Understanding Anxiety, Depression and CBT
Learn to recognise anxiety, depression and apply CBT techniques.
Understanding Anxiety, Depression and CBT is an online course from the University of Reading that explains what anxiety and depression mean, how they are identified, and how Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is applied to address these mental health problems.
The course combines evidence‑based explanations, first‑hand case examples and reflective activities so learners can recognise symptoms, understand diagnostic distinctions and learn core CBT techniques, while not serving as a substitute for clinical diagnosis or therapy.
At a Glance
Understanding Anxiety, Depression and CBT is an online course from the University of Reading that explains what anxiety and depression mean, how they are identified, and how Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is used in treatment.
The course is taught by University of Reading educators and combines explained theory, first‑hand accounts, reflective activities and short quizzes to introduce key CBT concepts.
| Level | Beginner |
| Rating | 4.6 out of 5 |
| Duration | 5+ weeks |
| Languages | English |
| Certificate |
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| Access | Free access to course materials during the course run; option to upgrade for extended access and certificate |
| Course includes |
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| Price | Free to join with optional paid certificate/upgrade |
What This Course Teaches
The course frames outcomes as observable, assessable competencies that learners can use to recognise, explain and discuss anxiety and depression and to understand core CBT techniques.
Learners are expected to acquire the ability to describe diagnostic features, evaluate common misconceptions, and apply basic CBT methods to explain how thoughts and behaviours maintain distress.
How the Course Is Structured
The course is organised into five weekly modules made up of short, focused steps that together form a coherent progression from perception to CBT techniques for anxiety and depression.
In total the syllabus lists 29 discrete steps across the five-week structure, intended to be completed over the five-week course run.
Curriculum overview
01 Welcome to Week 1 ▾
Introduces course expectations and the educator and mentor team, and outlines what learners will do in Week 1.
02 Processing and making sense of the world ▾
Explores how we intake information from the environment and the basic processes involved in making sense of that information.
03 Influences on perception: Selective attention and perceptual expectancy ▾
Examines selective attention and expectancy effects and how context shapes what we notice and remember.
04 The influence of mood on perception ▾
Reviews evidence on how mood states alter information processing and how this may differ for people with anxiety or depression.
05 How does perception relate to CBT? ▾
Connects perceptual and attentional processes to cognitive behavioural formulations used in therapy.
06 Review and reflect ▾
Summarises the main points from Week 1 and prompts personal reflection and consolidation.
07 Welcome to Week 2 ▾
Provides an overview of Week 2 on depression and includes a short knowledge check to test understanding.
- Quiz: depression knowledge check
08 What does depression look and feel like? ▾
Describes typical presentations of depression and clarifies how depressive disorders differ from ordinary low mood.
09 Depression in the real world ▾
Features a first‑hand account and a fictional case to illustrate lived experience and clinical presentation.
10 A CBT model of depression ▾
Presents a cognitive behavioural formulation that explains how depression can be maintained and targeted in therapy.
11 Review and reflect ▾
Summarises Week 2 and encourages reflection on how the CBT model applies to depression.
12 Welcome to Week 3 ▾
Introduces Week 3 on anxiety and includes a short quiz to assess baseline understanding.
- Quiz: anxiety knowledge check
13 Thinking about ‘normal’ anxiety ▾
Covers the physical signs and everyday function of normal anxiety and why it can be adaptive.
14 What do anxiety disorders look and feel like? ▾
Describes common anxiety disorders and how their presentations differ from normal worry.
15 Anxiety in the real world ▾
Includes a first‑hand account and a fictional case to illustrate anxiety from a CBT perspective.
16 A CBT model of anxiety ▾
Explains how cognitive and behavioural factors interact to maintain anxiety and how CBT addresses them.
17 Review and reflect ▾
Summarises Week 3 and prompts reflection on how anxiety formulations relate to daily experience.
18 Welcome to Week 4 ▾
Introduces the focus on behavioural change as part of CBT for anxiety and depression.
19 Behaviour change in depression ▾
Examines how behaviour shifts in depression and the consequences of withdrawal and inactivity.
20 Behavioural activation ▾
Introduces behavioural activation as a CBT technique to counteract withdrawal and increase engagement.
21 Behaviour change in anxiety ▾
Explores avoidance and other behavioural patterns in anxiety and their maintaining effects.
22 Graded exposure ▾
Explains graded exposure as a structured technique to reduce avoidance and anxiety over time.
23 Review and reflect ▾
Summarises Week 4 and encourages learners to reflect on behavioural change techniques.
24 Welcome to Week 5 ▾
Introduces the final week, which focuses on unhelpful thinking and cognitive techniques in CBT.
25 How is thinking affected in anxiety and depression? ▾
Discusses common cognitive changes and unhelpful thinking patterns associated with anxiety and depression.
26 Cognitive restructuring ▾
Covers methods for identifying thinking errors and techniques used in therapy to challenge them.
27 Behavioural experiments ▾
Outlines how behavioural experiments are used to test and modify unhelpful beliefs and predictions.
28 Generalised Anxiety Disorder – GAD ▾
Looks specifically at worry and how CBT techniques can be applied to Generalised Anxiety Disorder.
29 Review and reflect ▾
Summarises the full course, encourages final reflection, and includes closing thoughts from a first‑hand account.
Audience & Requirements
The course is designed for people with a general interest in mental health, including those with current or past emotional difficulties, family and friends of affected people, and primary healthcare professionals who perform frontline detection and support.
No prior clinical training is required; the course provides a foundational, non‑diagnostic introduction to anxiety, depression and CBT suitable for these audiences.
- People currently experiencing, or who have experienced, emotional difficulties.
- Family members and friends supporting someone with anxiety or depression.
- Primary care or frontline healthcare professionals responsible for early detection and basic support.
- No special prerequisites or clinical qualifications.
- Willingness to engage with content and reflective activities about mental health and lived experience.
- Proficiency in English sufficient to follow lectures and written materials.
Final Verdict
Understanding Anxiety, Depression and CBT is a solid, university‑led introductory course that delivers a clear, evidence‑informed overview of anxiety, depression and core CBT techniques; it is most useful for curious learners, carers, and frontline practitioners seeking a reliable, non‑clinical grounding. For anyone wanting a structured, accessible introduction and the option of a formal acknowledgement of completion, this course represents good value.
Given its positive reception and broad reach, combined with free enrolment and an optional paid certificate/upgrade for longer access, the course is worth taking as a learning and awareness‑raising resource. It should not be treated as a substitute for clinical assessment or therapy, so those seeking treatment should consult qualified professionals rather than relying on the course for diagnosis or care.
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