Course Description

    This course equips behavioral health professionals with practical, evidence-based frameworks for delivering brief therapeutic interventions for adult anxiety. As mental health providers face increasing caseloads, limited session authorizations, and rising telehealth demand, brief interventions offer a clinically effective and ethically sound solution. Participants will examine leading short-term models—Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT-B), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and mindfulness-based or single-session approaches, each designed to achieve measurable progress in six sessions or fewer.
     The curriculum integrates theoretical foundations, assessment tools, case formulation techniques, and practical implementation strategies for both in-person and virtual settings. Clinicians will learn how to structure sessions for maximum efficiency, monitor outcomes using validated measures (e.g., GAD-7, PHQ-9), and ethically manage termination and relapse prevention. Emphasis is placed on professional codes of ethics, cultural responsiveness, and continuing competence. By the end of the course, participants will be prepared to apply time-efficient, goal-driven, and empirically supported interventions that promote lasting change and meet contemporary clinical and ethical standards. This course is NBCC and Florida board approved for 1 CE hour..

Please review the course materials prior to purchasing the course. Often, individuals will print a copy of the course worksheet to complete while they view the course material. Once you are ready to complete the course, please enroll in the course and complete the course requirements, including the course post-test and course survey. You will receive your certificate automatically for printing or downloading after achieving an 80% or higher on the post-test and completing the course survey. 

Less Time, Lasting Change-Brief Therapy Strategies for Anxiety in Adults Course Text.pdf

Less Time, Lasting Change- Brief Therapy Strategies for Anxiety in Adults Course Worksheet.pdf

Course Author:  Bryan Glazier, PhD, LMFT, LMHC,, FL Qualified MHC/MFT Supervisor 

Course Time/Location: 1 CE Hour, Location: www.directceu.com (web-based, asynchronous/home study) 

Course Text: Less Time, Lasting Change: Brief Therapy Strategies for Anxiety in Adults

Course Board Approval Statement(s): NBCC, Florida Board Approved

Directceu, llc has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7411. directceu, llc maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

directceu, llc (BAP # 50-17578) is approved by the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling. directceu, llc maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

 Financial Disclosure Statement

directceu, llc is committed to providing our professional colleagues with unbiased information. directceu does not accept commercial support and our course authors have no significant financial interests or other conflicts of interest pertaining to the material.

Learning Objectives:

Through the completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  1. Identify the theoretical foundations of brief interventions for anxiety.
  2. Describe key evidence-based models applicable to short-term anxiety treatment.
  3. Implement rapid assessment and formulation techniques.
  4. Apply structured, time-limited interventions for generalized, social, and panic-type anxiety.
  5. Integrate outcome monitoring and relapse prevention strategies into brief therapy plans..

 Course Syllabus:

Conceptual Foundations of Brief Interventions

  • Historical evolution from long-term therapy to short-term, outcome-based models
  • Theoretical underpinnings: CBT, common factors, and solution-focused paradigms
  • Systemic influences: managed care, telehealth, and stepped-care integration
  • Research evidence supporting brief therapy outcomes

Assessment and Case Formulation

  • Rapid Assessment Strategies: Screening tools (GAD-7, PHQ-9, OASIS), functional assessment, and comorbidity triage
  • Collaborative Goal-Setting: SMART goals, motivational interviewing techniques, and strengths-based formulation
  • Session Planning: Structuring time-limited interventions and mapping treatment progression

Evidence-Based Brief Interventions for Anxiety

  • Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT-B): Core components, condensed protocols, and empirical support
  • Brief Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Psychological flexibility, mindfulness, and values-driven change
  • Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques: Breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and brief meditation practices
  • Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT): Goal orientation, scaling, and exception-finding techniques
  • Motivational Interviewing (MI): Enhancing engagement and readiness for change
  • Single-Session and Ultra-Brief Interventions (SSI): Digital and hybrid delivery models

Clinical Implementation and Telehealth Applications

  • Client Selection and Suitability: Determining appropriateness for brief formats
  • Session Structure and Flow: Agenda-setting, psychoeducation, skills practice, and homework review
  • Telehealth Adaptations: Building alliance online, managing privacy, pacing, and use of digital tools
  • Cultural and Contextual Sensitivity: Adapting brief models for diverse populations

Measuring Progress and Outcomes

  • Routine Outcome Monitoring (ROM): Integrating tools such as CORE-10, GAD-2, and PHQ-4
  • Client Self-Monitoring: Use of SUDS scales, journaling, and app-based tracking
  • Therapist Reflection and Supervision: Maintaining fidelity and quality assurance in brief models

Relapse Prevention and Termination Planning

  • Maintenance Strategies: Personal toolkits, coping plans, and booster sessions
  • Termination in Brief Models: Ethical closure, celebration of progress, and continuity of care
  • Long-Term Self-Efficacy: Promoting resilience and independent anxiety management

Ethical and Professional Considerations

  • Scope and Competence: Aligning client needs with clinician expertise
  • Informed Consent for Brief Therapy: Transparency about duration, goals, and limitations
  • Documentation and Risk Management: Ethical recordkeeping and referral protocols
  • Code Alignment: Integrating APA, ACA, NASW, and AAMFT ethical principles

Continuing Competence and Application to Practice

  • Professional Growth: Ongoing education in brief therapy models and telebehavioral practice
  • Outcome-Based Practice: Data-informed decision-making and accountability
  • Integration in Practice Settings: Primary care, EAPs, telehealth, and private practice applications
  • Reflective Practice: Lifelong learning, supervision, and ethical excellence