Psychological Practice Workshop: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Action

On November 9, a Workshop on Psychological Practice was held at the Psychological Service of the Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University, dedicated to one of the most researched and scientifically based areas of psychotherapy – cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

Students and all interested parties had a unique opportunity to join a demonstration session of cognitive behavioral therapy and see how theoretical knowledge is implemented into real psychological practice.

The demonstration session was conducted by:

• Anna Schubert is a qualified cognitive behavioral therapist.
• Alyona Sadykina is a psychologist at the Psychological Service of Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University.

During the demonstration session, participants explored:

• The structure of a CBT session — how therapeutic contact is established, the request is defined, goals are formulated, and the therapeutic process is organized.
• The relationship between thoughts, emotions, and behavior—how our beliefs and interpretations of events influence emotional states and behavioral responses.
• The technique of Socratic dialogue – how, using specially formulated questions, the therapist helps the client explore their own thoughts and find alternative ways of perceiving the situation.
• Working with automatic thoughts – how to identify maladaptive cognitive patterns and explore their impact on a person’s psychological well-being.
• Features of therapeutic interaction – how a specialist creates an atmosphere of psychological safety, supports the client, and promotes their active participation in the therapeutic process.

The special value of the event was the opportunity to see psychological practice from the inside, trace the logic of therapeutic interventions, and better understand the professional thinking of a CBT therapist.

We are convinced that the professional development of future psychologists is impossible without integrating theoretical knowledge with practical experience. That is why our workshop is designed to create a space in which psychology can not only be studied, but also explored through direct acquaintance with the work of experienced specialists!