PP8060

Group Psychotherapy

Spring 2008

INSTRUCTOR:

Penny Asay, Ph.D.

PHONE:

312-777-7713

EMAIL:


FAX:

ALT PHONE:

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Title / The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy
Author / Yalom, I.
Copyright / 1995
Publisher / IUP
ISBN / 0465084486
Edition / 4th

This Course Requires the Purchase of a Course Packet: NO

ArgosyUniversity

COURSE SYLLABUS--DRAFT

PP 8060

GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY

SPRING 2008

Faculty Information

Faculty Name: Penny Asay, Ph.D.

Campus: Chicago

Contact Information: ; 312-777-7713

Office Hours: TBA

Short Faculty Bio: Penny Asay, Ph.D. received her doctorate in counseling psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Asay also earned an M.A. in College Student Personnel from the University of Maryland, College Park, and she has extensive experience working in university settings in a variety of capacities. Dr. Asay's interests include LGBT issues, multicultural issues, career issues for women in the sciences, social anxiety, groups, and working with dreams in therapy.

Course description:

This course will serve as an introduction to theory and process of group psychotherapy. The course will primary be taught from the interpersonal, process perspective developed by Yalom (1995), but it will incorporate additional theory, examples of practice, and relevant research to prepare students for a variety of future clinical group experiences.

There will be a “here and now” group experiences in the second half of the semester to give students the opportunity of participating in and co-leading a group. Ample opportunity will be given to discuss and make sense of these sessions in class. Students will not be graded on their performance during the “here and now” group sessions.

Experiential and intellectual learning will be integrated through the use of discussion groups and assignments designed to facilitate application of theory and research.

Course Pre-requisites: None

Required Textbook:

Yalom, I. (1995) The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy (4th edition). New York: IUP. ISBN: 0-465-08448-6

Course length: 15 Weeks

Contact Hours: 45 Hours

Credit Value: 3.0

Objectives:

To define and understand basic concepts and theories of group processes and social systems structure and processes

To describe and analyze group processes such as group development, norms and member roles.

To develop an understanding of leadership, diversity, and authority issues in groups.

To develop an understanding of the importance and impact of multicultural factors in groups.

To apply theory, research, and experience to other relevant group experiences.

To understand how various group formats can be therapeutic, and to identify how they are the treatment of choice for specific development issues and specific psychopathology.

Expectations:

This course has experiential learning opportunities imbedded in them that can be intense or stressful as well as enjoyable and rewarding. Therefore, students should consider if this is the right time personally to take this course in this format.

Students will not be evaluated based on their performance in the experiential sessions.

Attendance

Full class attendance is required. If a student must miss a class or potion of it, she or he must notify the instructor at the earliest possible time. Two absences (or the equivalent in tardiness or early departures) and/or failure to contact the instructor about an absence will result in either course failure or permission to withdraw from the course.

Confidentiality

All material discussed within the time boundaries of the group is to be regarded as confidential. The only exception to this rule will be when a clear danger to self or others is indicated by the shared material.

Schedule of Topics and Assignments (subject to revision)

(additional readings TBA, available online)

January 8Introduction

January 15Readings: Yalom Ch 1, 2, 3; Markus & King

January 22Readings: Yalom Ch 4, 5

January 29Readings: Yalom Ch 6, 7, 11

February 5Guest Speaker/TBA/Multicultural issues in groups

Readings: Yalom Ch 13; Bemak & Chung; Leong et al.

February 12Guest Speaker/TBA/Research issues in groups

Readings: Yalom Ch 14

February 19TBA/Specialized groups

Readings: Yalom Ch 15

MIDTERM PAPER DUE

February 26Group Experience and Discussion

March 4Group Experience and Discussion

March 11Group Experience and Discussion

‘

March 18Group Experience and Discussion

March 25Group Experience and Discussion

April 1Group Experience and Discussion

April 8Group Experience and Discussion

April 15Wrap-up

FINAL PAPER DUE

PAPERS

Journal:

In addition to reading, it is highly recommended that members keep a journal of their experience in group. This will clearly be of assistance in that it will provide a database for the final integrative paper.

MIDTERM PAPER (30%)

Details about the midterm paper will be provided in class.

FINAL PAPER (70%)

Students are asked to write an 8-10 page paper on their experience in the here-and-now portion of the course. This paper will contain two sections—one pertaining to their experience as a member of the group and one having to do with their experience co-leading the group. The function of this paper is to provide the student with an opportunity to make sense of the group in the various ways it was experienced in the class. More details on this paper will be provided in class.

Any assignments that are late will be graded at the discretion of the instructor. Partial or no credit may be awarded.

