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Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program for Women
Project type
Narrated Presentation
Date
May 2024
I created this proposal as part of my graduate coursework for my M.S. in Learning Design & Technology. The assignment was an adult learning design challenge, where we selected an adult learning context that incorporated some form of instructional technology to describe and apply concepts from adult learning theory to an identified instructional problem or situation. My design concept was an Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program for women, combining my passion for psychology, instructional theory, learning technology, to address a societal problem.
The need for therapeutic care across the United States has surged post-pandemic. Experts describe a mental health crisis and a sharp increase in patients suffering from anxiety, depression, and trauma who report feeling alone and socially disconnected. Additionally, the demand for therapists far outpaces supply. Even if you are both open to a therapeutical intervention and can afford to pay for it, 6 in 10 psychologists aren’t accepting new patients. This leaves many people without the life-altering care that they need. The purpose of my design challenge is to make cognitive behavioral therapy available to an audience of adult women who are either waiting for mental health care or cannot otherwise access it. My target learners are adult women, ages 22-45, who are navigating challenging life transitions. The program will be comprised of a series of self-paced modules to provide self-guided therapy. Topics will include the foundational elements of practicing cognitive behavioral therapy, including information on identifying cognitive distortions, developing coping skills, utilizing thought correction and thought replacement techniques as well as content specific to major life transitions including welcoming a new baby, adjusting to parenting, mitigating marital conflict, navigating separation and divorce, and handling career transitions.
The program could be deployed on my personal website as a pilot, offered for free at first and then, if the course is successful, a payment option can be added later. I feel personally invested in this topic, as I have struggled to find quality mental health care myself. I am interested to move forward with implementing this idea and I'm in the process of identifying subject matter experts who would like to participate.