Bid To Help Solve Midlands Behaviour Problems

Dec. 8, 2009 - PRLog -- A chronic shortage of trained therapists in the Midlands who can help others cope with the stresses and strains of 21st Century life is being addressed with the launch of a major training initiative in the city.

Violent behaviour, anxiety and emotional disorders are the major symptoms of the failure of many people to cope with life in general, says mental health specialist Mark Haith of the Professional Counselling Organisation.

He said: “Nurses, social workers, police officers, the clergy and teachers in the Midlands are all in the front line of these problems and need techniques to help them help others with their problems.

“The government has identified that 20,000 Cognitive Behaviour Therapists are needed across the country but there is little funding to provide them and most courses available insist that those who attend have existing qualifications in areas such as psychology.

“Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) can be used by compassionate and patient people to help others cope with their problems. It is a fantastic tool for those who work with people with problems but it is not a wonder cure.”

The Professional Counselling Organisation, based in Bristol, is launching a nationwide training programme to give people a practical two-day workshop style introduction to the technique, which will be held in Birmingham at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on the weekend of February 27 and 28.

Birmingham is one of nine cities across the UK that have been chosen for the specialist courses, which are aimed at tackling the shortage of Cognitive Behaviour Therapists.

Mark Haith, who is leading the workshop in Birmingham said: “It is the most heavily researched and effective approach to working with people who are experiencing emotional distress.

“Many people find that training being offered in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is often either too general for them, being mainly traditional counselling courses, or too specialised in the current stage of their career, so it is not appropriate for them.

“The shortage in therapists has come about because there is currently a chicken and egg situation where only those with a strong understanding and experience of the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy approach can apply for training courses. That is why this new introductory course has been devised as it will help people take the initial step into becoming a therapist.”

Details of the course are available on http://www.trainingincounselling.co.uk and the Birmingham course is suitable for those who already work with people with emotional problems or encounter them in their professional life and those who are looking for a new career in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.

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The Professional Counselling Organisation was created specifically to provide the highest quality training in modern counselling techniques. Emphasis is placed on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, but key aspects of Solution Focussed Therapy, Psychodynamic and Humanistic Counselling approaches are also key to our teaching.

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