Outline

Overview

This unit is an extension of unit PSTY5203 and provides an extended clinical experience supported by small group supervision and structured learning in psychodynamic practice. The focus is on the structured nature of short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy comprising assessment and dynamic formulation, initial, middle and end phases with their second patient sourced from their own workplace, or another recommended institution. The therapy will consist of weekly sessions for between 10 and 15 sessions, and audio- recorded for supervision which will focus on the micro skills of engagement and formation of the therapeutic relationship, assessment and psychodynamic formulation, identifying and processing coping mechanisms, facilitation of affect expression, transference and countertransference, with trauma in mind, the use of affective language, maintenance of the frame and contract. Development of reflective practice, ethical conduct and diligent self-care is aimed for.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	PSTY5204
Academic unit	Brain and Mind Science
Credit points	3
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	PSTY5201 and PSTY5203
Assumed knowledge ?	This unit assumes a working clinical knowledge of basic counselling and mental health, commensurate with a clinician having worked 2 or more years in a setting with general health counselling or mental health clients
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Joan Haliburn, joan.haliburn@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Presentation	Clinical VIVA Examination (Oral examination) Clinical VIVA Examination (Oral examination)	25%	Formal exam period	30 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Case study - initial draft Written assignment	10%	Week 07 Due date: 18 Sep 2022 at 23:59	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Final case study Written assignment	25%	Week 13 Due date: 06 Nov 2022 at 23:59	3000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Seminar participation Seminar participation	10%	Weekly	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Supervision Supervision	20%	Weekly	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Small continuous assessment	Weekly discussion boards Answer questions in weekly discussion boards (50-100 words )	10%	Weekly	50-100 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Discussion boards: Students are required to participate in discussion boards for each module. You will need to address the question and topic for each week which will remain open until Wednesday the following week. Every week, each student is expected to make a post of 50- 100 words.
Supervision: Supervision will take place on a weekly basis, trainees are required to see one new patient for this unit, sourced from their own practice/place of work to present at weekly supervision in the following manner:

A summary of the last session
Two important points about changes made
A comment about the therapeutic relationship and the therapist’s subjective experience of the patient
Supervision of audio-recording
Maintenance of the supervision rubric

Case Study: Case history
- (initial 2000 words)
- (final 3000 words)
Clinical and Oral Examination (Viva) Assessment, Formulation and conduct of therapy will be prioritized

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

All assignments must be submitted by the due date. Students are expected to manage their time and to prioritise tasks to meet deadlines. Assessment items submitted after the due date without an approved extension using a special consideration or special arrangement form or request will incur penalties. The Assessment Procedures 2011 provide that any written work submitted after 11:59pm on the due date will be penalized by 5% of the maximum awardable mark for each calendar day after the due date. (e.g. if the assignment is worth 40 marks, the penalty is 2 marks per day late) until the mark reaches 50% of the maximum mark (e.g. 20 marks if the maximum is 40 marks). Assignments that are not of a pass standard will not have marks deducted and will fail regardless. • Assignments submitted more than 10 days late without prior approval from the unit of study coordinator will be given a zero (0) mark. However, a unit of study may prohibit late submission or waive late penalties only if expressly stated below.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Multiple weeks	Weekly grand rounds - 1 hr/week	Independent study (13 hr)
	Weekly supervisions (60-90 min/week)	Clinical practice (19.5 hr)
	Weekly online modules and readings	Independent study (40 hr)
Week 01	Using STDIP when there is a history of trauma	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 02	The Good-bye-Letter	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 03	STDIP in cases of self-harm and suicidal ideation	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 04	Somatic symptom Presentations	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 05	Managing Depression in STDIP	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 06	Grief and Loss in STDIP	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 07	STDIP in chronic physical and mental illness – life changing diagnoses	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 08	Maintenance of an ethical attitude	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 09	STDIP in crisis situations	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 10	The research evidence	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 11	Short-term therapy in older adults	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 12	Final case study discussion	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 13	Short-term therapy in adolescents	Seminar (1 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Grand rounds

Students are required to attend a weekly one-hour presentations during the semester by faculty or invited speakers on topics of interest and relevance to Trauma-informed Psychotherapy.

