Quick trainer tip: educating clients on the CBT Model

The Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Substance Use Disorder (CBT-SUD) treatment training by Train for Change emphasizes the importance of scaffolding in training and implementation. This includes supporting clients with teach-backs to ensure mastery of a concept, before moving on to a new element of the intervention. Practitioners utilize this concept throughout the CBT-SUD intervention to help ensure that each fundamental concept is understood before introducing new, more challenging material.

One of the first major challenges for the clinician in any Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy approach is to educate the client on the model. One effective way to do this is by describing the relationship between thoughts, feelings and actions. Using specific, relatable examples to demonstrate the concept can be very effective. Having the client provide you with a specific example during the teach-back can help to identify any gaps in their knowledge. Often, it can be challenging for clients to recognize their automatic thoughts. They may believe events that happen to them and around them are the sole basis for their emotional response. 

Bernie Showers (Trainer)

Dr. Bernard Showers, DSW, LCSW, earned his MSW at Shippensburg University in 2010, where he is now an Adjunct Professor. Mr. Showers also works as an Adjunct Professor for the University of Maryland School of Social Work in Baltimore, MD, and Simmons University School of Social Work in Boston, MA. In the fall of 2018, he was awarded the Dean’s Teaching Award at the University of Maryland due to instructional excellence. In September 2016, he attended the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers Train-the-Trainer event and is now one of 1,500 MINT members worldwide. Mr. Showers has trained aspiring and active independent practitioners at many colleges, universities, governmental agencies, and companies around the United States. In addition to Motivational Interviewing, Mr. Showers has developed, presented, and published several continuing education workshops on family involvement in substance use treatment, ASAM criteria, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and group therapy. Bernard earned his DSW as part of inaugural class of The University of Kentucky’s Doctorate of Social Work (DSW) program. In July 2021, Bernard Showers was the lead author on the manuscript "Medication for Opioid Use Disorder in Rural America: A Review of the Literature" published in the APA’s Journal of Rural Mental Health.

Train for Change Inc.® is an international training, consultation, and program evaluation company dedicated to bridging the gap between research and real-world practice. Established in 2012, Train for Change specializes in equipping providers with evidence-based skills that drive meaningful outcomes in addiction treatment and behavioral health. Their hands-on, interactive trainings focus on helping practitioners apply proven techniques to improve client care and success.