Delegate–Accredited Mental Health Training.

The RAID® Course. The positive approach to working with disturbed and challenging behaviour.

 3-day course

The RAID® course is the UK’s leading positive psychology approach to disturbed and challenging behaviour, attended by over 20,000 professionals. It helps staff manage challenging behaviour when it occurs while addressing it at source, with an emphasis on playing down disturbed behaviour and systematically encouraging positive behaviour.

DBT Essentials (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy)

 3-day course

DBT Essentials introduces the key concepts, skills and techniques of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. It covers validation, problem solving and contingency management alongside the core skills of mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness and emotional regulation, making it suitable both for professionals adding DBT to their practice and those considering further specialist training.

DBT for Adolescents (DBT-A)

 3-day course

DBT-A applies the key principles and techniques of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy specifically to adolescents. It covers identity, impulsivity, emotional regulation, interpersonal and family difficulties, and high-risk behaviours including suicidal behaviour and non-suicidal self-injury, for professionals using DBT-informed approaches or considering developing a full DBT service.

Motivational Interviewing, and how to use it effectively

 3-day course

Based on Miller and Rollnick's latest book, this course describes an organized way of helping people recognize their problems and do something about them. It particularly addresses behaviour about which a client has mixed feelings, including drinking and substance misuse, but applies to a wide range of mental and physical health issues.

Running DBT Skills-Development Groups

 3-day course

This course provides the coaching and practice needed to run effective DBT skills-development groups. It focuses on helping clients acquire practical abilities rather than simply insight or knowledge, and prepares delegates to teach the four key DBT skills areas: mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation and distress tolerance.

SFT Essentials (Solution-Focused Therapy

 3-day course

SFT Essentials introduces Solution-Focused Therapy and the practical skills needed to apply it safely and effectively. Fundamentally positive in its approach, SFT focuses attention on solutions, strengths and progress rather than becoming increasingly absorbed in the problem, helping professionals incorporate solution-focused thinking into their everyday practice.

ACT Essentials (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy)

 3-day course

ACT Essentials introduces Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and its focus on helping people live stable and rewarding lives. It covers values and values-based action, present-moment awareness, seeing thoughts and feelings for what they are, and accepting difficult internal experiences without excessive struggle, alongside practical skills for clinical practice.

Crisis Intervention: Risk Assessment, Risk Management and Effective Intervention.

 3-day course

This course brings together assessment, risk assessment, risk management and effective intervention for professionals working with people in crisis. It provides an integrated approach to understanding the situation, making sound decisions and intervening successfully, including when support must be provided through different communication channels.

The DBT Masterclass

 4-day course

The DBT Masterclass develops the knowledge and clinical skills of professionals already using DBT. Through case discussion, demonstrations, reflective exercises and analysis of delegates’ own practice, it provides an opportunity to refine and extend skills after several months of applying learning from earlier DBT training.

Realising Recovery and Social Inclusion™

 3-day course (2-day version also available)

Realising Recovery and Social Inclusion™ explores recovery as a process of personal discovery and learning how to live well, including when symptoms or vulnerabilities remain. It develops the understanding, skills and motivation professionals need to support clients in pursuing fuller, more rewarding and socially included lives.

ACT Essentials (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy)

 3-day course

ACT Essentials introduces Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and its focus on helping people live stable and rewarding lives. It covers values and values-based action, present-moment awareness, seeing thoughts and feelings for what they are, and accepting difficult internal experiences without excessive struggle, alongside practical skills for clinical practice.

CBT Essentials (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)

 3-day course

CBT Essentials is APT’s long-established introduction to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, designed to make this powerful evidence-based approach immediately relevant to practice. It covers the history and principles of CBT, conceptualising cases in CBT terms, the structure of a standard CBT session and the most important CBT techniques. Throughout, the content is applied to practical examples so delegates can understand not simply what CBT is, but how to use it.

DBT Essentials (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy)

 3-day course

DBT Essentials introduces the key concepts, skills and techniques of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. It covers validation, problem solving and contingency management alongside the core skills of mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness and emotional regulation, making it suitable both for professionals adding DBT to their practice and those considering further specialist training.

Motivational Interviewing, and how to use it effectively

 3-day course

Based on Miller and Rollnick's latest book, this course describes an organized way of helping people recognize their problems and do something about them. It particularly addresses behaviour about which a client has mixed feelings, including drinking and substance misuse, but applies to a wide range of mental and physical health issues.

