Behavioural Activation (BA) Therapy: From Theory to Practice

BRIA Academy is excited to be offering a Behavioural Activation Therapy training course this Fall.  If you are a healthcare provider who works with clients suffering with depression and/or anxiety in any of the reproductive stages of life, when major transitions can exacerbate underlying symptoms, this course is for you. 

Why Behavioural Activation?

BA Therapy, a brief evidence-based treatment, is an effective modality of therapy for individuals with anxiety and/or depression at any stage of life (Stein et al., 2021). BA focuses on the relationship between how we feel and what we do or don’t do and how what we do or don’t do (including avoidance of activities) makes us feel. In BA, the goal is to engage in activities despite not having the motivation to do so.

My Journey as a Behavioural Activation Provider

My journey as a BA therapist began in 2019, when I participated in the Scaling Up Maternal Mental Healthcare by Increasing Access to Treatment (SUMMIT) Trial, a study that was being conducted at major hospitals across 3 cities in the United States and Canada. The purpose of the SUMMIT study was to increase access to mental health care for pregnant women and new mothers. The specific focus was to test whether non-specialist providers such as nurses, midwives and other allied health care providers could deliver BA as effectively as specialist psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers. I am happy to report that the study results showed that this is possible. This can potentially increase access to mental health support for so many in need (Singla et al., 2025). 

As a nurse who previously worked in Labour and Delivery and as a Clinical Nurse Educator in Obstetrics, I had never imagined myself working in mental health. But when this opportunity presented itself, I was intrigued and decided to give it a try! I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I was trained in BA and began working with pregnant and postpartum women, implementing the evidence-based BA tools that are an integral part of this therapy, and was so amazed at the week-to-week transformations I witnessed in these patients.

As a result of this training and my years of experience implementing BA as a nurse in the study, I went on to become a Nurse Psychotherapist, specifically as a BA provider at BRIA!

When I look back at my days at the bedside and in education, I wish I was aware of this modality of therapy. I now realize in my everyday interactions with patients that there were indications that they may be experiencing symptoms of anxiety and/or depression; other than referring them to our program social worker, I had no way of really helping them in the moment.

What This Course Offers

This BA therapy course is for nurses, therapists, and other healthcare providers. BA is a practical, evidence-based tool that can be used across a wide range of clinical settings—from hospitals to private practice—to help patients overcome barriers, increase meaningful activity, and improve their mental health. My goal is to equip more healthcare professionals with a simple, effective approach they can immediately bring into their clinical practice.

If you are looking to pivot from the bedside or looking to add a new modality of therapy to the ones you already provide, then this course is for you.

Please visit https://www.briaacademy.com/course/behavioural-activation-ba-therapy for more details and to register for the course.

Behavioural Activation (BA) Therapy: From Theory to Practice 

Oct 26th, November 2nd, November 9th and November 16th, 2026 

7pm-9pm ET

If you have any questions, please email Michelle at: michelle@betterbria.com

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References

Singla, D.R., Silver, R.K., Vigod, S.N. et al. Task-sharing and telemedicine delivery of psychotherapy to treat perinatal depression: a pragmatic, noninferiority randomized trial. Nat Med 31, 1214–1224 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-03482-w

Stein, A. T., Carl, E., Cuijpers, P., Karyotaki, E. & Smits, J. A. Looking beyond depression: a meta-analysis of the effect of behavioral activation on depression, anxiety, and activation. Psychol. Med. 51, 1491–1504 (2021).

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