Logo

Adult Cognitive-Behavioural Treatments

Code: 105776
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Psychology OP 4

Contact lecturer

Name :
María Soledad Mora Giral
Email :
marisol.mora@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Montserrat Lacalle Sistere

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

It is very desirable when pursuing this subject to have internalized the knowledge inherent to Psychopathology Across the Life Cycle, Introduction to Psychological Treatment,  Psychopathology in Adulthood, and Clinical Psychological Assessment in Adulthood

Objectives

Objectives and Contextualisation

This subject belongs to optional Specialisation in Adult Clinical Psychology. In Introduction to Psychological Treatment students have deepened in therapeutic process and in different therapeutic techniques in a monographic and relatively independent way.

In Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy in Adults we go further into how a set of therapeutic techniques are involved in shaping therapeutic programs addressed to different psychopathology syndromes and behavioural problems. Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy in Adults is an optional subject that is taught in the second semester of the fourth year.

Teaching aims

1.-Familiarize the students with the therapeutic programs that, from a cognitive-behavioural viewpoint, can be used most often to treat the most frequent psychopathology disorders and behavioural problems in clinical practice in adult age

2.-Show the students which of these therapeutic programs are the most effective

3.-Focus on how the techniques and the protocols are adjusted to treat different clinical problems and on the importance that they acquire when applied to different clinical and behavioural problems.

Learning outcomes

  1. Formulate treatment goals in operational terms.
  2. Prioritize objectives for treatment.
  3. Establish criteria for selecting target behaviours.
  4. Carry out the design and negotiation of intermediate and final objectives of change in simulated situations.
  5. Specify an action plan based on the assumptions and objectives previously established.
  6. Apply theoretical knowledge about psychological problems to select therapeutic targets.
  7. Differentiate the phases of the intervention plan and its priority.
  8. Identify forecasts of possible changes based on interventions in practical clinical cases.
  9. Differentiate between methods and techniques based on the evidence available to a target of intervention.
  10. Recognise the appropriateness of an intervention methodology for a therapeutic purpose.
  11. Use techniques for motivating change.
  12. Recognise how to reach consensus in treatment objectives and techniques among all parties involved in the intervention process.
  13. Maintain a favourable attitude towards the permanent updating through critical evaluation of scientific documentation, taking into account its origin, situating it in an epistemological framework and identifying and contrasting its contributions in relation to the available disciplinary knowledge.
  14. Communicate in an inclusive manner avoiding the use of sexist or discriminatory language.
  15. Identify situations in which a change or improvement is needed.
  16. Analyse a situation and identify its points for improvement.

Contents

The cognitive-behavioural approach has developed extraordinarily in past decades, and so has its knowledge corpus. The set of techniques involved in the behaviour therapy framework has grown considerably. Cognitive-behavioural intervention has demonstrated its effectiveness in the resolution of a wide spectrum of disorders and problematic situations. It was developed based on the attempt at systematic use of the empirical and theoretical knowledge corpus that has derived from the application of scientific method in Psychology and other closely related disciplines. In this subject, students focus on the application of different therapeutic techniques in different disorders, with the intention to observe more closely how different techniques are applied and combined to treat different disorders. The subject Cognitive‑Behavioural Treatment in Adult Age presents therapeutic intervention programs to deal with several syndromes, such as psychotic disorders, generalized anxiety, social phobia, agoraphobia, post-traumatic stress, obsessive‑compulsive disorder, mood disorders and eating disorders, and behavioural problems that cannot be deemed psychopathological syndromes but still produce suffering and maladaptation, such as sexual dysfunction or marital problems.  


Theme 1. Cognitive-behavioural intervention in eating disorders


Theme 2. Cognitive-behavioural intervention in psychotic disorders


Theme 3. Cognitive-behavioural intervention in mood disorders


Theme 4. Cognitive-behavioural intervention in generalized anxiety disorder


Theme 5. Cognitive-behavioural intervention in social phobia


Theme 6. Cognitive-behavioural intervention in agoraphobia and panic attack disorder


Theme 7. Cognitive-behavioural intervention in obsessive-compulsive disorder


Theme 8. Cognitive-behavioural intervention in posttraumatic stress


Theme 9. Cognitive-behavioural intervention in sexual dysfunction


Theme 10. Cognitive-behavioural intervention in marital problems

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
REALIZATION OF ACTIVITIES 20 0.8 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 15
INDIVIDUAL STUDY 44 1.76 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, 15
FORMAL LECTURES (Professor's presentation of the main contents of the theme) 24 0.96 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
TUTORIES (suport to the realization of the second learning evidence) 6 0.24 2, 4, 5, 6, 11
PRACTICAL SEMINARS in small groups (where clinical cases will be analyzed and estudents will have to design the intervention) 12 0.48 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16
READING OF TEXTS (the readings proposed for each theme) 41 1.64 2, 4, 5, 6, 11, 15

This subject is taught following a methodology that combines formal lectures on the themes, clarifying doubts, and discussions and debates about the relevant readings, all in the same classroom space.

