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Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) Across Cultures: Challenges and 
Possibilities

7th March 2011 / London Conference

The Delivering Race Equality Programme (Department of Health 2005) 
highlighted the need to improve access to culturally appropriate 
counselling and psychological therapies, for individuals from Black and 
minority ethnic communities. The Improving Access to Psychological 
Therapies (IAPT) initiative has improved access to counselling and 
psychological therapies for people suffering from anxiety and depression 
from a range of diverse backgrounds including those from BME 
communities. The third wave new CBT treatments include Mindfulness Based 
CBT and Meditation. The latter is prevalent in many cultures across the 
world and practiced directly or indirectly by several world religions.

Having made progress, there is now a need to consider the extent to 
which counselling and psychological services are culturally appropriate 
and whether they need to be adapted.

In the case of CBT, there is robust evidence to show that CBT is an 
effective treatment for people suffering from anxiety and depression. 
The emphasis in CBT is on the client’s social context and that CBT 
therapists work collaboratively with clients to agree treatment options. 
However, CBT is based on Western concepts and illness models. The focus 
is on the individual and on treating the individual. For some people, 
this will be a challenge especially if they view themselves in the 
context of their immediate and wider family and / or in the context of 
their community. Some critics of CBT argue that by focusing on the 
individual, the larger familial, community and societal issues and 
problems are ignored or left unspoken and unaddressed.

Key considerations when delivering CBT with clients from diverse 
cultural backgrounds include:
  * The location of the service
  * Language and the use of interpreters or therapist who can speak the 
client’s mother tongue
  * Health beliefs and explanatory models of distress/mental disorder
  * The presenting problem/s or “idiom/s of distress”
  * Expectations about CBT

Some of the key questions which will be discussed during the one day 
event include:
  * Is it necessary to make adaptations when delivering CBT across 
cultures? If so, how?
  * Are traditionally routed treatments such as Mindfulness CBT and 
Meditation more appropriate when working with individuals from BME 
communities?
  * In instances where individuals have unique and "different" 
culture-led conceptions of health and ill health and the way this is 
managed, how is this reconciled?
  * What evidence base exists which demonstrates that CBT is affective 
with clients from different cultural backgrounds?

This one day conference will bring together clinicians who have 
experience of delivering CBT across cultures. Learning points and good 
practice will be shared. The challenges experienced and possible 
limitations will also discussed via anonymised case vignettes.

Please send all replies to: [log in to unmask]

*Programme of the day*

9.00 - 9.30 	

Registration, Tea & Coffee

9.30 - 10.40 	

Introduction & Chair

CBT: Gaining from Diversity
David Kingdom
Professor of Mental Health Care Delivery at the University of 
Southampton and Honorary Consultant Adult Psychiatrist for the Hampshire 
Partnership NHS Trust

10.40 - 11.30 	

CBT Across Cultures: Challenges and Possibilities
Rathod Shanaya
Clinical Service Director, West Hampshire - Adult Mental Health 
Hampshire, Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

11.30 - 11.45 	

Tea & Coffee

11.45 - 12.30 	

Making CBT Culturally Responsive
Beena Rajkumar
Psychotherapy Specialist Registrar at Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

12.30 - 1.00 	

Morning session Q&A

1.00 - 1.45 	

Lunch

1.45 - 2.35 	

Addressing Spirituality in CBT
Rob Waller
Consultant Psychiatrist in General Adult Psychiatry and Associate 
Director of Medical Education for NHS Lothian at St John’s Hospital

2.35 - 3.25 	

CBT with South Asian Muslims
Farooq Naeem
Consultant Psychiatrist & Cognitive Behaviour Therapist, Southampton 
University

3.25 - 3.40 	

Tea & Coffee

3.40 - 4.30 	

Employing a Culturally Representative IAPT Workforce in London
Tom Dodd & Robert Hardy
London Regional Delivery Team for Improving Access to Psychological 
Therapies, Working for Wellness

4.30 - 4.45 	

Afternoon Q&A

4.45 - 5.00 	

Plenary, Closure & Evaluation sheets
Who Should attend?

This conference will be relevant to all professionals in the field of 
Mental Health and Social Care, including those from Local Authorities 
and NHS trusts across the UK, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, 
Psychotherapists, Counsellors, Early Intervention Teams, CPN’s, OT’s, 
Social Workers, Chaplains, Community Faith Leaders & Healers, Equality 
Leads, Community Development Workers, Service User Representatives, 
Charities, Third Sector, Educational Establishments, Academics and 
Policy makers.

Where?

The Resource Centre
356 Holloway Road
London
N7 6PA

Tel: +44 (0)20 7700 0100
http://www.theresourcecentre.org.uk

Conference Booking / Conference Contact

Ahmed Qureshi (conference co-ordinator) tel. 07540 356 526
email us on: [log in to unmask] or visit us on www.bmehealth.org

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