Feedback we’ve received on the quality of our training and our team’s lecture and communication skills:
“I am happy to write about the training which has been excellent.
The didactic parts of the training were informative and well presented. They took place remotely in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, but still managed to capture and gain the attention of all participants and generated a lot of interest. The sessions over two days unfolded at a suitable pace and enabled the participants to ask questions and discussions to develop. The teaching materials were excellent and complemented the talks. The follow up sessions were very useful and enabled the supervisors and therapist to discuss their clinical experiences using BPI and this further informed their practice.
Our background knowledge and early experience suggest that BPI has an important place in a stepped care approach to the treatment of adolescent depression.
The treatment is evidence-based, and enables CAMHS professionals to have a technique for depression treatment. Our impression across the Trust is that this has a positive effect in reducing waiting lists for CBT and other psychological therapies. BPI is also pragmatic and can be combined with medication therapies.
It increases the choice of therapies available to CAMHS teams and can involve less experienced CAMHS clinicians at band 5, 6 and 7.
The trainers developed BPI and are outstanding, indeed world leading, knowledgeable about depression and comorbidities in children and adolescents as well as depression therapies in general. They have a nice easy going and flexible manner. I highly recommend them as trainers.”
Dr Matthew Hodes
Lead for BPI in CNWL NHS Foundation Trust
Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Westminster Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service, London, UK
“The BPI training programme was really helpful, particularly with respect to describing the process and content of therapy in the context of BPI. Training and supervision was a very effective use of time, with a lot of opportunity for reflective discussion around how BPI fits (or doesn’t fit) into my previous training and experience.
BPI is a flexible, pragmatic, evidence-based and personalized approach to therapy. Its focus on current difficulties adolescents with depression are facing make it highly relevant and engaging. Being able to offer this option to adolescents and families is of great value. We have been using it in our clinic over the past 9 months and love the idea of continuing to offer this option.”
Darren Courtney, MD, FRCPC
Staff Psychiatrist for the Youth Addictions and Concurrent Disorder Service
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada
“The trainers were clearly seasoned experts in psychotherapy for adolescents with depression; with a vast clinical and research knowledge. It has been really enjoyable to bounce off ideas with respect to how BPI can be optimally used in clinical practice. They have always been highly responsive to our questions. The supervision involves a good balance of structure and supportive discussion to guide the learner in an engaging manner. Without reservation, I would recommend the training to other clinicians who see adolescents struggling with depression.”
Orion Biesan, M.A.
Clinic Project Specialist
Department of Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Research
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center,
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, USA
“BPI provides a sound, intuitive, and pragmatic approach that is useful in the real world of therapy. Lectures courses and workshops were the right balance of teaching and supervision. We particularly appreciated that key training topics were tied back to important principles of psychological intervention/the BPI approach including “keep it simple, do it right” and “collaborate, engage, coach, encourage”. While manualized, the approach provides a level of flexibility and value that benefits families and teenagers from diverse backgrounds.”
“Both Dr Raphael Kelvin and Dr Ian Goodyer were strong teachers and supervisors in BPI training. They possessed a significant level of expertise in topics that they were able to articulately and eloquently explain in a manner that was accessible to the trainees. Their use of analogies, visual aids, and fictional scenarios helped reinforce key concepts. They actively listened and ensured questions and clarifications were addressed in a supportive and helpful manner. We would highly recommend the training to others in the field of adolescent mental health.”
“The training was well delivered across the board. It was clear that the trainers had made efforts to ensure the training was engaging, interactive and appropriate for delivery via video call. The main training, along with the booster sessions, offered a balance between encouraging therapists to practice BPI and supporting further learning/discussion around the model. The content was pitched well for the range of practitioners in the room and offered ample explanation of the underlying theory and practicalities of delivering BPI. In terms of BPI’s usefulness as a treatment, I have found the intervention invaluable in my practice. Not only have I seen a number of positive results for BPI cases, I have also began to incorporate some BPI principles in my wider work.
The BPI trainers were organised, knowledgeable and engaging. Across the programme, the trainers offered clear teaching on the evidence, ethos, and practicalities of delivering BPI. This clarity helped me quickly understand the guiding principles of BPI and gain confidence in my ability to adopt it. As well as providing clear teaching the trainers welcomed questioning and group discussion, which made the experiences as a trainee engaging and thought provoking.”
Tom Foster
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Westminster Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, London, UK
“I found the content of the BPI program and clinical tools to be highly streamlined and practical, lending value and effectiveness as a therapeutic approach. As such, I continue to integrate BPI into my clinical practice. The lectures, workshops, and supervision meetings helped me learn, practice, and think through BPI theory and techniques. Throughout the training process, the trainers Ian and Raph were both knowledgeable and supportive. I would highly recommend the BPI program to other institutions and clinicians in adolescent mental health.”
Chelsea Durber
Medical Psychologist
Alberta Children’s Hospital, Calgary, Canada
“I like BPI a lot, it fits with how I have already been working and provides a framework and legitimacy for a more flexible and tailored clinical care approach. Seems very suited to systemic psychotherapists — personalised collaborative individual work, some family work and network liaison, also think it fills a gap in CAMHs for a more efficient and effective approach where we can optimise the momentum established at the point of referral into initial assessment. I like the idea of using visual and spatial metaphors for state of mind to help the YP find a different perspective on their experience of their depression – a very interesting intervention from a systemic point of view.
I am keen to use BPI to structure my approach and improve the psycho-education I offer around the psycho-biology of depression. Would be interesting to see if it could be adapted for anxiety. Reading the research has helped me feel more confident about how to work with this client group.
I thought the training was excellent– it was pitched well, the information was very interesting, and the break-out groups were helpful. One of the best trainings I’ve been on, thank you.”
Anne Hartman
Supervisor and Family Therapist
Westminster Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, London, UK
“I have very much enjoyed learning to deliver BPI, and clients in our outpatient program have benefitted greatly from it. The flexible, pragmatic approach is especially helpful and works well with young people who may have tried more structured therapies in the past, or who have been ambivalent about engaging in therapy. As a therapist, I also appreciate the time limited nature of BPI, which allows me to focus on supporting young people in making realistic changes.
This has been one of the most enjoyable and engaging therapy trainings I’ve participated in. The BPI trainers are highly skilled and knowledgeable clinicians and true leaders in the field of adolescent depression treatment. Their use of breakout discussions among participants was especially helpful in giving us time to integrate what we were learning about BPI with our existing therapy knowledge. I have also found the ongoing supervision extremely valuable, and it has helped me continue to refine my skills while providing BPI.”
Dr Madison Aitken
Assistant Professor and Clinical Investigator
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada