Core Problem Analysis (CPA)

Home  |  Core Problem Analysis (CPA)

Core Problem Analysis (CPA)

The Fall 2025 date is coming! Register your interest here to be contacted.

I'm interested in attending!

Description

The Core Problem Analysis (CPA) model was developed by Francheska Perepletchikova, Ph.D., and has been empirically evaluated as a part of the DBT for Children (DBT-C) model. (Perepletchikova et al., 2017  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28942805/)

This live CPA workshop provides clinicians with specific tools to help children, adolescent and adult clients, as well as their families, heal their relationship with Self as a means to improving their relationships with other people. CPA also enhances the capacity to use techniques of emotional and behavioral regulation such as DBT Skills. CPA has been demonstrated to be appropriate for all age ranges.

The workshop includes:

  • Live remote format lectures delivered by Dr. Perepletchikova in modular format
  • Knowledge tests with immediate feedback that meet CE accreditation guidelines (80% pass rate with unlimited attempts)
  • Access to recorded lectures during the training and for the subsequent three months so as to facilitate acquisition and retention of knowledge
  • Three months of live consultations with Dr. Perepletchikova and her team of DBT-C experts after the training is completed to hone the acquired knowledge and skills
  • Includes three-month subscription to a library of recorded role plays and debriefs on using CPA strategies
  • Includes three-month subscription to a library of recorded questions and answers to clinicians and clients on CPA
  • Accreditation: 24 CE credits

Tuition

First-time participants: $1275 (10% discount for groups of 3 or more – please contact us directly for group registration)

Refresher: $450 For those who have completed DBT-C training and wish to do a refresher training/deeper dive on only CPA. (Note: In order to receive this tuition level, an application form for documenting prior DBT-C training will be made available on this page after the training date is announced.)

General Information

Verbal and physical aggression, non-suicidal self-injury, suicidal ideations and behaviors, substance and alcohol abuse and other maladaptive responses are not problems but solutions to problems. What is the problem that gives rise to these symptoms? The answer is – the dysfunctional relationship with Self, namely clinical levels of vulnerability in the core senses of self-love, safety and belonging. That is, respectively:

  • If I hate myself, I will be self-critical, feel worthless, engage in self-harm and even attempt suicide;
  • If I cannot adaptively control the only thing that I can – myself, I will strive to achieve an illusion of safety by trying to control other people and I will attempt to control myself in maladaptive ways; and
  • If I do not feel that I belong with my own family or community that reject me via harmful invalidation and, therefore, also fail to teach me how to relate to others in a healthy way, then I am likely to have significant difficulties with initiating and maintaining relationships.

CPA is an assessment and intervention model to help decrease vulnerabilities in the three core senses. CPA adopts a position of synthesis between 1) strictly behavioral approaches, where responses are proposed to be mostly controlled by environmental factors, and 2) strictly dynamic approaches, where responses are proposed to be mostly influenced by unconscious processes. CPA allows examination and targeting of factors that are external and internal, and includes assessment of conscious processes, as well as material that is not on the level of awareness.

CPA is a transdiagnostic model, as there is a function behind any dysfunction. It can be used with children as young as 4 years of age, adolescents, and adults. It can be integrated into standard DBT, CBT and other therapeutic approaches as a tool to 1) assess the functions of responses, which allows for a more precise selection of interventions to address each function of a target behavior; 2) teach how to establish a healthy relationship with Self; and 3) help achieve dialectical balance between external and internal controlling factors.

Audience

This training is intended for clinicians invested in improving effectiveness in targeting their clients’ problems and symptoms.

Prerequisites
None

 

Segment

Description

CPA: Current evidence and limitations

 

 This section focuses on the empirical evidence collected thus far on the feasibility and efficacy of CPA.

 

CPA: Introduction to the model

 

 This section introduces the main goals of the Core Problem Analysis model, outlines internal controlling factors and details the three core senses of self-love, safety and belonging that are targeted by CPA.

