Welcome to the course! This course offers an introduction to the real-life practice of psychotherapy and a “behind the scenes” glimpse into how therapists develop their treatments. You’ll learn how clinicians define and diagnose mental illness, what makes a therapy evidence-based, and how to critically evaluate research and treatment claims. We’ll explore common therapy approaches like CBT and DBT, discuss research biases and potentially harmful interventions, and consider the impact of popular “therapy-speak.” The course concludes with practical, everyday strategies to support mental health and a brief overview of career paths in psychotherapy and mental healthcare.

Welcome to Module 2! In this module, we will learn how clinicians define mental illness using the “Three D’s” (distress, deviance, dysfunction) and use tools like the DSM-5 and SCID-5 to diagnose their patients. Diagnosis is an important step in choosing a therapy that's more likely to work! We will then explore what makes a therapy evidence-based, how to spot red flags, and how to ask the right questions to find care that truly works.

In this module, we will learn how CBT - which has many meta-analyses and reviews supporting its effectiveness - works to improve mental health. See how it's used to target links between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. This module covers CBT theory and three core skills: thought challenging, behavioral activation, and exposure. We will learn how therapists use these evidence-based strategies to help reduce their patents' distress and improve daily functioning.

This module introduces Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), an evidence-based therapy designed for severe emotion dysregulation, originally for a diagnosis called borderline personality disorder. We will learn its core principles and two of its key skills: Nonjudgmental Stance and DEAR. We also discuss limits of DBT outside clinical populations.

This module explores psychotherapy’s effectiveness, research limitations, and potential harms, including side effects and social impacts of therapy-speak. It also highlights prevention and everyday interventions — like exercise, nature, yoga, and social connection — to support mental health beyond formal therapy.

Congratulations on finishing the course! This module covers career paths in psychotherapy and how to apply what we've learned to continue learning about evidence-based psychotherapy and making informed choices. Thank you for participating, and best of luck moving forward!