ADHD Across the Lifespan: Key Knowledge and Skills for Effective Intervention

 3-day course

This course takes a practical and balanced view of ADHD across childhood, adolescence, adulthood and later life. It considers difficulties including attention, organisation, impulsivity, motivation and emotional regulation, recognising that many adults were never identified when younger. The emphasis is on effective biopsychosocial and psychosocial interventions that help people with ADHD — and those around them — function better, experience less difficulty and build more rewarding lives.

Trauma-Focused CBT, for all ages

 3-day course

PTSD can profoundly affect a person’s life through intrusive memories, avoidance or emotional numbing, hyperarousal and impaired everyday functioning. This course examines effective Cognitive Behavioural Therapy-based interventions for addressing those effects across different ages. The focus is both on reducing symptoms wherever possible and on helping clients substantially improve their quality of life where some consequences of trauma cannot be completely removed.

CFT Essentials (Compassion-Focused Therapy training)

 3-day course

CFT Essentials introduces Compassion-Focused Therapy in a way that enables delegates to understand it and incorporate it into their clinical repertoire. The approach particularly helps clients develop compassion towards themselves, using specific therapeutic techniques alongside an understanding of how the brain and emotional systems operate. The course covers both the theory and practical skills of CFT, making the approach accessible without requiring delegates to practise exclusively as compassion-focused therapists.

SFT Essentials (Solution-Focused Therapy)

 3-day course

SFT Essentials introduces Solution-Focused Therapy and the practical skills needed to apply it safely and effectively. Fundamentally positive in its approach, SFT focuses attention on solutions, strengths and progress rather than becoming increasingly absorbed in the problem, helping professionals incorporate solution-focused thinking into their everyday practice.

Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)

 3-day course

This course provides a thorough, consistent and values-led approach to Positive Behaviour Support. Delegates learn to understand individual needs, analyze behaviour and the function it serves, and develop personalized PBS plans designed to improve wellbeing and reduce the likelihood of disturbed behaviour. It also addresses crisis management and continual review, providing a positive and proactive approach that can improve the experience of both clients and staff.

Running DBT Skills-Development Groups

 3-day course

This course provides the coaching and practice needed to run effective DBT skills-development groups. It focuses on helping clients acquire practical abilities rather than simply insight or knowledge, and prepares delegates to teach the four key DBT skills areas: mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation and distress tolerance.

ACT Essentials (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy)

 3-day course

ACT Essentials introduces Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and its focus on helping people live stable and rewarding lives. It covers values and values-based action, present-moment awareness, seeing thoughts and feelings for what they are, and accepting difficult internal experiences without excessive struggle, alongside practical skills for clinical practice.

DBT Essentials (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy)

 3-day course

DBT Essentials introduces the key concepts, skills and techniques of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. It covers validation, problem solving and contingency management alongside the core skills of mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness and emotional regulation, making it suitable both for professionals adding DBT to their practice and those considering further specialist training.

CBT Essentials (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)

 3-day course

CBT Essentials is APT’s long-established introduction to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, designed to make this powerful evidence-based approach immediately relevant to practice. It covers the history and principles of CBT, conceptualising cases in CBT terms, the structure of a standard CBT session and the most important CBT techniques. Throughout, the content is applied to practical examples so learners understand both what CBT is and how to use it.

Trauma-Focused CBT, for all ages

 3-day course

PTSD can profoundly affect a person’s life through intrusive memories, avoidance or emotional numbing, hyperarousal and impaired everyday functioning. This course examines effective Cognitive Behavioural Therapy-based interventions for addressing those effects across different ages. The focus is both on reducing symptoms wherever possible and on helping clients substantially improve their quality of life where some consequences of trauma cannot be completely removed.

Motivational Interviewing, and how to use it effectively

 3-day course

Based on Miller and Rollnick's latest book, this course describes an organized way of helping people recognize their problems and do something about them. It particularly addresses behaviour about which a client has mixed feelings, including drinking and substance misuse, but applies to a wide range of mental and physical health issues.

CFT Essentials (Compassion-Focused Therapy training)

 3-day course

CFT Essentials introduces Compassion-Focused Therapy in a way that enables learners to understand it and incorporate it into their clinical repertoire. The approach particularly helps clients develop compassion towards themselves, using specific therapeutic techniques alongside an understanding of how the brain and emotional systems operate. The course covers both the theory and practical skills of CFT, making the approach accessible without requiring learners to practise exclusively as compassion-focused therapists.

