This module aims to enhance and further strengthen students theoretical and practice based understanding of psychodynamic observation and the skills and qualities involved. In addition students will continue to develop professional skills involved in assessment and case presentation.
Students will learn to apply their growing grasp of psychodynamic theory to everyday professional encounters and to develop their appreciation of the role of unconscious and emotional communication in working life. They will hone their perception and receptivity in terms of detail and develop their sensitivity to what they observe and the importance of noticing their own emotional responses. It will enable them to reflect on their own process in observations and in groups and to become more self aware. They will become increasingly alert to the conscious and unconscious ways in which their capacity to observe and participate in learning is influenced by their experiences, and the way their own self awareness affects their capacity to provide therapeutic care to others.
As in year 1, students will continue developing a psychodynamic approach to reflective practice by attending Reflective Groups, maintaining a Reflective Journal and, as a specific end of year assignment, writing a Reflective Report. These activities encourage and support the conscious use of self, self awareness, in social and professional relationships, the experience of learning from action and a recognition of oneself as a participant observer in different contexts. The reflective components bring the theoretical learning into the personhood of the student and thus more effectively into actual practice.
Aims
To develop a keener eye for the detail of human behaviour and interaction
To increase awareness of the role of emotional communication and the unconscious in everyday events and encounters
To understand the application of psychodynamic concepts and insights to all aspects of human experience
To deepen their capacity to use psychodynamic observation as a key skill in psychodynamic practice
To develop employability skills related to psychodynamic assessment and case presentation and reflective practice
To establish a reflective space for acknowledging and processing the emotional and psychological implications of the material studied on this course
Learning Outcomes
Greater ability to observe detail and to perceive subtle indications of emotional and unconscious dynamics
Familiarity with the role of conscious and unconscious mechanisms in relationships
Awareness of the use of psychodynamic observation in work with clients
The capacity to apply psychodynamic thinking to everyday professional encounters
An enhanced capacity to reflect on ones own process in the observing and in the learning contexts
To be increasingly reflectve and recognise the relationship between self awareness and therapeutic care
- Module Supervisor: Chris Tanner