CBT Training for Treating Clients with Substance Abuse Disorder
$75 for Annual User License
(group discounts available)
Developed with World-Class Subject-Matter Experts
Designed to Supplement Classroom Training
and to Support Practicing Clinicians
Purchase HerePractice & Build CBT Skills with Virtual Role-Players
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Training for Treating Clients with Substance Abuse Disorder is an interactive suite of role-play simulation that provides opportunities for clinicians, and clinicians in training, to practice their skills while receiving real-time feedback. Click to learn about ways people use our simulations
The Research: Training Significantly Improves CBT Skills
The 2020 study tests whether this simulation improves trainee skills for the treatment of clients with substance use disorders. Graduate students (N = 65; social work, clinical psychology) completed standardized patient (SP) interviews, were randomized to the simulation training program or manual comparison condition (Project MATCH manual) and completed SP interviews three months post-baseline. Results indicated a significant group effect, with students assigned to the simulation training program showing greater improvement in “extensiveness” and “skillfulness” ratings across three skill categories:
- General agenda setting (p-value =.03)
- Explaining CBT concepts (p-value=.007)
- Understanding of CBT concepts (p-value=.001)
Research by Mastroleo et al. To read the paper, click here
Role-Play Simulations

Tanisha Mosley is looking to cut back on her drinking and reduce her stress. Practice introducing her to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as a method to help change her drinking habits.
Play Video
Roger Ellison has been working through CBT techniques to help reduce his drinking. Help him fill out a self-monitoring record and examine a recent drinking episode to show how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact with each other during an episode.
Play Video
Melody Denison has been using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to reduce her drinking. In this session, practice building a change plan and identifying her motivations and barriers for change.
Play VideoPractice and Build Skills
Use Core CBT Skills to Reducing Alcohol Use
- Set Agenda and maintain session structure
- Explain core concepts of CBT
- Describe why CBT works for changing drinking behaviors
- Describe connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
- Individualize CBT for specific client needs
- Discuss recent drinking episode
- Use examples and worksheets to explain concepts
- Assign and review homework
Relationships
- Collaboration
- Conversational tone
- Empathy




* This work was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
[Grant number R44AA023719].
* System development was in collaboration with Binghamton University's Dr. Nadine Mastroleo, Brown
University's Dr. Molly Magill, and a panel of experts from Binghamton University, Brown University, and
Yale University
SIMmersion's PeopleSim® Technology
During a conversation with one of the role-players, user’s select from a rich set of prompts. Each selected prompt typically has 5 to 15 available responses. The PeopleSim software calculates probabilities for each response and uses them to randomly choose one response. The calculations are based on one of the randomly selected role-player's personalities and the relationship the user has developed with the role-player. The relationship between the user and the role-player will evolve in a way that depends on what the user says. Click here to learn more about SIMmersion’s PeopleSim technology.