Single-Session Therapy: Effective, Accessible, and Rewarding

 2-day course

Single-Session Therapy need not be a second-best alternative to longer-term therapy: a well-structured single meeting can make a meaningful and lasting difference. This course shows clinicians how to use one session to maximum effect by establishing a clear focus, applying evidence-based techniques and helping patients move forward immediately. The skills-based approach can increase clinicians’ sense of effectiveness while helping services reach more people more quickly.

Trauma-Informed Practice (TIP)

 3-day course

Trauma-Informed Practice aims to ensure services are delivered in ways that avoid further harm or retraumatisation for people who have experienced trauma or adversity. Applicable across mental health, healthcare, residential care, justice, addiction and education, the course explores key principles including safety, trust, choice, collaboration and empowerment. Case examples demonstrate how individuals and organisations can systematically apply these principles and overcome barriers to implementation.

Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)

 3-day course

This course provides a thorough, consistent and values-led approach to Positive Behaviour Support. Learners explore individual needs, analyze behaviour and the function it serves, and develop personalized PBS plans designed to improve wellbeing and reduce disturbed behaviour. It also addresses crisis management and continual review, providing a positive and proactive framework that supports client-centred planning while improving the environment and experience of both clients and staff.

DBT for Adolescents (DBT-A)

 3-day course

DBT-A applies the key principles and techniques of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy specifically to adolescents. It covers identity, impulsivity, emotional regulation, interpersonal and family difficulties, and high-risk behaviours including suicidal behaviour and non-suicidal self-injury, for professionals using DBT-informed approaches or considering developing a full DBT service.

Trauma and PTSD

Explore evidence-based training covering trauma, PTSD and trauma-informed approaches, from understanding the impact of psychological trauma through to effective clinical interventions. Courses support professionals working directly with trauma as well as organisations seeking to ensure their wider services are delivered in ways that recognize trauma and minimise the risk of further harm.

Children and Adolescents

Explore training designed specifically for professionals supporting children, adolescents and their families. Courses cover a range of clinical needs and approaches, helping practitioners develop the knowledge, confidence and practical skills required to understand younger clients, assess their needs and deliver effective interventions across childhood and adolescence.

Risk

Develop confidence in assessing, understanding and managing risk in mental health and related settings. Training covers practical approaches to identifying and evaluating risk, making sound professional decisions and translating assessment into effective risk-management plans, with courses relevant to both everyday clinical practice and more complex or high-risk situations.

Aggression and Violence

Explore training for professionals working with aggression, violence and challenging behaviour. Courses cover prevention, assessment, de-escalation, management and effective intervention, helping individuals and teams respond confidently when incidents occur while also addressing the factors that contribute to difficult behaviour and reducing the likelihood of future incidents.

Crises, Intervening in

Develop the knowledge and practical skills needed to respond effectively when people are experiencing a mental health crisis. Training brings together assessment, risk management and intervention, helping professionals make appropriate decisions, communicate effectively and provide useful support in situations where timely, confident and well-judged action is particularly important.

Diplomas

APT Diplomas provide structured programmes for professionals wishing to develop broader expertise within a specialist area. By completing a defined combination of relevant APT courses, delegates can build their knowledge and skills progressively while working towards recognition across areas including psychological therapies, child and adolescent mental health, crisis and risk, and forensic practice.

Personality Disorder

Explore training designed to increase confidence and effectiveness when working with people diagnosed with, or presenting with features associated with, personality disorder. Courses cover relevant therapeutic approaches, communication and intervention skills, helping professionals better understand complex presentations and develop constructive ways of supporting clients in everyday clinical practice.

Psychosis

Explore a range of training for professionals working with people experiencing psychosis. Courses cover psychological approaches, practical interventions and recovery-focused work, helping delegates better understand psychotic experiences and develop effective ways of supporting clients, their families and wider care systems across different stages of treatment and recovery.

Suicide Awareness, Prevention, and Treatment

Develop the knowledge and confidence to recognize suicide risk, respond appropriately and support effective prevention and treatment. Courses range from increasing general awareness through to more detailed risk assessment, management and clinical intervention, supporting professionals who may encounter suicidal thoughts or behaviour across a wide variety of mental health settings.

The Essentials Series of Courses

The Essentials series provides accessible introductions to many of today’s leading evidence-based therapeutic approaches. Courses including CBT, DBT, ACT, Compassion-Focused Therapy and Solution-Focused Therapy are designed to give professionals a clear understanding of each approach together with practical skills and techniques they can begin incorporating into their existing work.