the end of July)

or

Atlanta (in early November)

David Burns, MD

Here’s a photo of my esteemed colleague, Mike Christensen, at a recent Canadian workshop.

IMG_20180607_100631_1

 

The Cognitive Revolution! Wow!
by

The Cognitive Revolution! Wow!

Whether you’re a patient, therapist, or general citizen, you might enjoy my interview on The Cognitive Revolution on Stanford’s radio station KZSU,  published yesterday.

It was an incredibly fun and energetic interview. They plan to re-broadcast it to let more people know about the benefits of CBT, as well as the new TEAM-CBT.

Here is a link to the interview:  http://www.modernteknews.com. The radio station reported that they got a strong and positive response to the program, and I hope you like it, too!

 * * *

And if you need training, CE credits, or just four days of fantastic training and personal refueling, attend one of my summer intensives. The Calgary program is coming up REALLY SOON but if you move fast, you can still register!

High-Speed Treatment of Depression and Anxiety Disorders—

Attend one of the three Summer / Fall Intensives

With David D. Burns, MD!

Two Great Locations—

Calgary, July 15 to 18, 2019

South San Francisco, July 29 to August 1, 2019

Atlanta, Georgia,November 4 – 7, 2019

 Learn powerful new tools to boost your effectiveness in the treatment of depression and all of the anxiety disorders! Discover how TEAM-CBT can produce extremely rapid and lasting changes for your depressed and anxious clients—and for you.

This workshop will be experiential. You will have the chance to practice lots of innovative techniques in small groups and get immediate feedback so you can refine your skills. You’ll also have the chance to work on your own feelings of self-doubt so you can leave this workshop on a high, with renewed confidence and excitement about your clinical work.

This dynamic workshop offers:

  • State-of-the-art TEAM-CBT techniques for depression and all of the anxiety disorders.
  • Powerful new methods for the treatment of habits and addictions—your own and your clients’!
  • Innovative resistance-busting techniques to boost patient motivation and eliminate “yes-butting.” Learn to pinpoint and eliminate the eight most common forms of therapeutic resistance.
  • Live demonstrations and video clips from actual therapy sessions.
  • Powerful Relapse Prevention Training for lasting results.
  • Lots of fun and the chance to get some much-needed emotional refueling!

The annual intensives are almost always the best workshops of the year. If you can join us this year, they will be even better!

This workshop has been approved for Levels 1 through 3 TEAM-CBT Certification
and is suitable for novice as well as highly experienced therapists.
Of course, you’ll get tons of CE credits as well.

The two intensives will be similar, but there are some differences that may be important to you.

Special features at this year’s South SF intensive

  • Sunny Choi will be speaking on “TEAM with Compassion.” Sunny spoke last year and was amazing, so he is returning, as they say, “by popular demand.” He describes incredible, high-speed TEAM therapy to populations with severe problems and extremely limited resources, including immigrants who do not speak English.
  • Dr. Jill Levitt will be joining me as co-therapist for the live demonstration on the evening of day 1. In past years, these dramatic live demos have provided tremendous opportunities for learning. If you have never seen Jill, this will be a real treat for you!
  • I will be joined by many expert helpers from the Feeling Good Institute who will help provide feedback for you during the many practice sessions.
  • There will be two amazing evening sessions to add depth to your training. You’ll be totally exhausted, but chock-full of incredible new skills and insights that can change the direction of your career and transform your personal life as well.

Special features at this year’s Calgary, Canada intensive

  • The three optional evening hikes / meals together will be a highlight for many. While hiking, you will have chances for personal work with David, Q and A, difficult case consultation, and additional practice with the new techniques you are learning.
  • If you don’t want to hike, you can enjoy your evenings with friends or family and refuel for the next day.
  • There will be a live demo on the morning of day 2. In past years, these live therapy sessions have been inspirational and wonderfully informative. Last year’s live therapy demonstration in Whistler was jaw-dropping!
  • And, as you probably know, Jack Hirose always puts on an amazing event, designed to provide you with maximum comfort, delight, and learning!

In both workshops, David promises to catapult at least 65% of the participants into a state of joyous enlightenment. Would you like to finally free yourself from feelings of self-doubt and endless obsessions about whether you’re “good enough?” Check out the registration links now!