 

How CPA is different from other therapeutic models

 

 This section discusses how CPA is similar and different from other therapeutic models, including functional analysis, DBT standard model, CBT, modern psychoanalysis, and schema therapy.

 

Main functions of CPA: Validation, assessment of meaning and function

 

 This section discusses how CPA promotes acceptance, validation and self-validation, helps clients understand meanings they ascribed to events and provides assessment of the functions of their responses.

 

Main functions of CPA: Cognitive restructuring

 

 This section details how CPA promotes cognitive restructuring and helps clients re-orient from external to internal locus of control.

 

Main functions of CPA: Behavioral change

 

 This section details how CPA facilitates behavioral change and greater precision in selection of intervention to address maladaptive responses.

 

Orientation to the 10 principles of conducting CPA (Principles 1 to 5)

 

 This section details principles of conducting CPA, including provision of orientation to the goals and the process of CPA, formulation of a hypothesis without an attachment to outcome, uncovering vulnerabilities in the core senses, using specific targeted open-ended questions, and connecting the dots.

 

Orientation to the 10 principles of conducting CPA (Principles 6-10)

 

 This section details principles of conducting CPA, including keeping balance through speed and flow, maintaining deadpan confidence, using CPA on yourself, going all the way and analyzing functions before using interventions.

 

Demonstrations/Videos/Role plays on orienting to the process and conducting CPA

 

 This section is devoted to demonstrating the process of conducting CPA via videos of role plays with adults and children on uncovering vulnerabilities in the core senses that may be interfering with their capacity to use learned interventions. Furthermore, this section also includes live role plays with participants.

 

Core sense of Self-Love: Conditions

 

 This section discusses some of the factors that may be implicated in the development of the vulnerability in the core sense of self-love, including harmful reinforcement, harmful behavioral modification, behavioral control, judgmental stance and traumatic invalidation.

 

Core Sense of Self-Love Interventions

 

 This section presents the dialectic of maladaptive approaches to decreasing a vulnerability in the core sense of self-love, namely satisfying conditions for other-generated self-love vs self-generated self-love. Furthermore, it details the cognitive and experiential components of an adaptive intervention that focuses on establishing a connection to self-love, without satisfying conditions of “good enoughness” and the behavioral component that focuses on learning about self and self-actualization.

 

Demonstrations/Videos/Role plays on Sense of Self-Love

 

 This section is devoted to demonstrating videos of role plays with adults and children on uncovering vulnerabilities in the core Sense of Self-Love and on the application of CPA-specific interventions to decrease these vulnerabilities in an adaptive way. Furthermore, this section includes live role plays with participants.

 

Core sense of Safety: Dialectics and Interventions

 

 This section presents the dialectic of maladaptive approaches in decreasing vulnerabilities in the core sense of safety, namely tendencies for under-control vs over-control. Further, it discusses adaptive intervention to decrease vulnerability in the core sense of safety, including strategies for improving capacity to directly influence one’s own emotions, thoughts, actions and biology.

 

Demonstrations/Videos/Role plays on Sense of Safety

 

 This section is devoted to demonstrations, videos of role plays with adults and children on uncovering vulnerabilities in the core Sense of Safety and on the application of CPA-specific interventions to decrease these vulnerabilities in an adaptive way. Furthermore, this section includes live role plays with participants.

 

Core sense of Belonging: Dialectics and Interventions

 

 This section presents the dialectic of maladaptive approaches to decreasing a vulnerability in the core sense of belonging, namely alienation of self vs alienation of others. Further, it formulates that an ability to be giving to others is required to initiate and maintain healthy relationships, discusses how giving to self is a foundation to a capacity to give to others, and details components of the “baking own bread” intervention.

 

Demonstrations/Videos/Role plays on Sense of Belonging

 

 This section is devoted to demonstrating videos of role plays with adults and children on uncovering vulnerabilities in the core Sense of Belonging and on the application of CPA-specific interventions to decrease these vulnerabilities in an adaptive way. Furthermore, this section includes live role plays with participants.

