Bridging the Theory-Practice Gap by Getting Even Bolder With the Boulder Model

• Cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective treatment
• Few therapists are trained in the theory and practice of CBT
• All mental health care providers need to be trained in CBT
• Clinical practice also needs to be based on theory, not just treatment manuals
• Psychological treatments have to move beyond the DSM boundaries

Cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective treatment for virtually all psychiatric disorders. However, very few patients have access to it and few therapists are trained in the theory and practice of cognitive behavioral therapy. Based on the existing evidence and the articles of this series, the following recommendations are made: (a) all mental health care providers (including Psy.D. and social workers) need to be trained in the practice and theories of empirically supported treatments, specifically cognitive behavioral therapy; (b) clinical practice also needs to be based on theory, not just treatment manuals; and (c) psychological treatments have to move beyond the DSM boundaries.