In the practical sessions, we examine clinical cases for which the students have to design the intervention. Some of these cases are obtained first-hand and fragments of different components of the intervention will be presented audiovisually.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
EV3 LEARNING EVIDENCE 3 (Individual in class Written Test) 40% 1.5 0.06 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15
EV1 LEARNING EVIDENCE 1 (Individual Written Test In Person) 40% 1.5 0.06 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15
EV2 LEARNING EVIDENCE 2: (Group work consisting of an interview with a professional psychologist who treats) 20% 0 0 3, 14, 15, 16

Learning evidence 1. Individual, in-class written test of approximately 30 multiple-choice questions, each with four options. The penalization will be as follows: one correct response less for each three incorrect responses. The questions will not only be of the description or recognition type but will include reflection and application of concepts too. Each written test will include questions about the practical classes done. The weight of this test in the final grade will be of 40%. The test will be taken in the first assessment period.

Learning evidence 3. Individual, in-class written test of ≈30 multiple-choice questions, in the same format as learning evidence 1. The weight of this second test will be of 40% too. The test will be taken in the second assessment period.

Group learning evidence 2.In groups of three, the students do an in-class assignment that consists of transcribing an interview conducted by a clinical psychology or health-care professional within a cognitive-behavioural framework. Additionally, at the end of the classwork, the students are asked for a summary or critical appraisal of the responses in the interview. The interview will be part of an intervention corresponding to one of the ten themes covered in this subject, and the students can choose which one to work on, on the basis of first-come-first-served. They will be given a general outline for the assignment, which they can then add to or adjust as needed. This group evidence will have a weight of 20% in the final grade. It will be delivered telematically the last week of class in Moodle.

Final grade. The final grade will be the weighted average of all of the learning evidences.

Definition of a passed subject. The subject is passed when the weighted average of the set of learning evidence is 5 or above and a minimum score of 4.0 points (on a 10-point scale) has been obtained in each of the face-to-face assessment tests (EV1 and EV3). Failure to meet these requirements will result in a maximum grade of 4.5 points being recorded in the academic record.

Grades of “Non-Assessable”. Students who submitlearning evidence with a weight of 40% or more (4 points) cannot begiven a grade of “Non-Assessable”.

Resit Test. Reassessment is an option for students with a grade below 5 and equal to or above 3.5, who have undergone continuous assessment and have provided learning evidence with a weight of two thirds or more of the final grade (having done at least the two in-class tests). They can resit EV1 and/or EV3, and the new mark obtained will replace the old one. The resit test will be similar to those of EV1 and EV3.

*The delivery of a translated copy of written test will be carried out if the requirements established in article 263 are met and the request is made electronically in week 4 (e-form) (more information on the Faculty Website).

SINGLE EVALUATION

*The single assessment will be requested electronically (e-form) during the specific period (more information on the faculty website)

SINGLE ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES TABLE
Name and description of the evidence Peso Duration in hours (of the face-to-face act) Realization/delivery date
E1 Multiple Choice Written Test 40%
E3 Multiple Choice Written Test 40% 4h 30’ Second evaluation period
E2 Open response written test consisting of the treatment on a case 20%

The single assessment will be done on the same day and time as the test of the second assessment period of the subject. All its contents will be assessed.

The two multiple choice written tests and a third open response test on the intervention of a case will be carried out. The approximate duration will be 4 hours and 30 minutes.

The final grade for the subject will be obtained as described in the continuous assessment.

The same resit process as the continuous assessment will be applied.

No unique final synthesis test for students who enrole for the second time or more is anticipated.

On the following link, you can find the assessment regulations of the Faculty of Psychology, for academic year: https://www.uab.cat/doc/DOC_Pautes_Avaluacio_2026-2027

FEEDBACK


Type of feedback EV & type week
Descriptive written report of results published in the virtual classroom EV1 (Test) 7
Oral presentation in class of group work in a classroom session EV2 (group work) 15 i 16
Descriptive written report of results published in the virtual classroom EV3 (Test) 19

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is not allowed in any of its ways. Any work including fragments generated with AI will be considered as a lack of academic honesty and may lead to a partial or total penalty in the qualification of the activity, or greater sanctions in seriouscases.

Bibliography

Each theme has one or more readings, required bibliography, most correspond to the following two texts:

Fonseca Pedrero, E. (2021). Manual de tratamientos psicológicos. Adultos. Madrid: Pirámide

Penadés Rubio, R., López-Santiago, J. y Belloch Fuster, A. (2024). Manual de Tratamientos en Psicología Clínica. Guía pràctica en Adultos. Madrid: McGraw Hill.

Vallejo Pareja, M.A.. (2016). Manual de terapia de conducta. Vol. 1. Madrid: Dykinson.

Other manuals of a general nature complementary bibliography:

Buela-Casal, G. y Sierra, J.C. (2001). Manual de evaluación y tratamientos psicológicos. Madrid: Biblioteca Nueva.

Espada, J.P., Olivares, J. y Mendez, F.X. (2005). Terapia psicológica. Casos prácticos. Madrid: Pirámide. (És un manual de casos)

Pérez Álvarez, M., Fernández Hermida, J.R., Fernández Rodríguez, C. y Amigó Vazquez, I. (2003). Guía de tratamientos psicológicos eficaces. Vol I, II y III. Madrid: Pirámide.

Alcazar, R.A., Olivares, J. y Mendez, F.X. (2004). Introducción a las Técnicas de Intervención y Tratamiento Psicológico. Madrid: Pirámide.

In addition to the obligatory readings, each theme has complementary bibliography to expand and deepen that is specified in the Work Guide of the subject

Software

-Not applicable

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 111 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 112 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 113 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 114 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 115 Catalan/Spanish second semester morning-mixed