 

Combinations and CPA profiles

 

 This section discusses how vulnerabilities in the core senses of self-love, safety and belonging may interact and combine to decrease or increase a capacity for the changes in responding. Furthermore, it details how high levels of vulnerabilities in the core senses can combine into maladaptive profiles of psychiatric disorders, while moderate level vulnerabilities can serve adaptive functions.

 

Additional Q&A

 

 

Take a look inside

 

Lectures

Role Plays

Recorded Questions and Answers by clinicians and clients on CPA

Learning Objectives

Primary Objective:

As a result of this training participants will be able to help children, adolescent and adult clients, as well as their families, improve their relationship with self, through identifying functions of their responses, achieving insight into internal controlling factors and learning CPA-specific interventions to decrease vulnerabilities in core senses of self-love, safety and belonging.

Learning Objectives:

As a result of this training, participants will be able to:

  1. Explain evidence for the CPA model to clients & stakeholders.
  2. Orient clients to CPA.
  3. List the three core senses and identify factors that increase vulnerabilities in these senses.
  4. Compare CPA with other therapeutic models.
  5. Discuss the CPA Emotion Model.
  6. Discuss how CPA is validating and irreverent.
  7. Discuss how CPA assesses meanings and functions.
  8. Discuss how CPA promotes cognitive restructuring.
  9. Discuss how CPA promotes the development of internal locus of control.
  10. Discuss how CPA promotes behavioral change.
  11. Discuss how CPA allows for a more precise matching of interventions by functions of target behaviors.
  12. Discuss how CPA helps improve relationships with Self and other people.
  13. Discuss how CPA promotes dialectical balance between external and internal controlling factors.
  14. Discuss how CPA decreases burnout for clients and therapists.
  15. List the 10 principles of conducting CPA.
  16. Teach clients to understand factors that increase vulnerabilities in core senses.
  17. Identify interventions to decrease vulnerabilities in the sense of self-love.
  18. Identify interventions to decrease vulnerabilities in the sense of safety.
  19. Identify interventions to decrease vulnerabilities in the sense of belonging.
  20. Learn how to conduct CPA on oneself and on others, and how to implement CPA-specific interventions.
  21. Teach clients how to implement techniques in order to decrease their own vulnerabilities in the core senses.
  22. Teach clients to implement techniques in order to decrease vulnerabilities in core senses in other people.
  23. Describe the differences between adaptive and maladaptive CPA profiles.

Training Schedule

Time (Based on New York time zone)

Segment
Day 1
08:30 AM – 09:00 AM Log-in and Test Set-Up
09:00 AM – 10:15 AM CPA: Current Evidence and Limitations
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM Break
10:30 AM – 11:45 PM CPA: Introduction to the model
11:45 AM – 12:00 PM Break
12:00 PM – 1:30PM How CPA is different from other therapeutic models?
Q&A
Day 2
08:30 AM – 09:00 AM Log-in and Test Set-Up
09:00 AM – 10:15 AM Main functions of CPA: Validation, assessment of meaning and function
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM Break
10:30 AM – 11:45 PM Main functions of CPA: Cognitive restructuring
11:45 AM – 12:00 PM Break
12:00 PM – 1:30PM Main functions of CPA: Behavioral change
Q&A
Day 3
08:30 AM – 09:00 AM Log-in and Test Set-Up
09:00 AM – 10:15 AM Orientation to the 10 principles of conducting CPA (Principles 1-5)
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM Break
10:30 AM – 11:45 PM Orientation to the 10 principles of conducting CPA (Principles 6-10)
11:45 AM – 12:00 PM Break
12:00 PM – 1:30PM Demonstrations/Videos/Role-plays on orienting to the process and conducting CPA
Q&A
Day 4
08:30 AM – 09:00 AM Log-in and Test Set-Up
09:00 AM – 10:15 AM Core sense of Self-Love: Conditions
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM Break
10:30 AM – 11:45 PM Core Sense of Self-Love: Interventions
11:45 AM – 12:00 PM Break
12:00 PM – 1:30PM Demonstrations/Videos/Role plays on Sense of Self-Love
Q&A
Day 5
08:30 AM – 09:00 AM Log-in and Test Set-Up
09:00 AM – 10:15 AM Core sense of Safety: Dialectics and Interventions
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM Break
10:30 AM – 11:45 PM Demonstrations/Videos/Role plays on Sense of Safety
11:45 AM – 12:00 PM Break
12:00 PM – 1:30PM Core sense of Belonging: Dialectics and Interventions
Q&A
Day 6
08:30 AM – 09:00 AM Log-in and Test Set-Up
09:00 AM – 10:15 AM Demonstrations/Videos/Role plays on Sense of Belonging
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM Break
10:30 AM – 11:45 PM Combinations and CPA profiles
11:45 AM – 12:00 PM Break
12:00 PM – 1:30PM Q&A