Feeling good feels wonderful! You owe it to yourself to feel good! Join me in

Calgary

or

South San Francisco!

David Burns, MD

Here’s a photo of my esteemed colleague, Mike Christensen, at a recent Canadian workshop.

IMG_20180607_100631_1

 

David’s Ted Talk
by

David’s Ted Talk

If you or your clients want a brief introduction to cognitive therapy with some inspiring examples of how it works, you may enjoy my Ted Talk in Reno. You’ll learn about the intense anxiety I struggled with after the birth of my son, Erik, when he was placed in the neonatal intensive care unit because of difficulties breathing. You’ll also learn how I got hooked on cognitive therapy in the early days, working with an elderly Latvian immigrant who had just been discharged from the intensive care unit for a serious suicide attempt. She thought she was worthless because she’d never accomplished anything of importance.

Did you or your patients ever feel that way?

You can check out this description of the talk in the Huffington Post. Here’s a link to the talk.

And if you need training, CE credits, or just four days of fantastic training and personal refueling, attend one of my summer intensives. The Calgary program is coming up REALLY SOON but if you move fast, you can still register!

High-Speed Treatment of Depression and Anxiety Disorders—

Attend the Summer Intensive

With David D. Burns, MD!

Two Great Locations—

Calgary, July 15 to 18, 2019

South San Francisco, July 29 to August 1, 2019

 Learn powerful new tools to boost your effectiveness in the treatment of depression and all of the anxiety disorders! Discover how TEAM-CBT can produce extremely rapid and lasting changes for your depressed and anxious clients—and for you.

This workshop will be experiential. You will have the chance to practice lots of innovative techniques in small groups and get immediate feedback so you can refine your skills. You’ll also have the chance to work on your own feelings of self-doubt so you can leave this workshop on a high, with renewed confidence and excitement about your clinical work.

This dynamic workshop offers:

  • State-of-the-art TEAM-CBT techniques for depression and all of the anxiety disorders.
  • Powerful new methods for the treatment of habits and addictions—your own and your clients’!
  • Innovative resistance-busting techniques to boost patient motivation and eliminate “yes-butting.” Learn to pinpoint and eliminate the eight most common forms of therapeutic resistance.
  • Live demonstrations and video clips from actual therapy sessions.
  • Powerful Relapse Prevention Training for lasting results.
  • Lots of fun and the chance to get some much-needed emotional refueling!

The annual intensives are almost always the best workshops of the year. If you can join us this year, they will be even better!

This workshop has been approved for Levels 1 through 3 TEAM-CBT Certification
and is suitable for novice as well as highly experienced therapists.
Of course, you’ll get tons of CE credits as well.

The two intensives will be similar, but there are some differences that may be important to you.

Special features at this year’s South SF intensive

  • Sunny Choi will be speaking on “TEAM with Compassion.” Sunny spoke last year and was amazing, so he is returning, as they say, “by popular demand.” He describes incredible, high-speed TEAM therapy to populations with severe problems and extremely limited resources, including immigrants who do not speak English.
  • Dr. Jill Levitt will be joining me as co-therapist for the live demonstration on the evening of day 1. In past years, these dramatic live demos have provided tremendous opportunities for learning. If you have never seen Jill, this will be a real treat for you!
  • I will be joined by many expert helpers from the Feeling Good Institute who will help provide feedback for you during the many practice sessions.
  • There will be two amazing evening sessions to add depth to your training. You’ll be totally exhausted, but chock-full of incredible new skills and insights that can change the direction of your career and transform your personal life as well.

Special features at this year’s Calgary, Canada intensive

  • The three optional evening hikes / meals together will be a highlight for many. While hiking, you will have chances for personal work with David, Q and A, difficult case consultation, and additional practice with the new techniques you are learning.
  • If you don’t want to hike, you can enjoy your evenings with friends or family and refuel for the next day.
  • There will be a live demo on the morning of day 2. In past years, these live therapy sessions have been inspirational and wonderfully informative. Last year’s live therapy demonstration in Whistler was jaw-dropping!
  • And, as you probably know, Jack Hirose always puts on an amazing event, designed to provide you with maximum comfort, delight, and learning!

In both workshops, David promises to catapult at least 65% of the participants into a state of joyous enlightenment. Would you like to finally free yourself from feelings of self-doubt and endless obsessions about whether you’re “good enough?” Check out the registration links now!

