Cognitive behavioural education in Italy according to the European training standards
Marco Bani, Ezio Sanavio, Maria Grazia Strepparava
There are 341 psychotherapy schools accredited by MIUR; of these 63 (19%) refer to cognitive and
behavioral approach. Within this label there are significant theoretical and didactic differences: 43
schools come from the cultural tradition of the two main Italian association of CBT (AIAMC and SITCC)
while 20 have developed along independent pathways. The paper, starting from data available on
the websites of the training schools, present an evaluation of their adherence to training standards
of the European Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (EABCT). The picture that emerges
is characterized by only partial adherence to standards; in particular the areas of supervised clinical
practice, personal analysis and final evaluation are unclear and indicated only by some schools.
The CBT training is characterized by lectures and other traditional academic mode, and is weak in
terms of clinical practice practiced by the student observed by the supervisor.
In conclusion, a coordinated effort is needed to make Italian CBT schools fully meeting the EABCT
training criteria.
Keywords
CBT, EABCT, training standard, training schools, supervision.
