Training In CBT & Other Evidence-Based Psychological Therapies
Introduction
The taboo around menopause is reducing thanks to increased media coverage. Coverage tends to reinforce a primarily biomedical understanding to symptoms and treatment. Menopause is a natural event that takes place within a broader psychosocial context and women’s experiences will vary considerably. Common symptoms including vasomotor symptoms (hot flushes and night sweats), insomnia and fatigue are time limited but for 16-40% have a significant impact on quality of life and wellbeing. Research demonstrates that symptom experience is influenced by psychosocial factors including stress and cognitive behavioural responses to symptoms and therefore a biopsychosocial understanding can inform treatments. This is important for women who are unable to take hormonal therapies due to concurrent or historical health issues, or for women who wish to seek alternative non-hormonal strategies. Cognitive behavioural therapy is a biopsychosocial approach to menopausal symptoms that aims to equip women with information to normalise their menopause and strategies to manage troublesome symptoms which has demonstrated effectiveness in gold standard randomised controlled trials and is endorsed by the British Menopause Society and the North American Menopause Society.
The event will be equivalent to 5.1/2hrs of CPD.
Content
This online workshop will introduce the evidence and rationale of a biopsychosocial approach to menopause symptom management within a clinical health psychology context. The cognitive model of hot flushes and night sweats that underpins the intervention will be introduced prior to delegates running through psychological approaches to psychoeducation and normalisation of the menopause transition, understanding symptoms within a well women and breast cancer population, stress and menopause symptoms, managing hot flushes, night sweats insomnia and other challenges of menopausal symptoms.
Learning Objectives
Understanding the role of a biopsychosocial approach to menopause symptoms and psycho- sociocultural factors that influence women’s experience of menopause.
Understanding links between menopause and mood.
Overview of cognitive behavioural approach for menopause symptoms to include hot flushes, night sweats, insomnia and stress.
Helping women to develop robust coping to help them transition through a stressful period of life.
Training Modalities
Didactic content delivery, group discussions and case studies, polls, experiential components and video.
Key References
Ayers, B., Smith, M., Hellier, J., Mann, E. & Hunter, M. S. (2012) Effectiveness of group and self-help cognitive behavior therapy in reducing problematic menopausal hot flushes and night sweats (MENOS 2): a randomized controlled trial MENOPAUSE. 19, 7, 749-759
Hickey, M., Hunter, M. S., Santoro, N., & Ussher, J. (2022). Normalising menopause. BMJ, 377.
Hunter, M and Smith, M (2021) Living Well Through the Menopause: An evidence based cognitive behavioural guide. little, brown book group.
Hunter M and Smith M (2020). Managing Hot Flushes and Night Sweats; A cognitive behavioural self help guide. 2nd edition. Routledge Taylor Francis. East Sussex and New York.
Hunter, M.S. and Smith M (2014). Managing Hot Flushes and Night Sweats with Group CBT: An evidence based treatment manual for health professionals. Routledge Taylor Francis. East Sussex and New York.
Mann, E., Smith, M. J., Hellier, J., Balabanovic, J. A., Hamed, H., Grunfeld, E. A. & Hunter, M. S. Mar (2012) Cognitive behavioural treatment for women who have menopausal symptoms after breast cancer treatment (MENOS 1): a randomised controlled trial The Lancet Oncology. 13, 3, p. 309 – 318
About the presenter
Dr Melanie Smith is a Principal Clinical Health Psychologist who has been working in the physical health field since completing her Clinical Psychology Doctorate at the University of Manchester in 2006. She was lead therapist on the MENOS 1 and 2 RCTs which delivered and evaluated the effectiveness of CBT for menopause symptoms in breast cancer and well women populations. She has continued to work with women on a 1:1 basis as well as delivering training in a biopsychosocial approach to menopause to a range of healthcare professionals in conjunction with the British Menopause Society, as well as specialist breast care nurse teams. Melanie has co-authored 3 books on CBT for menopause symptoms with Professor Myra Hunter. Melanie also works within an NHS interdisciplinary chronic pain service and provides input into the MSK service at Salford Royal Hospital.
Who should attend
This event is suitable for all psychological practitioners who would benefit from a greater understanding of a psychological approach to coping with the menopause transition.
Low Intensity clinical contact hours survey - BABCP Low Intensity Special Interest Group
Please click below if you are interested in contributing to the survey.
The BACP Low Intensity SIG are interested in the impact of clinical contact hours on Low Intensity/Wellbeing Practitioner wellbeing. This questionnaire contains six multi-choice questions and a free text box for you to share your experiences. The answers to these questions will help the BABCP SIG plan how to meet CPD topics and other developments within the SIG. The SIG hope to produce a write up of the answers to this questionnaire to be shared with SIG members and to be used in training.
This FREE conference is for Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners working in Talking Therapies for Anxiety and Depression services and is brought to you by Bespoke Mental Health in collaboration with the NHS England Talking Therapies National PWP Leads Network