Overview

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Millions of people get psychotherapy at some point in their lives, and even more are curious about what it might entail. In this course, we answer questions that many people wonder: What tools do clinicians use to diagnose mental illness? How do they decide how to treat it? What are the most evidence-based treatments out there? And how does the field figure out which ones are “evidence-based” in the first place? As more and more people seek psychotherapy around the globe, an understanding of it is increasingly important. This course enables the public to be good consumers of psychotherapy (e.g., to select evidence-based approaches that match their own difficulties), provides useful information for people considering a career in mental healthcare, and offers the chance to gain insight into one's own psychological distress. Students will learn the principles and theory behind several psychotherapeutic approaches, with a focus on evidence-based interventions including cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Assignments include case videos and completion of evidence-based therapy-style worksheets. The course offers an introduction to the real-life practice of psychotherapy and a “behind the scenes” glimpse into how therapists develop their treatments.

Syllabus

Intro to the Course

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.

Deciding on the Treatment for a Mental Illness

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.

One Evidence-Based Psychotherapy: CBT

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.

Another Evidence-Based Psychotherapy: DBT

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.

Beyond Evidence-Based Psychotherapy

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.

Wrap Up

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!