Techniques in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

Class is aimed at delivering basic knowledge and experience of creating

clinical therapeutic alliance with patients in psychotherapy setting,

including use of therapy techniques and understanding basic processes

within therapeutic relationship in psychodynamic approach. Examples

used during role-plays and exercises focus on patients with depression,

anxiety and personality disorders.

Goal of the class is to walk students through basics of therapeutic practice

in psychodynamic approach, starting from establishing therapeutic

relationship, including ethics, creation of therapeutic alliance, contract,

verbal and non-verbal communication, resistance, use of therapeutic

techniques like active listening, paraphrasing, summarizing, use of specific

psychodynamic techniques like clarification, confrontation and

interpretation. Transference and countertransference will be presented

during classes as basic processes taking place in therapeutic relationship.

Each topic will be followed by practical exercises or role-plays. Role-play

cases will focus on most common patient profiles; incl. depression,

anxiety and personality disorders. Students will practice those skills on

themselves during exercises and role-plays with use of one-way mirror.

 Corey, G. (2009). Theory and Practice of Counseling and

Psychotherapy, 9th, ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole.

 European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP). (2002). Statement

of Ethical Principles of the EAP. Retrieved 10-10-2014,

http://www.europsyche.org/contents/13134/statement-ofethical-principles.

 Summers, R. F. & Barber, J. P. (2010). Psychodynamic therapy: A

guide to evidence based practice. New York: The Guilford Press.

 Shedler, J. (2010). The efficacy of psychodynamic psychotherapy.

The American Psychologist, 65 (2), 98–109.

 Caligor, E., Kernberg, O. F., Clarkin, J. F. (2007). Handbook of

dynamic psychotherapy for higher level personality pathology p.

11-36. Washington D.C.: American Psychiatric Publishing Inc.

 Manetta, C. T., Gentile, J. P., Gilling, P. M. (2011). Examining the

Therapeutic Relationship and Confronting Resistances in

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy. Innov Clin Neurosci, 8(5), 35–40.

After completing this course students should be prepared to create a

therapeutic alliance with a patient, discuss therapeutic contract, make

use of basic therapeutic skills like paraphrase, active listening,

summarizing, clarification, confrontation, interpretation. Students should

be ready to explain examples of techniques used in psychodynamic

approach. Students should also understand process of transference and

countertransference.

Assessment methods and criteria

 Home work written assignment (description of one case, patient

and techniques that should be applied)

 Task during classes (active participation in role-play simulating

scenarios where student as counselor is responsible for creating

therapeutic alliance, setting therapeutic contract, making use of

basic therapeutic techniques learnt during classes) - obligatory

but not graded

Attendance rules

Obligatory attendance: one class may be missed without excuse, as

second absence requires excuse. More than two absences result in not

passing the course.