Teaching

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YEREVAN STATE UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF PHILOSOPHY AND PSYCHOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY


COURSE


BASICS OF PSYCHOTHERAPY

Major: Clinical Psychology
Level: MA, 2nd year

One semester course
(68 academic hours)

Spring 2008

Instructor: Professor Gayane Shaverdian, Doctor of Psychology
Phone: 544-391 ext. 115
Email: gmsh@yahoo.com
Meetings: by appointment

Course description:
The course aims to familiarize graduate Clinical psychology students with main and contemporary approaches and models of psychotherapy. The course also focuses on ideological and philosophical backgrounds of these approaches, their development within different schools. A special attention is given to the modeling and discussion of various techniques used within certain theories. The course will serve as a strong theoretical background for students specializing in clinical psychology.

Objectives of the Course:
• Familiarize the students with the basic theories, their principles and main concepts of psychotherapies
• Develop ability to correctly choose and apply appropriate methods of individual and group therapies
• Develop skills for creative and critical thinking applied to a variety of problem situations
Grades: Students performance is graded at the end of the semester, however students are anticipated to actively participate in class, prepare assignments on time, earn credits during seminar classes, 80% attendance is mandatory for passing the course.
Students earn credits for each assignment as follows: Full score – 20 points (A)

Attendance – 0-4 credit points
class presentation – 3 credit points
illustrative sessions – 3 credit points
case study - 5 credit points
final exam – 5 credit points

Student assignments:
1. Class presentation: this presentation may focus on a specific topic within suggested themes . The purpose of the presentation is to deepen your knowledge about specific theory or a technique in psychotherapy, to conduct a research and use various resources (books, media, internet, etc) as well as to demonstrate the ability to effectively present information to the class. You are anticipated to present the material to the class and lead a question and answer discussion.
2. Lead illustrative sessions: each student will lead a therapeutic session demonstrating a specific technique within certain psychotherapeutic framework. Students will be assigned to coordinate the discussion, to open and summarize group activity. You may choose to work independently or with another member of the class.
3. Case study: each student is anticipated to prepare a case study. Each student will prepare an analysis of the case suggested by the instruction in accordance with a specific theory, to outline general strategies to the remediation of described problems or symptoms according the chosen framework.
4. Final Exam. A final examination covers the readings, lectures and discussions happened during the term and will be based on 3 questions for oral answer.

Course content:
TOPIC 1. General objectives of psychotherapy
1.1. General ideas about psychotherapy; the relation of psychotherapy with other methods of therapy. Differences of psychotherapy form other forms of psychological correction; Actual complain and basal problem; the 8 main directions in psychotherapy;
1.2. Philosophical ideas and psychotherapeutic practice as background for therapeutic techniques.
1.3 Seminar on topics 1.1 and 1.2.

TOPIC 2. Directions of psychotherapy.
2.1. Existential problems of person. Ideas of existential philosophy as background for existential psychotherapy:
2.3. Seminar on topics 2.1, 2.2. Readings: L.Binswager, G. Allport, A. Maslow. Sartr, P. Tillih, C. Rogers, V. Frankl.
2.4.. Pragmatism of Ch. Pierce, Classic behaviorism and neo-behaviorism. Behavioral therapies.
2.5. Seminar on topics 2.4. Readings: Ch. Pearce and W. James, main lawes of classic behaviorism, S-R formula, learning, reinforcement.
2.5. Problem of sub-consciousness in philosophy. Dynamic therapeutic methods. Deep psychology. Psychoanalysis.
2.6. Seminar on topic 2.5. Plato’s anamnesis, G. Leibniz, Z. Freud, E. Bern’s structure of personality.
2.7. “Catharsis’ in Aristotelian works; Psychodrama as a therapeutic technique.
2.8. Seminar on topic 2.7. G. Moreno.
2.9. The essence of suggestive methods: hypnosis, auto training.
2.10. The spiritual development of a person. R. Assagiolly as a founder of psycho-synthesis.
2.11. Seminar on topic 2.10. “discover yourself”,”multiple-ness in a person”, phases of psycho-synthesis, deep knowledge of person, control over parts, perceiving the center of authenticity, psychosinthesys.
2.12. Cognitive structure of person. Cognitive psychology. A. Beck as founder of cognitive therapy.
2.13. Seminar on topic 2.12. Theories of A. Beck and A. Ellis, errors in forming medial links, Automatic ideas, examination-reattribution- alternative explanations.
2.14. Concept of phenomenology, Gestalt psychology. F. Pearls as founder of Gestalt psychology. Main mechanisms of method. Class presentation, day 1
2.15. Seminar on topic 2.14.E. Husserl’s concept of phenomenological reduction. Ideas of wholeness, insight, figure and background. Main neurotic mechanisms. Class presentation, day 2

TOPIC 3. Limitations and perspectives of psychotherapy.
3.1. Comparison of therapeutic methods; unity and dissection of approaches. Problem of integrative approach. Class presentation, day 3
3.2. Concept of method’s “paradigm”. 8 main paradigms: adaptive person, playing person. .Individual approach as a condition for objective interpretation of cases.
3.3. Group therapy, perspectives and description. Types of group therapy.
3.4. Case discussion. Case studies due. 4 hrs.
3.5. Trainings and model sessions. Illustrative sessions due. 6 hrs.
Final Exam. – t.b.d.