Feeling good feels wonderful! You owe it to yourself to feel good! Join me in

Calgary

or

South San Francisco!

David Burns, MD

Here’s a photo of my esteemed colleague, Mike Christensen, at a recent Canadian workshop.

IMG_20180607_100631_1

 

Calgary Intensive Discount!

Dear colleague,

If you have not yet registered for this year’s summer intensive in Calgary, you’re in luck! I have just learned of a special $50 discount if you register online using this code: BURNSSAVE50. This discount is for online registrations only.

The Calgary intensive could be one of the most rewarding training experiences of your career! You will learned radically new and WAY more effective ways of treating depression, anxiety disorders, and addictions. You will also learn how to stop making the most common errors that nearly all therapists make nearly all the time!

I hope you can join us. We’ll have a ton of fun, and you’ll learn a tremendous amount. Plus, we’ll cry, laugh, hike and eat together every day!

Take the plunge! You’ll be really glad you did!

To learn more about the intensive, you can link to the blog I sent out a few days ago.

July 15 is coming REALLY soon, so register now!

High-Speed Treatment of Depression
and Anxiety Disorders

A Four-Day TEAM-CBT Advanced Intensive

with David Burns, MD

July 15 – 18, 2019

Calgary, Canada four-day intensive

Registration and Details

CE credit and TEAM-CBT Certification
will be available!

* * *

If you can’t join me in Calgary, I will be offering two US intensives this year. They are also totally awesome! Check them out!

David Burns, MD

High-Speed Treatment of Depression
and Anxiety Disorders

A Four-Day TEAM-CBT Advanced Intensive

with David Burns, MD

S. San Francisco, July 29 – August 1,2019

and Atlanta, November 4 – 7, 2019

Register with friends and save 20%!

<Register>

32 hrs of CE credit
plus TEAM-CBT certification available

 

 

 

The Awesome July Calgary Intensive is Right Around the Corner!

Dear colleague,

This year’s summer intensive in Calgary (or San Francisco) will be your chance to learn state-of-the-art TEAM-CBT techniques for the treatment of depression, anxiety disorders, and habits and addictions.

TEAM-CBT has evolved from cutting-edge research on how psychotherapy actually works, and includes many radical treatment innovations. These include new ways to track patient progress (T = Testing), advanced E = Empathy techniques, powerful, new techniques to melt away the patient’s conscious and subconscious resistance (A = Paradoxical Agenda Setting), and more than 50 M = Methods to crush the demoralizing negative thoughts that cause depression and all of the anxiety disorders, as well as the positive, tempting thoughts that trigger habits and addictions, like binge eating, procrastination, and more.

On the morning of day 1, I will show an inspiring video of a single-session treatment of a woman struggling with post-traumatic stress so you can see exactly how these new techniques work. In the afternoon, I’ll show you how to transform therapeutic failure into success, even with angry, oppositional, relentlessly critical patients (as well as critical colleagues, friends and loved ones) using new, sophisticated empathy techniques. You’ll have the chance to practice and refine your skills in small group exercises with immediate feedback.

On the morning of day 2, I’ll do a live demonstration with a depressed or anxious volunteer from the group, along with my co-therapist, Mike Christensen, so you can see in real time how TEAM can trigger amazingly rapid changes in depression and anxiety. In the afternoon, I’ll show you how to bring Outcome and Process resistance to conscious awareness, as well as how to eliminate them quickly with resistance-busting tools that can revolutionize your clinical work.

On days 3 and 4, I’ll illustrate at least 25 methods to crush the thoughts that trigger depression, anxiety, and addictions. You’ll also learn how to pinpoint and modify the self-defeating beliefs that lead to mood and relationship problems, like perfectionism and the love addiction. At the end of the program, you’ll learn how to do Relapse Prevention Training for lasting results.

You’ll also have chances to do some of your own personal work, so you can leave the workshop on a high, feeling professionally and personally refreshed, with new tools and feelings of joy. Together, we’ll challenge the negative thoughts that sometimes trigger your own feelings of insecurity and self-doubt, like “I’m not good enough or smart enough,” or “I’m a fraud.”

