Outline

Overview

This unit explores the way human beings grow in sensitive and responsive relationships but are broken down by trauma - acute, chronic and complex. We begin by exploring the way early relational experiences develop personal organization and stress regulation in the infant and set up patterns of how a person rests, loves, plays and works, sometimes for a lifetime. Students will study research in human development to examine early development and healthy adaptation as the dyadic interaction known as the proto-conversation repeats thousands of times to establish of attachment states of mind and relational schemas. Patterns that foster a sense of self and those traumatic experiences that lead to dissociation and consequent disruption and constriction of the self will be described, including child sexual abuse. Students will reflect on personal and clinical experience to consider the way people adapt to stress and trauma and the ways the therapeutic relationship might mirror early relationships. We will describe the traumatic range of experience in acute and complex trauma and consider the hierarchical nature of consciousness, regulation and protection and the consequent need for a phase-based approach to trauma treatment. Students will apply the concepts to case studies within their area of practice.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	PSTY5205
Academic unit	Brain and Mind Science
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Loyola McLean, loyola.mclean@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Anthony Korner, anthony.korner@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Small continuous assessment	Weekly Discussion Participation / Boards Post and reply required weekly Refer to Canvas for further information.	30%	-	Weekly
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Final - Adult Attachment Interview OR Developmental Case Study Final submission incorporating feedback	40%	STUVAC Due date: 13 Nov 2022 at 23:59	3000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Quiz 1 MCQ	10%	Week 04 Due date: 28 Aug 2022 at 23:59	60 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	DRAFT - Adult Attachment Interview OR Developmental Case Study Initial draft Adult Attachment Interview OR Developmental Case Study	10%	Week 08 Due date: 25 Sep 2022 at 23:59	3000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Quiz 2 MCQ/Short answer	10%	Week 12 Due date: 30 Oct 2022 at 23:59	120 minutes
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Discussion participation / boards: open at start of each week. You are required to make your first post and 2 responses by the due dates. Refer to Canvas for the due dates. NB: 10 needed for full participation
Quiz 1 – 20 MCQs
Quiz 2 – 15 MCQs and 5 short answers question
Initial (draft) major submission: Initial submission for feedback. Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) OR Developmental Case Study.

Option 1. AAI, would involve doing an AAI, ideally a normative one, and then for the first task transcribing it and reflecting on the process for the interviewer and interviewee and an initial reflection on the experiences, the discourse and the adaptive and any traumatic states of mind. The final would then be a corrected transcription and a detailed reflection on the experiences, the discourse and the adaptive and any traumatic states of mind that incorporates feedback.

Option2. A developmental case study option would mean taking a clinical case and offering a rich attachment, trauma and adaptation history, formulation and management plan with a reflection on how this approach shifts TAU (treatment as usual) (or informs it if it is usual practice).

Final major submission – Final submission incorporating feedback. Adult Attachment Interview OR Developmental Case Study

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

Assessment (Handbook)

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.

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.

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 the following penalties: • Late assignments that have not been granted extensions and are of a standard to receive a pass or higher mark will attract a penalty of 5% of the maximum mark per day (or part thereof) late including weekend days (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 not be accepted and will be given a zero (0) mark.

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)	Lecture (13 hr)
Multiple weeks	Online weekly modules and group participation in the (Zoom) tutorial and discussion boards.	Individual study (120 hr)
Week 01	Call and Response: The importance of positive contingent connection.	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 02	Attachment and Trauma A: The birth of a theory; Infant patterns of organization and traumatic disorganization.	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 03	Attachment and Trauma B: Adult patterns of organization and disorganisations	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 04	Individuation: The relational story of becoming a self.	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 05	Bereavement and Loss	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 06	Forms of Coping, their sequelae and breakdown.	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 07	Attachment and psychotherapy: Healing disorganisation and promoting integration.	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 08	Thinking about the story: putting together an AAI or a Case Study	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 09	Shared understandings: Evaluating and Communicating the evidence base and collaborating on a formulation.	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 10	How does it fit with recovery and TIC?	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 11	Individuation: retelling the older stories of development	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 12	Self is not a given: Our own need for restoration and repair.	Seminar (1 hr)
Week 13	Attachment and trauma: considering our responses around theory and goodbyes.	Seminar (1 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

There is a weekly seminar (1 hour) and online modules (average 9 hours per week). In addition, you are required to attend a weekly 1 hour lecture ThinkTank Grand Rounds that is common to this and other units of study in the M Med/Sci Med (TIP) program. Students are also expected to keep up with prescribed reading, participate in discussion boards and complete assignments as specified.

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 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Meares, R. (2005). Metaphor of Play, Third edition, London Routledge.
Meares, R., Bendit, N., Haliburn, J., Korner, A., Mears & Butt, D. (2012). Borderline Personality Disorder and the Conversational Model: A Clinician’s Manual. Sydney. Norton.
Siegel, D. (2020) The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact To Shape Who We Are. 3rd edition. New York: Guilford.

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. understand and apply concepts of the early relational development of self, biopsychosocial regulation and the capacities for communication, collaboration and reflection.
LO2. describe sensitive and responsive attunement and relational repair and its importance, seen in the protoconversation and different stages of infant development and describe the sequelae of misattunement.
LO3. describe the way attachments develop over time and identify the patterns observed in the Strange Situation procedure for infants and attachment states of mind observed in the Adult Attachment Interview.
LO4. describe the development of forms of coping and life stage challenges across a lifespan.
LO5. describe the way the attachment system connects but is separate from the other systems of regulation and function such as the fear cascade, companionship, play, sexual function, dominance and care-giving.
LO6. describe and reflect on the range of experience in loss and acute, chronic and complex trauma including disruptions and adaptations and the development of resilience and post-traumatic growth.
LO7. understand and formulate the way breakdowns in coping, organisation and regulation can lead to health presentations, considering likely causes and targets for interventions.
LO8. reflect on the ways therapeutic relationships can mirror early care-giving relationships but differ from them.
LO9. consider the hierarchical and systemic nature of consciousness, regulation and protection and the consequent need for an integrative, multimodal, phase-based approach to trauma treatment.
LO10. discuss how attachment and trauma theory are relevant to a psychodynamic approach in psychotherapy and to a person-centred, recovery-focused and trauma-informed approach to treatment.
LO11. effectively evaluate the relevant theory and evidence base of attachment, human development and trauma and communicate it to clinicians, consumers and carers.
LO12. apply concepts of development, trauma, and adaptation and self-regulation to psychodynamic concepts and to assessment, formulation and management plans in case studies within the student’s area of practice.

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

PSTY5205: Growth, Trauma and Adaptation

Semester 2, 2022 [Normal day] - 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