Grading Criteria

A / 100 – 93
A- / 92 – 90
B+ / 89 – 88
B / 87 – 83
B- / 82 – 80
C+ / 79 – 78
C / 77 - 73
C- / 72 – 70
D+ / 69 – 68
D / 67 – 63
D- / 62 – 60
F / 59 and below

Additional Required Readings

(available full text online)

Markus, H. E. & King, D. A. (2003). A survey of group psychotherapy training during predoctoral psychology internship. Professional Psychology, Research, and Practice, 34, 203-209.

Parcover, J. A., Dunton, E. C., Gehlert, K. M., & Mitchell, S. L. (2006). Getting the most from group counseling in college counseling centers. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 31, 37-49.

Kosters, M., Burlingame, G. M., Nachtigall, C., & Strauss, B. (2006). A meta-analytic review of the effectiveness of inpatient group psychotherapy. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 10, 146-163.

Abraham, P. P., Lepisto, B. L., & Schultz, L. (1995). Adolescents’ perceptions of process and specialty group therapy. Psychotherapy, 32, 70-76.

Leong, F. T. L., Wagner, N. S. & Kim, H. H. (1995). Group counseling expectations among Asian American students: The role of culture-specific factors. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 42, 217-222.

Bemak, F., Chung, R. C., (2004). Teaching multicultural group counseling: Perspectives for a new era. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 29, 31-41.

Additional readings TBA

Program Outcomes: The Doctoral program in Clinical Psychology at Argosy University Chicago Campus is an APA accredited program (APA, 750 First St. NE, Washington, DC20002, 202-336-5500). This program is designed to educate and train students so that they may eventually be able to function effectively as clinical psychologists. To ensure that students are prepared adequately, the curriculum provides for the meaningful integration of theory, training and practice. The Clinical Psychology program at Argosy University Chicago Campus emphasizes the development of attitudes, knowledge, and skills essential in the formation of professional psychologists who are committed to the ethical provision of quality services. Specific objectives of the program include the following:

  • Goal 1: Prepare professional psychologists to accurately, effectively, and ethically select, administer, score, interpret, and communicate findings of appropriate assessment methods informed by accepted psychometric standards and sensitive to the diverse characteristics and needs of clients.
  • Objective 1a: Accurately and ethically administer and score various psychodiagnostic instruments.
  • Objective 1b: Accurately interpret and synthesize assessment data in the context of diversity factors, referral questions, and specific objectives of the assessment, and organize and communicate results in writing and orally.
  • Objective 1c: Examine psychometric properties of psychological assessment instruments, and use that knowledge to evaluate, select, administer, and interpret psychological tests and measures appropriate for the client, the referral question, and the objectives of the assessment.
  • Goal 2: Prepare professional psychologists to select, implement, and evaluate psychological interventions consistent with current ethical, evidence-based, and professional standards, within a theoretical framework, and with sensitivity to the interpersonal processes of the therapeutic relationship and the diverse characteristics and needs of clients.
  • Objective 2a: Synthesize the foundations of clinical psychology, including psychopathology, human development, diagnosis, diversity, ethics, and various therapeutic models in clinical applications.
  • Objective 2b: Select, plan, and implement ethical and evidence-based interventions with sensitivity to the diverse characteristics and needs of clients.
  • Objective 2c: Demonstrate knowledge, skills, and attitudes to effectively implement and participate in psychological consultation and supervision.
    Objective 2d: Demonstrate personal development and self-reflective capacity, including growth of interpersonal skills, and therapeutic relationships.
  • Goal 3: Prepare professional psychologists to analyze the complexity and multidimensionality of human diversity, and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to understand diverse worldviews and the potential meaning of social, cultural, and individual differences for professional psychological services.
  • Goal 4: Prepare professional psychologists to examine the historical context and the current body of knowledge of biological, cognitive, affective, developmental, and social bases of human functioning.
  • Goal 5: Prepare professional psychologists to critically evaluate the current and evolving body of scholarly literature in psychology to inform professional practice.

The Master’s Program in Clinical Psychology has been designed to educate and train students to enter a professional career as MA level practitioners. Argosy University/Chicago Campus provides students an educational program with all the necessary theoretical and clinical elements that will allow them to be effective members of a mental health team. The program introduces students to basic clinical skills that integrate individual and group theoretical foundations of applied psychology into appropriate client interactions and intervention skills. In addition, the Program offers excellent preparation for those considering application to the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology.

Library

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

Library Resources: ArgosyUniversity’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 Detailed descriptions of online resources are located at

In addition to online resources, ArgosyUniversity’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: ArgosyUniversity’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

Academic Policies

Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism: In an effort to foster a spirit of honesty and integrity during the learning process, ArgosyUniversity 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). WashingtonDC: 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 ArgosyUniversity catalog for further information regarding academic dishonesty and plagiarism.

Scholarly writing: The faculty at ArgosyUniversity 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,” ( 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 ArgosyUniversity 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 ArgosyUniversity Statement Regarding Diversity

ArgosyUniversity 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.