Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 2 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

The aims of the unit are:

1. To help you develop higher order skills in formulation and treatment in clinical psychology, using an integrative perspective; and,


2. to help you to identify your own emerging integrative framework.

This unit builds upon learning in the clinical interventions units to provide an advanced understanding of theories of psychotherapeutic change and associated empirical evidence. The advanced nature of the unit will include opportunities for students to incorporate an understanding of integrative approaches and to closely consider their own approach to practice from an integrative perspective. An overview of issues in psychotherapy integration will be provided, and opportunities presented for detailed analysis of contemporary integrative models. Appreciation of an array of integrative psychotherapy frameworks will assist you to identify therapist, therapy and client factors from a range of theoretical orientations that have been empirically linked with effective therapeutic outcomes. Integrative models will be investigated as they relate to therapeutic goals, content and stages of therapy in guiding therapeutic change. The unit will focus on the application of strategies that are informed by research within a framework of integrative psychotherapy and will have application to assessment, formulation, treatment planning and treatment outcome.

Aims

The broad aim of this unit is to provide advanced understanding of contemporary issues in psychotherapy integration, and exposure to prominent models of psychotherapy integration and current research in the area. The unit aims to integrate theory, research and practice at an advanced level, and assists you to accommodate a range of effective therapeutic techniques into your own emerging model of therapeutic action and change.

Objectives

On completion of this unit, you should be able to:

1. demonstrate advanced knowledge of several prominent models of psychotherapy integration;


2. demonstrate an advanced capacity to identify the principles of change underpinning major therapeutic models;


3. consider how personal background / beliefs / orientation may influence or inhibit therapeutic effectiveness with specialised client populations;


4. demonstrate advanced knowledge of the mechanisms that influence therapeutic change;


5. develop and communicate case conceptualisations and formulations from multiple perspectives that identify critical clinical information and effectively guide treatment planning;


6. demonstrate an advanced level of knowledge of the research base and historical background of current therapeutic guidelines for specific presenting problems and disorders, as well as how to develop appropriate therapeutic interventions;


7. articulate and demonstrate a coherent integrative framework for practice.

Content

The format of the course will include lectures, seminars, discussion, audiovisual materials, role playing and clinical case examples. The content of the unit includes:

Integrative models of psychotherapy
Models and conceptions of change processes and mechanisms
Therapy outcome research
Complex case conceptualisation
Stages of change
Perspectives on diversity including a range of client populations
Assessing treatment progress and change
Skills practice with integrative approaches

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

The unit will be taught with four general approaches:

1. Lectures will introduce students to key concepts and current research in the area (e.g., approaches to psychotherapy integration and contemporary issues in developing integrative models; common factors in psychotherapy and related research on psychotherapy process and outcome);


2. Detailed review and analysis of contemporary approaches to psychotherapy integration will be accomplished through discussion in seminar format;


3. Video presentation of master therapists demonstrating integrative psychotherapy approaches;


4. students will present outlines of integrative models and analyses of their own psychotherapy case material, focusing on seminar themes (e.g., integration at the levels of theory and technique; mechanisms of action and change; and application of theory to the therapy process and techniques).

Assessment

Continuous Assessment is employed in this unit. The first series of assessment items in this unit (Assignment 1a: short reviews of integrative approaches) are designed to give feedback about progress and will contribute 25% to the final grade (formative and summative assessment). Assessment items 1b (outline of student's current approach) and 2 (case presentation and analysis) are summative and will assess the overall standard of achievement on completion of the unit.

Assessment name: Assignment 1
Description: Assessment type: Folio (3500 words) comprising two parts:
a) short overviews of integrative issues, and
b) a paper outlining your current/emerging approach to your own practice.

Several short papers presenting an overview of different issues will be due throughout the semester (25%). At end of semester each student will submit a paper outlining his or her own emerging approach to psychotherapy practice (25%).
Relates to objectives: 1 - 7
Weight: 50%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Progressive

Assessment name: Assignment 2
Description: Assessment type: Case presentation and analysis

Prepare and present to the group a case presentation of a current psychotherapy case. The presentation should provide relevant background and and idetailed process notes and/or audio recording or video recording, as well as a discussion that demonstrates your emerging approach to psychotherapy.
Relates to objectives: 1 - 7
Weight: 50%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Progressive

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

There is no set text for this unit. You will be referred to specialised material in week one of the unit. Important chapters, articles and other reference material will be placed on the CMD/Blackboard site for the unit.

You may find the following references helpful in extending your reading in this unit:

The Society for the Exploration of Psychotherapy Integration (SEPI) is the leading international professional society focused on the topic of psychotherapy integration. The SEPI journal, Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, is available in full text, online through the QUT library services.

APA Presidential Task Force. (2005). Draft policy statement on evidence-based practice in psychology. American Psychological Association.
forms.apa.org/members/ebp.ebp.pdf (Retrieved June 10, 2005)

Castonguay, L.G. (2011). Psychotherapy, psychopathology, research and practice: pathways of connections and integration.Psychotherapy Research, 21, 125-140.

Constantino, M.J., DeGeorge, J., Dadlani M. B., & Overtree C, E. (2009). Motivational interviewing: a bellwether for context-responsive psychotherapy integration. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 65, 1246-53

Gelso, G. (2011). Emerging and continuing trends in psychotherapy: Views from an editor's eye. Psychotherapy, 48, 182-7.

Godfried, M.R., & Eubanks-Carter, C. (2004). On the need for a new psychotherapy research paradigm: Comment on Weston, Novotny, and Thompson-Brenner. Psychological Bulletin, 130, 669-673.

Westen, D., Novotny, C.M., & Thompson-Brenner, H. (2004). The empirical status of empirically supported psychotherapies: Assumptions, findings, and reporting in controlled clinical trials. Psychological Bulletin, 130, 631-663.

Risk assessment statement

There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with this unit.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 13-Sep-2012