Self directed experience/Therapeutic Skills Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - cognitive behavioural therapy, 3 credits

Passing the “Psykoterapi under handledning samt arbetsplatsförlagd praktik 3 – KBT” (“Psychotherapy under supervision and applied practice 3 – CBT”) course.

On completion of the course, the student is expected to: Knowledge and understanding Be able to account in detail for the significance of theories and therapist variables in the therapy situation. Be able to account in detail for methods for continuously noting and describing the quality of their own therapist behaviour and professional role in relation to effects on the patient in the therapy situation. Be able to critically review and reflect on research and theories about the relevance of understanding the patient’s experiences and perspective within the psychotherapeutic process. Be able to critically review and reflect on research and theories about the professional development of therapists and the profession-specific risks and problems they face. Skills and abilities Demonstrate an ability to review their own therapeutic behaviour, compare this with what research and theories state is desirable, and take actions to meet an identified development need. Show ability to reflect over the own experience of the application of psychotherapeutic interventions from both psychotherapist - and patient role. Values and attitudes Be able to review and reflect on their own values that may affect their own professional practice, including formulating in behavioural terms what it means not to discriminate against people on the grounds of their gender, ethnic origin, religion or other declaration of faith, sexual orientation or disability.

Teaching takes place individually and in groups. The course consists of five sections with different pedagogical focuses in order to develop within those aspects that are known in research as therapist variables, the role of the therapist and gaining one’s own experience of therapeutic techniques, as well as acquiring methods for developing one’s own therapist role. The course consists of five parts: i) Lectures about the role of the therapist, the evidential situation in relation to therapist behaviour and therapist development, professional context such as journals and conferences, and professional risks. ii) Individual mentoring discussions. The aim of these discussions is to formulate, clarify and monitor individual objectives for the education, one’s own prioritisation and scheduling. This should lead to a written development plan for the student, which includes procedures for self-registration and improving variables in the professional role. Mentoring discussions are prepared for by the student drawing up a preliminary plan in advance, which is sent to the mentor. During the mentoring discussions, the mentor and the student should jointly identify and clarify the therapist variables that the student believes he or she needs to develop and/or the other aspects relating to the therapist role and therapist behaviour where the student has noted that change needs to be initiated. They should also monitor and evaluate the fulfilment of objectives together on a regular basis, and revise – and, if necessary, add to – the student’s development objectives. iii) Practice groups. These include both theories about therapist variables and demonstrations and exercises in group format. Students follow their own development in therapist variables by giving each other positive feedback in group supervision on recorded patient sessions. The student selects a suitable twenty minute long extract from a patient discussion before each practice group. This selection is transcribed and coded by the student in accordance with a psychometrically validated system. One discussion during term 1 and one during term 6 are coded by independent coders. IV) Communication skills. In various exercises, students should practise describing their own non-verbal signals to patients in therapy sessions and the hypothetical effect of these signals on the patient. V) V) Own experience of therapeutic technique (experiential). Students should apply certain techniques that are common in psychotherapy on themselves in order to strengthen their empathic and pedagogical ability. Experiential learning (self-experience exercises) focuses on practical training of various skills and psychotherapeutic methods that are suitable for promoting pedagogical proficiency.skills.

Teaching takes place in the form of lectures, group exercises, seminars and individual discussions.

All attendance is mandatory. Students will not pass in the event of more than 20% absence. In the event of absence of no more than 20%, students will be given substitute tasks for those instances of teaching that they have missed. Students who fail are entitled to repeat the course on one occasion. The following are required in order to pass the course: 1) 1) Active participation in the various parts of the course and meeting the attendance requirement of at least 80%. 2) 2) Passing a written examination in theories and research findings of relevance to the course. 3) 3) Students formulating, evaluating and revising their own written development plans together with their mentors. 4) 4) Students coding at least two session extracts and passing at least one session extract in relation to therapist variables (capacity for empathy, being able to support the patient’s autonomy, being able to promote cooperation with the patient, steering the therapy session and being able to coax out the patient’s perspective and strengthen the patient’s expression of the desire to change), coded by independent coders.

An examination will be made available for a period of one year in the event of the course being discontinued or a new course syllabus being devised.

Course evaluation will be carried out in accordance with the guidelines established by the Board of Education. Each student must submit confirmation from his or her employer demonstrating that the student has been employed on a part-time basis with psychotherapeutic work tasks in psychiatric care or equivalent duties during the term in question.