Weekly seminars

Pre-seminar readings and recordings will be available for you to read along with relevant literature for each weekly, one-hour seminar. These seminars will deal with advanced topics in STDIP including specific disorders amenable to treatment by STDIP. Marks will be given for active discussion.

The therapy

You will offer weekly 50 -minute sessions over the required time, using the skills you have learned in semester 1 and following the guidelines as previously.

Supervision

Will be conducted in small groups of 2 to 3 over an hour on a weekly basis. It will focus as before on your skills and use of language in doing an assessment, providing a formulation and outlining how you will conduct the therapy. Your ability to establish a contract collaboratively and conduct the sessions over its three phases to ending, with a goodbye letter will be noted. Your improved ability to conduct STDIP with this second patient will be particularly noted. The supervision rubric must be maintained and marked.

Other requirements

Students must submit a genuine attempt for every assessment and earn an average mark of at least 50% for the unit as a whole.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 3 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 60-75 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Haliburn, J., & Author. (2018). An Integrated Approach to Short-Term Dynamic Interpersonal Psychotherapy: A Clinician’s
Guide (First edition.). Boca Raton, FL, Routledge
Meares, R., & Author. (2012). Borderline Personality Disorder and the Conversational Model: A Clinician’s Manual. W. W.
Norton & Company. Inc. N.Y.
Hobson, R., (1985). Forms of Feeling: The heart of psychotherapy. (First edition.). London, Routledge

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. describe the essential principles of STDIP and be able to communicate it to patients
LO2. discuss the key criteria for applying STDIP, taking into account trauma history
LO3. demonstrate a good understanding of techniques, process and structure of STDIP
LO4. demonstrate an awareness of therapist competencies required and patient suitability
LO5. demonstrate familiarity with a trauma-informed assessment and the phase approach
LO6. understand the importance of the therapeutic relationship
LO7. recognise the role of anxiety and coping mechanisms in maintaining homeostasis
LO8. demonstrate a succinct psychodynamic formulation
LO9. identify problems, prioritise and arrive at a focus of work with the patient
LO10. identify transference and countertransference
LO11. utilise transference interventions
LO12. recognise the role that coping mechanisms play, develop the capacity to facilitate affect expression and understand the role of relational difficulties in symptom formation
LO13. use the model satisfactorily in different symptom presentations
LO14. tailor the model to suit dyadic therapy with parent/infant/child, if relevant to the trainees’ work
LO15. identify separation anxiety and manage it at different stages of STDIP
LO16. write a helpful good-bye letter towards the end of therapy
LO17. demonstrate the capacity to end therapy appropriately and be cognisant of ethics
LO18. demonstrate an adequate knowledge of psychopathologies commonly encountered
LO19. demonstrate the required competencies in short term dynamic psychotherapy
LO20. organise further/on-going treatment, review, or top-up of therapy appropriately
LO21. write a brief account of the therapy with two patients
LO22. demonstrate the capacity to write an assessment and a succinct dynamic formulation for each patient
LO23. write a clinical case history describing an important aspect of the therapy.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

We value your feedback about any aspect of the unit of study and your experience as a student of Sydney Medical School. To help ensure our courses meet your needs and maintain a high standard, we welcome your feedback at any time and we ask you to complete the Mid-Semester Evaluation Survey and the unit of study Evaluation Survey at the end of the semester. You can also rate any component of the unit using our star rating system found at the bottom of many pages as you progress through the unit. Your ratings and comments are anonymous and specifying what you liked and didn’t like about any of the learning materials, assessment items, discussion forums, feedback etc will help us to target our improvement efforts. Please note that your participation in this unit of study permits de-identified information about your learning experience and interaction with learning resources to be used for the purpose of improving the student learning experience.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

PSTY5204: Practising Psychodynamic Psychotherapy B

Semester 2, 2022 [Online] - Westmead, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect