Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for schizophrenia has received a significant amount scientific and clinical validation over the past 5 to 10 years and has also been covered in the popular press as being an effective and helpful approach for people who have schizophrenia. In the USA there are a few groups doing clinical research in this area, but in the UK there are many more clinical and academic research groups that have been refining, testing and using cognitive behavioral therapy for schizophrenia / psychosis.  In fact in the UK it is one of the most common and frequently-recommended approaches to treatment (generally in addition to medication) for psychosis.  In fact CBT for psychosis is recommended as front-line treatment by the UK national health service (NHS) for everyone who is diagnosed with schizophrenia.

While Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has become the dominant and most well-researched psychological treatment approach for most mental health problems (from depression and anxiety to eating disorders), in most countries CBT for schizophrenia is not available, or only available at a few centers in the entire country.  One approach to overcoming this barrier to treatment is to find a good CBT-trained therapist and help get them up to speed on CBT for schizophrenia.  Towards this end, we’ve included below to a link to a free CBT for Schizophrenia therapist manual.

See more information and news on this topic below:

Patients with Psychosis Should be Offered CBT – UK National Guidelines for Clinical Excellence

Specifying a Schizophrenia Service – UK National Guidelines for Clinical Excellence

CBT Addresses Most De-bilatating Symptoms of Schizophrenia – Psychiatry News Online

The key problem is that there are very few therapists around the world that actually know how to effectively deliver this therapy approach.

That makes this therapist manual a good resource for therapists and family members. If you have a therapist who is not familiar with CBT for psychosis – email a link to this article, or print out a copy of the manual and give it to them today.

CBT for Psychosis – A Therapists’ Manual