Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis (CBTp)
TESTIMONIALS FROM CBTp TRAINED PROVIDERS
“…I was initially daunted by all the training requirements. It was kind of like a class, and I definitely had to do some readings and prep at home. But it paid off big time. The changes I saw my client make were incredible…the fidelity feedback far exceeded my expectations.”
“The ECHO Clinics made the difference for me. The training was great but I never would’ve been able to learn CBTp without the ECHO Clinics…just hearing other people struggling with the same thing…I learned so much from the feedback they got.”
How does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Help with Psychotic Symptoms?
What is CBT for Psychosis (CBTp)?
CBTp is a structured, time-limited form of talk therapy that helps people manage distress from psychotic symptoms. Backed by more than 30 years of research—including over 50 clinical trials and multiple systematic reviews—it is internationally recognized as an evidence-based treatment.
CBTp is recommended in U.S. psychiatric treatment guidelines, yet it remains largely unavailable. Only about 0.1% of licensed clinicians in the U.S. are trained to provide it, leaving most people without access to a therapy considered part of standard care.
Closing the Gap
In 2019, SAMHSA convened a national expert panel—chaired by SPIRIT’s Dr. Sarah Kopelovich—to identify barriers and solutions to making CBTp accessible. The resulting report, available from SAMHSA, outlines clear recommendations for expanding access.
Our Role
Since 2014, the UW SPIRIT Center has partnered with Washington State’s Health Care Authority to systematically expand CBTp across public behavioral health settings. With support from public and private funders, our team has:
We offer both in-person and virtual training throughout the year. Explore upcoming training opportunities on our CBTp training webpage.
National Reach
Beyond the Pacific Northwest, we co-led the SAMHSA-funded Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (NW-MHTTC) and the SPIRIT Center houses the more recently launched SAMHSA-funded Northwest hub for the Center for Mental Health Implementation Science (CMHIS). Learn more about NW-MHTTC resources at the SPIRIT Center Training Library, and learn more about the CMHIS Pacific Northwest Hub on their website.
Selected References
American Psychiatric Association. (2004). Practice guideline for the treatment of patients with schizophrenia. Am J Psychiatry, 161(2), 1-57.
Kopelovich, S. L., Nutting, E., Blank, J., Buckland, H. T., & Spigner, C. (2022). Preliminary point prevalence of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for psychosis (CBTp) training in the US and Canada. Psychosis, 1-11.
Kopelovich, S. L., Strachan, E., Sivec, H., & Kreider, V. (2019). Stepped care as an implementation and service delivery model for cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis. Community mental health journal, 55(5), 755-767.
Kopelovich, S., Monroe-DeVita, M., Hughes, M., Peterson, R., Cather, C., & Gottlieb, J. (2018). Statewide implementation of cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis through a learning collaborative model. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 26(3), 439-452. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpra.2018.08.004
Kopelovich, Sarah L. PhD; Blank, Jennifer BA; McCain, Chris BS; Hughes, MacKenzie MA; Strachan, Eric PhD. Applying the Project ECHO Model to Support Implementation and Sustainment of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis. Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions 44(2):p 137-142, Spring 2024. | DOI: 10.1097/CEH.0000000000000511
O’Connor, K. (2021). Psychotherapy Said to Be Key to Successful Psychosis Treatment. Psychiatric News, 56(7). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2021.7.22
McDonagh, M., Dana, T., Selph, S., Devine, E. B., Cantor, A., Bougatsos, C., Blazina, I., Grusing, S., Fu, R., Kopelovich, S. L., Monroe-DeVita, M., & Haupt, D.W. (2017). Treatments for Schizophrenia in Adults: A Systematic Review. Comparative Effectiveness Review No. 198. (Prepared by the Pacific Northwest Evidence-based Practice Center under Contract No. 290-2015-00009-I.) AHRQ Publication No. 17(18)-EHC031-EF. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Retrieved from https://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/products/schizophrenia-adult/research-2017 doi: 10.23970/AHRQEPCCER198 PMID: 29537779
