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The University of Southampton
Psychology

Laura Brock PG Diploma in CBT for Depression and Anxiety

CBT Therapist

Laura Brock's Photo

Working with patients was obviously a chance to apply learning and practice skills, and supervision was helpful with this. Being able to listen to a patient’s (guest speaker) experience first-hand and ask questions was interesting and helped increase understanding.

Why did you choose to carry out your postgraduate study at Southampton?

I wanted to be a CBT therapist and work with patients for longer and more in depth after having practiced as a PWP for 5 years. The training was part of this career move and funded through my employer.

What is the academic support that you have received like?

I valued the support provided by my lecturers, which wasn’t just academic support. They pointed me in the direction of relevant articles and research materials and to other forms of support like the library. Lecturers were available to me if I wanted to ask questions or felt unsure about anything. I felt able to approach them during and after lectures. Classes were very interactive, and I could also e-mail any questions between lectures. I was able to speak to them about personal stressors during my course too.

What is it like studying here?

I don’t think anyone could have really prepared me for this course (CBT). It has almost been like a course of therapy. Making me feel uncomfortable, breaking me down and pushing me to my limits, but, at the same time pulling me in, opening my mind up and making me stronger.

I have to thank my lecturers for their support and I believe the fact that they are practicing therapists with real patient experience and anecdotes makes the experience so rich and interesting. It was also helpful to have a new lecturer who did his training only a few years prior to us. I appreciated the different personalities and teaching styles; they were very human and imperfect, which inspired me and made me feel like I could do this too.

What have been your Southampton ‘highlights’ (best experiences) so far?

The skills workshops were a good place to practice new skills and get hands on advice. The behavioural experiment for OCD gave insight to suffers' and what they experience. Working with patients was obviously a chance to apply learning and practice skills, and supervision was helpful with this. Being able to listen to a patient’s (guest speaker) experience first-hand and ask questions was interesting and helped increase understanding. However for me the lectures were the best experience, hearing the anecdotes from lecturers about their experience of working with patients.

What are you enjoying most about your course?

I really enjoyed learning about the different anxiety disorders. The information was imparted with expertise but there was also room for appropriate humour. I am enjoying my work with patients and at the moment finding it fascinating. Each one is like a new puzzle I need to figure out.

What are you hoping to do after you complete your postgraduate study?

I am hoping to focus on my job as a CBT therapist and consolidate my learning from the course.

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