The Core Program is the most widely used group treatment program for depression in Canada. Now the guide has been revised for use by the general public.

This MP3 Audio edition provides the 110-page Manual and a series of 8 one-hour talks by the program's senior author, Randy Paterson.

The MP3 edition is not an "audiobook." The talks are not a simple reading of the manual. Instead, the talks supplement the manual with the concepts, examples, and stories that Dr Paterson has used when leading Core Program groups. It's a little like being in the group itself.

The talks begin and end with a musical motif that signals the transition from one topic to the next. Each talk is divided into either six or seven tracks, enabling the listener to choose how long to listen each time. The content can be transferred to a computer (for example, the iTunes program) and to MP3 devices such as an iPod.

Contents of the MP3: (more detail at bottom of page)

• Talk 1: Introduction to cognitive behavioural principles.
• Talk 2: Effective goal setting.
• Talk 3: The nature of stress and depression
• Talk 4: Lifestyle management strategies
• Talk 5: Introduction to cognitive therapy
• Talk 6: Challenging distorted thinking
• Talk 7: The role of your social life
• Talk 8: The road ahead: Relapse prevention

Please note: The Core Program MP3 Audio Edition is not a substiture for care by a trainined physician or professional therapist. Readers/listeners are urged to seek professional help for assessment and treatment of mood difficulties. The Core Program can provide a supplement to this work, however, offering guidance and explanations about many of the key concepts.

About the MP3-CD Format: The eight hours of audio content are presented on a single disk in a pocket on the inside back cover of the manual. This compressed file format is playable on all MP3-enabled computers, CD players, and DVD players. Some older CD players may not be able to play this file format, however. We also have a version of the program that provides the manual and eight one-hour regular CDs.

Note to Therapists: The Core Program may prove to be a useful addition to your work. Clients can work through the guide and listen to talks as therapy progresses. You can cut down on the amount of time you spend discussing concepts (such as strategies to overcome insomnia, or how to set achievable goals, or the nature of depressive thinking) by inviting clients to listen to talks on these topics. More of your time can be spent individualizing treatment and doing "the real therapy." And if you run Core Program groups, you may find the talks a useful catch-up tool for clients who miss sessions. You can also get a sense of how the program developer might lead a group session. A special Clinician Edition provides multiple copies of the MP3 plus a CD-ROM enabling you to print copies of the manual for your clients.