My annual Canadian intensives have been peak experiences pretty much every year for the past ten years or more, and I’m incredibly indebted to Jack Hirose for giving me so many wonderful opportunities to teach in Canada, which I absolutely love. I’m also thrilled that I’ll be joined again by the brilliant and wonderful Mike Christiansen, who is a dear friend and one of Canada’s leading experts in TEAM-CBT.

And here’s one of the best parts. Since there are no evening sessions, I will offer optional evening hikes, followed by dinner, for those of you who want some extra time, attention, and exercise during the intensive. On the hikes you can do personal work, ask questions, do difficult case consultations, and practice the techniques that interest you the most.

And, here’s something else that’s totally cool. Our special guest on the hike on the evening of day 1 will be the woman you’ll “meet” in the video in the morning of day 1, along with her husband. So, you’ll have chances to ask questions and to get some follow-up data several years after the actual session you will witness on the video.

People have sometimes told me, “Oh, your live demos couldn’t possibly be real. They have to be fake. People simply cannot recover that fast! And even if they do, the results can’t last.” Well, here’s your chance to find out!

I hope you can join us this year! I know that a four-day intensive is a huge investment of your time, money, and energy, but the personal and professional payoff can be tremendous. I suspect we may cry a bit together, and I know that we’ll laugh a lot together. Laughter can be SO healing!

And you can be certain that I’ll do everything I can to make this one of the finest and most exhilarating training experiences of your career!

July 15 is coming soon, so register now!

High-Speed Treatment of Depression
and Anxiety Disorders

A Four-Day TEAM-CBT Advanced Intensive

with David Burns, MD

July 15 – 18, 2019

Calgary, Canada four-day intensive

Registration and Details

CE credit and TEAM-CBT Certification
will be available!

If you can’t join me in Calgary, I will be offering two US intensives this year. Check them out below!

David Burns, MD

High-Speed Treatment of Depression
and Anxiety Disorders

A Four-Day TEAM-CBT Advanced Intensive

with David Burns, MD

S. San Francisco, July 29 – August 1,2019

and Atlanta, November 4 – 7, 2019

Register with friends and save 20%!

<Register>

32 hrs of CE credit
plus TEAM-CBT certification available

 

 

 

Register by June 17th and save $100!

Dear colleague,

If you have ever dreamed of bringing extremely rapid healing to your patients, this is a workshop you won’t want to miss. David Burns, MD, will present TEAM-CBT: a new, powerful treatment approach that can produce extremely rapid and lasting changes in severe depression and anxiety. Lectures and demonstrations by a master therapist followed by the opportunity to practice the techniques with your colleagues will leave you with a deeper, richer appreciation of the practice of psychotherapy as well as a variety of tools you’ll be able to apply right away to your work. In addition, you’ll have the opportunity to do your own personal work during the workshop so you can experience greater self-esteem and joy in your professional work and in your personal life.

High-Speed Treatment of Depression and Anxiety Disorders

A Four-Day TEAM-CBT Advanced Intensive

w/ David Burns, MD

32 hrs of CE credit available

Workshops in S. San Francisco and Atlanta!

Register with friends and save 20%!

<Register>

The evening sessions on days 1 and 3 will add another dimension to your workshop experience, and are nearly always the most highly rated workshop segments. You’ll be tired, but joyous, by the end of your intensive, and you’ll leave with a renewed session of joy and optimism!

 

 

“What will I learn at an intensive?”

Dear colleague,

A therapist emailed me to say he was very interested in the upcoming intensives, but wanted to know what he’d learn if he attended. Certainly, a great question, so I put together this list of some of the things I’ll be teaching at this year’s intensives. They’re organized around the T E A M of TEAM-CBT.

T = Testing

  • I’ll illustrate fast, accurate assessment tools that will show you how your patients really feel, and how they feel about you. You’ll also find out how effective you are at every session with every patient. This information may be shocking, but can transform your clinical work.

E = Advanced Empathy Training

  • Five Secrets of Effective Communication
  • Law of Opposites
  • How to transform therapeutic failure into success
  • The five most common empathy errors, and how to avoid them!

