About the South of Scotland CBT Programme
All tutors are fully accredited with the BABCP
The South of Scotland Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Programme offers the opportunity to undertake training to Postgraduate Certificate, Diploma or Masters level.
The programme team are based at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Morningside, Edinburgh. Teaching takes place at the Queen Margaret University campus in Musselburgh, Edinburgh.
Our programme can be delivered as a blended learning approach.
About our team
Dr. Sean F. Harper M.A. D.Clin.Psychol. AFBPsS BABCP Fellow and board member
Dr Harper graduated from Aberdeen University in 1992 and went on to complete his Doctorate at Edinburgh University by 1999.
Current posts
- Programme Director for the South of Scotland Post Graduate Masters Training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Consultant Clinical Psychologist/Professional Lead for Psychology Psychosis and Complex Mental Health Service
Dr Harper’s clinical career spanning 25 years has focused on delivering and developing psychological services for people who experience psychosis and complex mental health (PCMH).
He has played the lead role in the formation of an acute in-patient mental health Psychology service across the Board and in the implementation of training and evaluation of Psycho-social Interventions for Psychosis and Behavioural Family Therapy for psychosis.
Research
Sean’s research activity has focused on improving understanding of the aetiology of psychosis and complex mental health problems (PCMH), associated psychological therapies and service provision for this client group. This included supervising numerous research projects for D.Clin. theses, Masters in CBT and PhD students in relation to this area of research.
Training Development and Delivery
As programme Director for the South of Scotland Masters training programme in CBT he has delivered direct teaching and workshops to trainee cognitive therapists for 13 years and has overseen the successful development of 200-250 Cognitive Therapists. He has been directly involved in developing innovative training practices to provide access to trainees in Cognitive Therapy from remote and rural parts of Scotland.
Sean has also been involved directly in the writing, development, delivery and evaluation of innovative training programmes in clinical supervision in Scotland.
A further training strategy of note involves the writing, development, delivery and evaluation of the Psycho-social Interventions for Psychosis training programme which has been implemented nationally across Scotland.
Sean has lead the development, delivery and evaluation of a highly successful CBT informed training programme aimed at improving access to mental health literacy and CBT informed practice for young people in the senior level school educational sector.
Finally, he has delivered papers and workshops at BABCP national conferences and BPS conferences amongst other forums at local and national level.
Sean has trained in KSA assessment with BABCP allowing a greater access to non-core professions into CBT training which has had a marked impact on widening access to CBT in non -traditional mental health environments such as physiotherapy and speech and language therapy.
Publications
- Braehler, C & Harper S.F.(2008). Identifying Psychological Need in Psychosis-Perceptions and Priorities of CMHT keyworkers. Clinical Psychology Forum. No.182, February, 2008.
- Livingstone, K., Harper S.F.& Gillanders, D (2009). An Exploration of Emotion Regulation in Psychosis. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 16(5), 418-430.
- Newman-Taylor, K, Harper, S.F. & Chadwick, P (2009). Impact of Mindfulness on Cognition and Affect in Voice Hearing: Evidence from Two Case Studies. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy. 37(4) 397-402
- Harper, S.F. (2013) Integrating theories and concepts: Formulation driven CBT for a client with a diagnosis of Schizo-Affective Disorder. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy 20, 77-86.
- Harper, S.F. (2014). Psychosis-normal response to stress? Letter in The Psychologist 27(2)
- Ferguson, S, Sloan, G, Harper, S.F., Platz, S & Smith, K. (2016) Developing Specialist CBT Supervision Training in Scotland using Blended Learning: Challenges and opportunities. The Cognitive Behavioural Therapist 9
- Taylor, C. D. J. & Harper, S. F. (2017). Early maladaptive schema, social functioning and distress in psychosis: A preliminary investigation. Clinical Psychologist. doi:10.1111/cp.12082
- Paterson, C; Karatzias, T; Dickson, A; Harper S; Dougall N & Hutton, P (2018) Psychological therapy for inpatients receiving acute mental healthcare: A systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials. British Journal of Clinical Psychology 57(4). https://doi.org/10.1111/bjc.12182
- Paterson,C; Karatzias,T; Harper, S; Dougall, N; Dickson,A; Hutton, P. (2018) A feasibility study of a cross-diagnostic, CBT-based psychological intervention for acute mental health inpatients: Results, challenges and methodological implications. British Journal of Clinical Psychology
- Switzer, F; Harper, S and Peck, D. (2019) Exploring the barriers to the implementation of cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis (CBTp) Mental Health Review Journal
- Switzer, F & Harper, S (2019) A narrative review of the barriers to the implementation of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Psychosis (CBTp.), Psychosis, DOI: 10.1080/17522439.2019.1578400
- Cogan, N, Harper S & Schwannauer (2019) Recovery and self-identity development following a first episode of psychosis. Journal of Public Health
- Murr, S., Nicklas L., & Harper, S. (2020) How does supervision aid cognitive behaviour therapy skill development? Perspectives of CBT trainees: A thematic analysis. The Cognitive Behaviour Therapist, 13, E45. DOI: 10.1017/S1754470X20000422
Fiona Switzer RMHN MSc (CBT)
Current posts
- Senior Tutor South of Scotland CBT Programme
- CBT Nurse Therapist Psychological Therapies Edinburgh
- Private CBT Therapist
Fiona qualified as a Registered Mental Health Nurse in 1997 and worked in a variety of clinical settings in the NHS, including acute adult mental health in–patient wards and substance misuse services.
In 2001 she gained a Postgraduate Diploma in CBT at the University of Dundee and was accredited with the BABCP in 2004.
Since then she has worked as a CBT nurse therapist in Psychological Therapies services and has also worked in the University of Edinburgh offering CBT for mild to moderate anxiety and depression.
Since 2002, Fiona has worked consistently as a course tutor/lecturer on a range of CBT training programmes: including the University of Dundee Post Graduate Diploma in CBT and the Masters in Applied Psychology in Primary Care at the University of Stirling.
Since 2013 she has worked as a course tutor on the South of Scotland Masters in CBT and was involved in the process of the course achieving Accreditation with the BABCP.
In 2019, she completed her Masters by research in CBT with Queen Margaret University. Fiona was able to publish two papers from this research.
Fiona has trained in KSA assessment with BABCP allowing a greater access to non-core professions into CBT training.
Clinically, Fiona currently works in a Psychological Therapies as a CBT Nurse therapist using CBT and EMDR to work with people with moderate to severe mental health problems with a special interest in psychosis and complex trauma.
Publications
- Switzer, F; Harper, S and Peck, D. (2019) Exploring the barriers to the implementation of cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis (CBTp) Mental Health Review Journal
- Switzer, F & Harper, S (2019) A narrative review of the barriers to the implementation of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Psychosis (CBTp.), Psychosis, DOI: 10.1080/17522439.2019.1578400