CE Information

Continuing Education accreditation will be listed when the training dates are announced.

Testimonials

  • Really phenomenal! CPA is really phenomenal! Combining and recognizing the dialectic of psychoanalysis and behavioral orientation and synthesizing the truth of each is so powerful.
  • Remarkable in its versatility… I’m so excited by CPA. During the training I was completing a CPA on myself and then later as another skeleton bone appeared I was able to refocus my attention back to the training! CPA is remarkable in its versatility. I envision using CPA with parents, kids, in team consultation, and maybe most importantly helping me identify my stuff so the therapeutic space is less contaminated. Thank you!
  • Really deeply appreciate this training; both personally and professionally. I can see exactly how this will help with the gaps I’ve experienced in treating my supersensor kiddos with other modalities. Plus, there’s so much I am going to digest about my own problems that will definitely make me a better therapist and happier person. I’m so sad this training is almost over. Thank you so much!!!
  • Life-changing CPA continues to be fabulous and life-changing. I’ve been thinking about my own problems. The only issue is I now want therapy, but any therapy that doesn’t include CPA doesn’t seem worth it!
  • Very helpful Francheska knows so much her material, she gave very straightforward explanations, metaphors and examples and role-plays that were very helpful.
  • CPA is absolutely necessary and needed part of DBT.
  • Francheska has taken the best of Maslow’s humanistic approach, psychodynamic approachesof analyzing old maladaptive behaviors as well as Beck’s primary and secondary appraisal and cognitive fusion, challenging etc.
  • Having CPA as a tool to teach unconditional love is so priceless! This will bring immeasurable healing!
  • Understanding the Core senses is like getting a missing link – I am trained in DBT-A, standard DBT, SUD DBT and DBT-PE and now, having the DBT-C and understanding the core senses is like being able to see the whole puzzle. Incredible.
  • CPA. The 3 Core Senses. This has already enhanced my practice.
  • I really love CPA and understanding the three core senses. It provides a clearer road map of how and why clients are struggling, and provides a road map to help them.
  • CPA, 3 core senses and interventions for vulnerabilities in the core senses; this will definitely help me to address more cognitive interventions and private events for my clients beyond the typical chain analysis.
  • It is always a pleasure to learn from and study with Franceska! I learned a lot more about CPA as she has expanded the “program/intervention.”
  • The training was incredibly practical, clear, and informative. The real world examples, scenarios, videos, and tools were most effective for me.

Register your interest in our upcoming CPA Training

We will contact you as soon as we determine the live training date.

Name
To better gauge who will be "in the room", please indicate your primary interest in attending this CPA training:(Required)
Upon clicking the submit button below, your name will be added to the CPA upcoming training alert list. We look forward to reaching back out. Thank you for your interest!
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
QUICK LINKS
Translate »