A = Assessment of Resistance: New, sophisticated tools that can quickly melt away therapeutic resistance and greatly boost patient motivation

  • Outcome Resistance tools
  • Straightforward Invitation
  • Paradoxical Invitation
  • Miracle Cure Question
  • Specificity
  • Magic Button
  • Positive Reframing
  • Pivot Question
  • Process Resistance tools
  • Dangling the Carrot
  • Gentle Ultimatum
  • Sitting with Open Hands
  • Fallback Position

M = Methods

  • Daily Mood Log
  • Recovery Circle
  • 50 Ways to Untwist Your thinking, including
  • Identify the Distortions
  • Examine the Evidence
  • Be Specific / Shades of Grey
  • The Experimental Technique
  • The Pleasure-Predicting Sheet
  • The Paradoxical Double Standard Technique
  • Externalization of Voices
  • The Acceptance Paradox
  • Cognitive, Classical, and Interpersonal Exposure Techniques, including
    • Gradual Exposure
    • Cognitive Flooding
    • Memory Rescripting
    • Response Prevention
    • Smile and Hello Practice
    • Self-Disclosure
    • Talk-Show Host
    • Shame Attacking Exercises
  • The Hidden Emotion Technique
  • And more

Getting at root causes: How to pinpoint and modify Self-Defeating Beliefs

  • The Individual Downward Arrow
  • The Interpersonal Downward Arrow (psychoanalysis at warp speed!)
  • The Semantic Method
  • The Feared Fantasy

How to overcome habits and addictions, including

  • The Habit / Addiction Log
  • The Paradoxical Cost-Benefit Analysis
  • The Triple Paradox
  • The Anti-Procrastination Sheet
  • The “I stubbornly refused” Technique
  • The Devil’s Advocate Technique

Plus

  • Relapse Prevention Training for lasting results
  • Video of high-speed TEAM-CBT trauma treatment

The goals of TEAM-CBT include rapid, complete and lasting recovery from depression and anxiety. Teaching tools will include lecture, videos, live demonstrations, live therapy, and lots of small group practice with immediate feedback so you can refine your therapy skills.

You’ll also have the chance to do your own personal work if you want, so you can leave the workshop fueled with a renewed sense of excitement about your life and clinical work. I’ve always felt that effective personal work is tremendously important, since the challenges and pressures on therapists can sometimes be intense. When you’ve experienced your own personal transformation, you’re no longer a technician–you’re now a healer!

Finally, all three intensive provide CE credits plus credit toward certification in TEAM-CBT. In fact, you’ll be eligible for Level 1 TEAM certification just for attending!

Thank you so much for your interest!

David Burns, MD

* * *

This year, you have three great intensives to choose from!

High-Speed Treatment of

Depression and Anxiety Disorders

A Four-Day TEAM-CBT Advanced Intensive

with David Burns, MD

July 15 – 18, 2019, Calgary, Canada

Sponsored by Jack Hirose & Assoc.

The Calgary intensive will be similar to the SF and Atlanta intensives described below, but there will be no evening sessions. Instead, Dr. Burns will lead optional, informal evening hikes for those who are interested, followed by dinner. On the hikes, you can do personal work, ask questions, practice techniques, or just schmooze with colleagues and have fun!

This intensive is just around the corner, so act fast if you want to attend!

* * *

High-Speed Treatment of

Depression and Anxiety Disorders

A Four-Day TEAM-CBT Advanced Intensive

with David Burns, MD

32 hrs of CE credit available

July 29 – August 1, 2019
South San Francisco four-day intensive
Sponsored by Praxis

and

November 4 – 7, 2019
Atlanta, Georgia four-day intensive
Sponsored by Praxis

This will be my first east coast intensive in more than 25 years/

Register with friends and save 20%!

<Register>

The evening sessions on days 1 and 3 will add another dimension to your workshop experience, and are nearly always the most highly rated workshop segments. You’ll be tired, but joyous, by the end of your intensive, and you’ll leave with a renewed session of joy and optimism!

 

 

David’s Calgary, San Francisco and Atlanta Intensives are Coming Soon!

Dear colleague,

If you have ever dreamed of bringing extremely rapid healing to your patients, this is a workshop you won’t want to miss. David Burns, MD, will present TEAM-CBT: a new, powerful treatment approach that can produce rapid and lasting changes in mild or severe depression and anxiety. Lectures, videos and live demonstrations by a master therapist will be followed by opportunities to practice the techniques with your colleagues.

