Skills Class 25 - From Empathy to Change: Teaching TEAM-CBT Skills in Latin American Clinical Practice

In this dynamic skills class—conducted in Spanish (or English)—three internationally recognized TEAM-CBT Masters will share a decade of hands-on experience disseminating Cognitive Behavioral Therapy across Latin America. Drawing on their clinical, teaching, and training work throughout the region, the presenters will demonstrate how David Burns’ TEAM-CBT approach has become a powerful and culturally resonant platform for making evidence-based CBT accessible, engaging, and effective for Latin American audiences.

In Latin America, psychodynamic and psychoanalytic traditions remain the dominant clinical paradigms. While these approaches have a rich history, many clinicians are now seeking practical, structured, and results-oriented methods that can be integrated into their therapeutic “toolbox.” The presenters have found that the experiential, transparent, and skill-driven nature of TEAM-CBT speaks directly to this need. Therapists are drawn to its clear structure, collaborative spirit, rapid feedback systems, and emphasis on deliberate practice and measurable change.

The class will provide a concise overview of the TEAM-CBT model, including its core pillars: Testing, Empathy, Agenda Setting, and Methods. Special attention will be given to the therapeutic “movement” from deep empathy to powerful invitation and paradoxical agenda setting—an aspect of TEAM-CBT many clinicians find transformative.

Participants will not only learn about the model but will actively experience it. Through live demonstrations and guided practice, the audience will step into the therapist’s role and practice the transition from empathic attunement to motivational work and collaborative change strategies. This experiential format reflects how TEAM-CBT is taught across Latin America, emphasizing learning by doing, immediate feedback, and clinical courage.

This class is ideal for CBT practitioners, trainers, and supervisors seeking to expand their therapeutic repertoire, strengthen treatment outcomes, and learn how TEAM-CBT can bridge cultures, traditions, and clinical languages. It offers a rare opportunity to learn directly from two master clinicians who have successfully disseminated TEAM-CBT across diverse Latin American contexts.