Application closing dates:
28 January 2026, 12 noon
Application window for NHSE funded applicants from 1 February 2026.
For further details and to make an application, please visit The University of Oxford Graduate Admissions site
Course Lead Year 1: Alison Croft
Course Lead Year 2: Dr Helen Kennerley (Psychological Trauma & Personality Development)
Dr Louise Isham (Psychosis & Bipolar)
The Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Severe Mental Health Problems) is a two-year course providing comprehensive training in the core competencies required to become a competent CBT therapist and an additional year of specialist training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Severe Mental Health Problems. *
Oxford is internationally recognised as a centre of excellence in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy research, practice and training. This programme has evolved from a course established over 30 years ago and draws on an impressive body of local specialist knowledge and skills.
*The course is designed to enable students to meet the minimum training standards for British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP) accreditation as a CBT psychotherapist. It is currently BABCP-accredited at Level 1 and is seeking Level 2 accreditation.
Programme Details
Year 1 runs yearly from October to June. This begins with five days of teaching over the first two weeks and one day per week (Fridays) thereafter.
The majority of the teaching takes place online. There will be a 3-day in-person teaching block in Week One and approximately 2 further in-person teaching days per term. These will take place in Oxford and attendance is compulsory. Overseas applicants should check their eligibility for visas to travel to the UK to attend these teaching days.
Students receive two hours of small-group supervision weekly with a course supervisor, focusing on CBT skills development. In teaching sessions, emphasis is placed on observation of CBT in action and on experiential learning with participation in role-play and other practical exercises.
Some of the teaching days on this course may be made available to a wider audience as publicly bookable workshops via the Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre. All participants will be expected to have an appropriate level of competence to participate fully.
In Year Two, students undertake one of the specialisms below:
- Psychological Trauma and Personality Development
This innovative programme offers comprehensive, specialist training in CBT with a strong grounding in current psychological and CBT theories and research. It is designed to offer an in-depth understanding of the range of difficulties experienced by those who have suffered adversity and psychological trauma, alongside an in-depth understanding of the development of personality traits. The course highlights the CBT principles, theory and research that can guide optimal treatment delivery to people struggling with the legacy of trauma and/or with personality issues.
21 days of training and supervision are spread over an academic year, between November and July. Five days of teaching in November (a combination of taught material and self-directed study) are followed by four intensive four-day teaching blocks in January, March, May and July. At least one of these teaching blocks will be held in Oxford, and in-person attendance is compulsory. There are four summative assignments spread out over the period of training. Over the duration of the course, students are normally expected to complete a course of therapy (under supervision) with at least three patients, where at least one patient has a trauma history and at least one patient has personality issues. We encourage students to engage in CBT with more than three patients before the end of this training.
Therapy must demonstrate the specialist CBT skills and knowledge relevant to working with patients who have experienced psychological trauma and/or struggle with personality issues. Small group supervision from specialists is offered within each block and between training blocks (12 supervision sessions in total), and students are required to secure additional field supervision.
One training day in each block is open to a wider clinical audience. This enables course participants to interact and share with a broader group of specialist practitioners.
- Psychosis and Bipolar
This specialism seeks to enable students to develop a sound understanding of cognitive behavioural models of psychosis and bipolar and the related evidence base. This includes competence in engaging, assessing and developing collaborative formulations with individuals with psychotic and bipolar presentations and competence to deliver high quality, individualised, evidence-based interventions in accordance with NICE guidance, the competence framework for work with people with psychosis and bipolar disorder (Roth & Pilling 2013), and the National Health Service England national curriculum for CBT for severe mental health presentations. Students will benefit from teaching from renowned experts and will benefit from close supervision, enabling them to develop their new skills.
The course comprises teaching over three terms: running from October 2025 to the end of June 2026. Teaching and supervision typically take place on Thursdays, and students should keep all Thursdays during term time free for course-related teaching, supervision, and study. There will also be some Fridays required for teaching and supervision (a total of seven Fridays across term one and the start of term two). The majority of teaching will be delivered online, but students are required to attend a total of seven days in person in Oxford (two days in term one, three days in term two, and two days in term three). This is in line with BABCP requirements for face-to-face teaching.
Over the duration of the course, students are normally expected to complete a course of therapy (under supervision) with at least four patients, where at least one patient has a bipolar presentation and at least two patients are experiencing active symptoms of psychosis. It is recommended to work with more clients than this to ensure that you have suitable cases to write up and provide recordings for assessment. There are five summative assessments over the year: two recordings, one case presentation, one case report, and a training portfolio. You will have a course supervisor and a course tutor to support you in making the best of this learning opportunity. Small group supervision fortnightly in term time focuses on the development of specific cognitive and behavioural skills for working with clients with psychosis and bipolar presentations.
Clinical practice
Students are responsible for sourcing suitable adult training cases to enable them to complete the clinical practice elements and assessments for the course.
Students are also responsible for arranging regular CBT supervision for their training cases from a qualified CBT practitioner, as not all supervision needs can be met within the small group skills supervision provided by the course. Supervisors should hold Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist accreditation with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy.