Argosy University

COURSE SYLLABUS

C 7436

Psychodynamic Theories of Counseling

Faculty Information

Faculty Name: Donna M. Mahoney, Ph.D.

Campus: Schaumburg, Illinois

Contact Information: (847) 969-4940/email:

Office Hours: To be arranged.

Short Faculty Bio: Dr. Mahoney is a core faculty member at the Schaumburg campus, teaching in both the Counselor Education and Supervision program and the Clinical Psychology program. She has been teaching at that campus for seven and a half years. Her clinical areas of specialty include anxiety disorders in children and adolescents, depression in children and adults, and her main theoretical orientation is psychodynamic. She has previously taught numerous courses including Theories of Psychoanalytic Treatment, Child and Adolescent Treatment, Diagnosis and Treatment, Marriage and Family Counseling, Ethics, and many others.

Course description: There are many theories that seek to explain human behavior, but none contain the richness and complexity of Psychodynamic Theory. This course seeks to explore human behavior as a function of events occurring inside the mind. Course assignments will examine, through psychoanalytic literature, the history and evolution of psychodynamic theory as a major force in shaping contemporary psychotherapy. Concepts such as instinct, drive, psychosexual development, structural, and dynamic organization of mental functioning, as well as psychological defense, are studied.

Course Pre-requisites: None

Required Textbooks and Readings:

Mitchell, S.A. Black, M.J. (1996). Freud and beyond: A history of modern psychoanalytic thought. New York: HarperCollins. [ISBN: 0465014054]

Bornstein, R.F.(2006). A Freudian construct lost and reclaimed: The psychodynamics of personality pathology. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 23(2), p. 339-353.

Friedman, S.M., & Gelso, C.J. (2000). The development of the inventory of countertransference behavior. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 56(9), p 1221- 1235.

Bracero, W. (1994). Developing culturally sensitive psychodynamic case formulations: The effects of Asian cultural elements on psychoanalytic control-mastery theory. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 31(3), p. 525-532.

Course length: 7.5 Weeks

Contact Hours: 45 Hours

Credit Value: 3.0


Program Outcomes:

  1. Effectively deliver – or arrange to be delivered or taught --a range of individual, couples, family, and group counseling, consultation, career, diagnostic, and assessment services toward the development of optimal psychological and interpersonal health (practice/skills).
  2. Apply scientific foundations of counseling and scientific methodology to the design of research and analysis of counseling topics, case material, and programs (understanding, applying, and designing research).

3.  Interpret and apply core theory and research on human development, abnormal psychology, and counseling theories to all aspects of counseling practice and programming (theory applications).

4.  Demonstrate commitment to a professional identity that includes appreciation for the historical and cultural context of counseling, incorporation of prevention and psycho-educational strategies, involvement in client and professional advocacy, and empowerment of clients toward optimal mental health (identity).

  1. Commit to and engage in ethical practice and ethical decision making strategies, and socially responsible practice and living (ethics).
  2. Demonstrate multicultural awareness, knowledge, and skills, as applied to self, clients, the counseling relationship, organizations, and the larger society (diversity).
  3. Students will pursue personal development, including ongoing self reflection, growth in interpersonal skills, and openness to feedback (self-awareness).
  4. Using appropriate media and technology, present counseling information orally and in writing that is concise, organized, well supported, created in a professional manner, and appropriate to the audience (written and oral presentation).
  5. Effectively apply instructional theory and methods relevant to counselor education (Counselor Education & Supervision Concentration).
  6. Demonstrate knowledge of counseling supervision theories, methodologies, and relevant research findings and effectively apply supervision techniques across a broad range of counseling contexts (Counselor Education & Supervision Concentration).

Course Objectives:

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

1.  Articulate the historical andphilosophical foundations of the psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapies. Program Outcome 3

2.  Given a case example, demonstrate the ability to develop case conceptualizations and treatment plans based in psychodynamic theory. Program outcome(s) 1, & 3

3.  Describe the particular ethical issues which may arise from the use of psychodynamic counseling approaches with diverse client populations. Program Outcome(s) 5, & 6

  1. Constructively evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the psychodynamic approaches. Program Outcome(s) 2, & 3

5.  Utilizing the current research literature on the efficacy of the psychodynamicapproaches, apply these approaches in an empirically supported manner to the development of treatment plans for individual case vignettes. Program Outcome(s) 2, and 3

  1. Discuss and critique current psychodynamic thinking regarding personality development, psychological vulnerability, and healthy functioning. Program Outcome(s) 1, 3
  2. Conceptualize clients and themselves in psychodynamic terms. Program Outcome(s) 1, 3, & 7

8.  Integrate and apply psychodynamic methods based on accurate comprehension of the specific needs of particular clients and therapy situations. Program outcome(s) 3, & 6

  1. Through role plays and development of treatment plans on case vignettes, demonstrate the ability to recognize and facilitate the collaborative, relational context of the therapist/client dyad. Program Outcome(s) 1, 3, 7

Assignment Table

Topics / Readings / Formative Assignment/Assessment
1 / Introduction
History of Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theory / Mitchell & Black, Ch. 1-3 / What were Freud’s most significant contributions to the field? Identify at least three contributions and elaborate on their significance.
2 / Psychoanalytic Concepts
Psychoanalytic Theory and Mental Functioning / Mitchell Black, Ch. 4-5 / Compare some of Freud’s key concepts in relation to mental functioning with concepts drawn from object relations theory (i.e., Fairbairne, Winnicott). How did Freud explain human motivation? How did object relations theorists explain human functioning?
3 / Personality Function and Psychodynamic Theory
The Neo-Freudians and Modern Applications of Psychodynamic Theory / Mitchell & Black, Ch. 6-7 / Briefly explain Mitchell’s Relational model. How does the relational view differ from Sigmund Freud’s model?
4 /

Psychodynamic Theory and Clinical Practice

Brief Psychodynamic Therapy / Mitchell Black, Ch. 8-9 / 1.)  Identify three clinical applications of psychodynamic theory (i.e., applying it to the treatment of depression, etc.).
2.)  Discuss who might be appropriate for brief psychodynamic treatment. How is the therapeutic relationship typically viewed using a brief model?
5 / Understanding the Meaning of Clinical Symptoms
The Therapeutic Relationship / Bornstein, R.F.(2006). A Freudian construct lost and reclaimed: The psychodynamics of personality pathology. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 23(2), p. 339-353.
Recommended:
McWilliams, N. (2004). Psychoanalytic psychotherapy: A practitioner's guide. New York: Guilford Press. Ch. 5-7 / How are clinical symptoms viewed from a psychodynamic perspective? What is your view of symptom substitution?
6 / Transference and Countertransference / Friedman, S.M., & Gelso, C.J. (2000). The development of the inventory of countertransference behavior. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 56(9), p. 1221-1235.
Recommended:
McWilliams, N. (2004). Psychoanalytic psychotherapy: A practitioner's guide. New York: Guilford Press. Ch. 12 / Define the terms transference and countertransference. How did Freud’s view of countertransference differ from more contemporary perspectives?
7 / Psychodynamic Concepts with Diverse Populations
Research on Psychodynamic Models / Bracero, W. (1994). Developing culturally sensitive psychodynamic case formulations: The effects of Asian cultural elements on psychoanalytic control-mastery theory. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 31(3), p. 525-532. / Identify four cultural considerations in relation to psychodynamic theory and therapy? How can we effectively integrate cultural considerations in a psychodynamic framework?
8 / Integration and Conclusions / 1.  Case Conceptualization due/Theory Paper Due


Grading Criteria

Grading Scale Grading requirements

A / 100 -93
A- / 92 - 90
B+ / 89 - 88
B / 87 - 83
B- / 82 – 80
C+ / 79 – 78
C / 77 – 73
C- / 72 – 70
F / 69 and below
Attendance/participation / 20%
Weekly Assignments / 20%
Theory Paper / 30%
Case Conceptualization / 30%
TOTAL / 100%


Library

All resources in Argosy University’s online collection are available through the Internet. The campus librarian will provide students with links, user IDs, and passwords.

Library Resources: Argosy University’s core online collection features nearly 21,000 full-text journals and 23,000 electronic books and other content covering all academic subject areas including Business & Economics, Career & General Education, Computers, Engineering & Applied Science, Humanities, Science, Medicine & Allied Health, and Social & Behavior Sciences. Many titles are directly accessible through the Online Public Access Catalog at http://library.argosy.edu. Detailed descriptions of online resources are located at http://library.argosy.edu/libweb/resources/

In addition to online resources, Argosy University’s onsite collections contain a wealth of subject-specific research materials searchable in the Online Public Access Catalog. Catalog searching is easily limited to individual campus collections. Alternatively, students can search combined collections of all Argosy University Libraries. Students are encouraged to seek research and reference assistance from campus librarians.

Information Literacy: Argosy University’s Information Literacy Tutorial was developed to teach students fundamental and transferable research skills. The tutorial consists of five modules where students learn to select sources appropriate for academic-level research, search periodical indexes and search engines, and evaluate and cite information. In the tutorial, students study concepts and practice them through interactions. At the conclusion of each module, they can test their comprehension and receive immediate feedback. Each module takes less than 20 minutes to complete. Please view the tutorial at http://library.argosy.edu/infolit/

Academic Policies

Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism: In an effort to foster a spirit of honesty and integrity during the learning process, Argosy University requires that the submission of all course assignments represent the original work produced by that student. All sources must be documented through normal scholarly references/citations and all work must be submitted using the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition (2001). Washington DC: American Psychological Association (APA) format. Please refer to Appendix A in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition for thesis and paper format. Students are encouraged to purchase this manual (required in some courses) and become familiar with its content as well as consult the Argosy University catalog for further information regarding academic dishonesty and plagiarism.

Scholarly writing: The faculty at Argosy University is dedicated to providing a learning environment that supports scholarly and ethical writing, free from academic dishonesty and plagiarism. This includes the proper and appropriate referencing of all sources. You may be asked to submit your course assignments through “Turnitin,” (www.turnitin.com), an online resource established to help educators develop writing/research skills and detect potential cases of academic dishonesty. Turnitin compares submitted papers to billions of pages of content and provides a comparison report to your instructor. This comparison detects papers that share common information and duplicative language.

Americans with Disabilities Act Policy

It is the policy of Argosy University to make reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If a student with disabilities needs accommodations, the student must notify the Director of Student Services. Procedures for documenting student disability and the development of reasonable accommodations will be provided to the student upon request.

Students will be notified by the Director of Student Services when each request for accommodation is approved or denied in writing via a designated form. To receive accommodation in class, it is the student’s responsibility to present the form (at his or her discretion) to the instructor. In an effort to protect student privacy, the Department of Student Services will not discuss the accommodation needs of any student with instructors. Faculty may not make accommodations for individuals who have not been approved in this manner.

The Argosy University Statement Regarding Diversity

Argosy University prepares students to serve populations with diverse social, ethnic, economic, and educational experiences. Both the academic and training curricula are designed to provide an environment in which students can develop the skills and attitudes essential to working with people from a wide range of backgrounds

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