CBPT for School Refusal
School refusal is not simply defiance — it reflects deep emotional distress, from morning tantrums to chronic absenteeism, and if unaddressed can disrupt emotional development and academic progress. This course shows how CBPT offers a developmentally sensitive, play-based approach to help children understand and manage their fears, build coping skills and gradually return to school.
About this course
School refusal is not simply defiance — it reflects deep emotional distress, from morning tantrums to chronic absenteeism, and if unaddressed can disrupt emotional development and academic progress. This course shows how CBPT offers a developmentally sensitive, play-based approach to help children understand and manage their fears, build coping skills and gradually return to school.
You’ll learn to assess the underlying functions of school refusal, decide when CBPT is the right fit, and involve parents (PRIDE skills) and schools to extend gains beyond the playroom — including adaptations for older children and adolescents.
What you will gain
Curriculum · ~1.5h
Who it is for
Instructor
Samantha Martin is a Clinical Psychology graduate student in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Case Western Reserve University, working on the application of CBPT to school refusal.
Enroll in this course
Advanced (Second Level) · APA-published, evidence-based · lifetime access · certificate
Enroll now →Who this course is for
Psychologists and psychotherapists · Psychiatrists · Clinical and licensed independent social workers · Licensed professional counselors · Marriage and family therapists · Mental health clinical nurse practitioners.
A certificate of attendance is issued on completion, tied to the final learning test.
What you'll learn
- ✓Recognize the emotional and behavioral profiles of school refusal and distinguish them from truancy
- ✓Apply CBPT techniques — play-based psychoeducation, coping skills, exposure hierarchies
- ✓Collaborate with parents and educators to reinforce goals across home and school
- ✓Adapt CBPT strategies for older children and adolescents
- ✓Use playful psychoeducation tools (CBT triangle, worry monster, thought bubbles)