Developing

competencies in psychotherapy is a requirement of basic psychiatry specialist training in both the UK and Ireland.1,2 Of the psychotherapies, cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) has gained increasing prominence both as a treatment alternative and adjunct to medication due to its proven efficacy in the treatment of mood,3 anxiety,4 psychotic5 and eating disorders.6 In England, the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT; www.iapt.nhs.uk) outlines the government’s commitment to use CBT in the future.7 This highlights a clear practical need for all psychiatric trainees to develop competencies in CBT. In clinical practice, psychotherapy is often delivered by psychotherapy trainees under supervision, such as post-doctoral fellows or pre-doctoral interns in psychology or social work.8 Previous work by Brittlebank & Owen