Skills Training

• Skills training is a form of therapy in which clients learn specific abilities to help them cope with high risk situations. These can include assertiveness, verbal and non verbal social skills and anger management. Training uses a range of techniques including group discussion, modelling and role play
• By practising skills, the clients self efficacy increases as they learn they are capable of controlling their own behaviour successfully. This gives them an internal locus of control as they see it’s not down to luck, it was their own actions.
• Assertiveness training helps client to cope with conflicts in a controlled and rational way. This reduces the chances they will turn to drugs, shopping or gambling to relieve stress associated with conflict.
• Anger management training can help the client to express their emotions more constructively (e.g. creatively).
• Social skills training (SST) focuses on improving verbal and non-verbal communication skills such as tone of voice and appropriate eye contact.
• Types of skills training techniques include - group discussions, modelling and role play, homework and visualisation.
• Group discussion allows people to share their experiences and ideas, and discuss what could work and why something has not worked. Discussion also can identify common high risk situations to be explored further in training
• Modelling and role play - the therapist models a skill (e.g. using eye contact in refusing a drink). Clients then try to imitate the skill in role play. This may be recorded for playback later so client can watch and discuss the interaction. They then get feedback from the therapist , highlighting successes and identifying areas of improvement. They positively reinforce their behaviour with praise and encouragement
• Homework tasks are set so client can practise their skills in the real world. These are planned from achievable tasks to challenging situations over time. The client may keep a diary of their experience for discussion and feedback with therapist
• Visualisation helps a client feel more prepared in a real life situation. The client imagines a situation where they have to be assertive (e.g. turning down a drink). They mentally visualise the steps involved before they role play it.
• A strength of skills training is that there is evidence of effectiveness. A study placed gamblers into 4 groups - CBT, skills training. Immediately after treatment, all gambled less, and this continued for a year. Skills training is equally effective as CBT. this showed gambling addictions can be treated effectively with a skills training programme
• A weakness of skills training is that it lacks a cognitive element. It doesn’t address underlying irrational beliefs. There is some evidence that CBT is more effective than skills training for a wider range of people. This suggests skills training may be more effective when it uses the behavioural element of CBT rather than being a separate treatment