These exercises will leave you with a deeper, richer appreciation of the practice of psychotherapy as well as a variety of innovative new tools you’ll be able to apply right away in your clinical work. In addition, you’ll have the opportunity to do your own personal work during the workshop so you can experience greater self-esteem and joy in your professional work and in your personal life as well.

High-Speed Treatment of Depression and Anxiety Disorders

A Four-Day TEAM-CBT Advanced Intensive

w/ David Burns, MD

32 hrs of CE credit available

Workshops in S. San Francisco and Atlanta!

Register with friends and save 20%!

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There will also be a four-day intensive in Calgary, and it’s coming up SOON, so act fast if you’d like to register. The Calgary intensive will be similar to the SF and Atlanta intensives, but there will be no evening sessions. Instead, Dr. Burns will lead informal evening hikes for those who are interested, followed by dinner. On the hikes, you can do personal work, ask questions, practice techniques, or just schmooze with colleagues and have fun!

Or, you can just relax and unwind every evening, and absorb all the wonderful new ideas and methods you’re learning!

July 15 – 18, 2019
Calgary, Canada four-day intensive
Sponsored by Jack Hirose & Assoc.

David Burns, MD

 

 

David’s Awesome Summer Intensives–Are You Planning to Come to One?

High-Speed Treatment of Depression and Anxiety Disorders—

Attend the Summer / Fall Intensives

With David D. Burns, MD!

Three Great Locations—

Calgary, July 15 to 18, 2019

South San Francisco, July 29 to August 1, 2019

Atlanta, November 4 to 7, 2019

What so great about the intensives?

  • Observe live demonstrations of TEAM-CBT with audience volunteers that are cool, powerful and inspirational.
  • Have FUN—lots of neat people to hang out with!
  • Earn TEAM certification credits as well as CE credits.
  • Learn tons of powerful new techniques to boost your effectiveness in the treatment of depression, anxiety disorders, and habits and addictions.
  • Practice in small groups, with immediate feedback to help you refine and master your new skills.
  • Learn to pinpoint the eight most common forms of therapeutic resistance.
  • Learn how to melt away therapeutic resistance for super-fast recoveries.
  • Overcome your own feelings of anxiety and self-doubt, and leave the workshop in a state of joyous enlightenment! You can’t beat that!
  • Lots of tears—and lots of laughter!
  • You’ll work your butt off—but come out with exciting new insights and directions for your clinical work.

Special features at this year’s South SF intensive

  • Sunny Choi will be speaking on “TEAM with Compassion.” Sunny spoke last year and was amazing, so he is returning, as they say, “by popular demand.”
  • Jill Levitt will be joining David as co-therapist for the live demonstration on the evening of day 1. In past years, these dramatic live demos have provided tremendous opportunities for learning.
  • Do your own “solo flight” on the evening of day 3. In previous years, this has been the highlight of the annual SF intensive.
  • I will be joined by many expert helpers from the Feeling Good Institute who will provide feedback and mentoring for you during the many practice sessions. Of course, I’ll be giving you personal feedback, too!

Special features at this year’s Calgary, Canada intensive

  • The three optional evening hikes / meals together will be a highlight for many. While hiking, you will have chances for personal work with David, Q and A, and additional practice with the many new techniques you are learning.
  • There will be a live demo on the morning of day 2.

The summer / fall intensives are almost always my best teaching of the year. If you attend, this year’s intensives will be even better!

The Calgary Intensive will be from July 15 to 18, 2019.
For more information / registration, click here!

The South SF Intensive will be from July 29 to August 1, 2019.
For more information / registration, click here!

The new Atlanta intensive will be from November 4 – 7, 2019,
and will be similar to the South SF Intensive.
This will be my first east coast intensive in 25 years!
For more information / registration, click here!

David Burns, MD

Unsolicited Testimonials from Participants at David’s Workshops

These are anonymous comments on workshop evaluation forms:

  • The live demonstration in the evening was freaking incredible!!!
  • The live demonstration was dynamite! . . . It was beautiful!!
  • The entire process was fantastic!
  • I liked all of it! I appreciated Dr. Burns willingness to be vulnerable with his own flaws and fears.

Here’s a photo of my esteemed colleague, Mike Christensen, at a recent Canadian workshop. We’ll be working together again this year in Calgary!

IMG_20180607_100631_1

Here’s a photo from some of my Sunday hikes in California with therapists from my free weekly training group at Stanford.