Essential of CBT and phenomenological approaches; theoretical and philosophical fundamentals of CBT and its three generations. The basic elements of brief clinical interventions. Review of the most recent CBT protocols. The role of therapeutic relationship. Analysis of clinical vignettes.
Obligatory and fundamental texts:
Melli, G. & Sica, C. Fondamenti di Psicologia e Psicoterapia Cognitivo Comportamentale. TRENTO: Erickson.
La Mela, C. (a cura di), (2016). I protocolli clinici della terapia cognitivo-comportamentale. Firenze: Maddali & Bruni.
Further optional reading:
Dettore, D., Giaquinta, N. & Pozza, A. (2019). I disturbi da comportamenti focalizzati sul corpo. Caratteristiche cliniche e strategie di intervento in terapia cognitivo-comportamentale. FIRENZE: Giunti.
Learning Objectives
Knowledge and understanding
To convey the importance of brief and empirically validated clinical interventions. To learn the basic skills of CBT. To learn the basic concepts of CBT. To illustrate the most recent CBT approaches for clinical problems. To acquire some basic listening and relationship skills. To review the difficulties of any clinical intervention and the meaning and nature of the clinical psychology work.
Applying knowledge and understanding
The course will convey the following competences and knowledges also by clinical exemplifications when deemed necessary:
- essentials of CBT;
- how to implement an assessment and a case conceptualization;
- to know and to apply the main CBT techniques to main emotional disorders.
Making judgements
Upon completion of this course students should be able to:
- understand the essentials of CBT
- recognize the signs and symptoms of emotional disorders and their cognitive bases;
- consider the complex factors that contribute to psychological and behavioral function and dysfunction, according cognitive-behavioural approach;
- recognize effective procedures for assessment;
- understand the core principles of intervention;
Communication skills
Upon completion of this course students should be able to:
- express a functional and accepting attitude towards persons with emotional disorders, useful to facilitate a good therapeutic relationship;
- express and communicate in a correct and functional way diagnosis and clinical perspectives to colleagues and patients;
- express and communicate in a correct and functional way concepts and researches in a scientific publication.
Learning skills
The course must make the students able to integrate the newly acquired knowledge with those already in their possession and with those produced by other courses, with the aim of creating useful links and connections.
Prerequisites
B.A. in Psychology
Teaching Methods
Knowledge and understanding
Lectures, also with the intervention of psychotherapists.
Applying knowledge and understanding
During the course, exercises and exemplifications will be offered about real or simulated clinical cases, so as to show how to implement the acquired theoretical knowledge.
Making judgements
During the course, a critical approach will be used in relation to analysed theories and concepts, so as to accustom students to an attitude of constant and rational discussion of concepts and theories that has been proposed in the clinical and scientific field.
Communication skills
During the course, a language will be used able to communicate the main technical terms of the discipline, but also aimed to give examples of useful communication skills that have to be differentiated in relation to colleagues and patients.
Learning skills
Lectures.
Further information
Attendance and optimal knowledge of Italian is strongly recommended
Type of Assessment
Knowledge and understanding
Oral examination
Applying knowledge and understanding
During the course, exercises will be held on real and simulated clinical cases, so that students will have the opportunities of showing their progressive learning.
Making judgements
During the examination, critical judgements will be requested about the concept exposed in the studied texts. Critical discussion of clinical cases during the examination.
Communication skills
During examination, the technical correctness of used language and also the conceptual clearness in the description of concept and theories will be evaluated.
Learning skills
During examination, the evaluation will take in account the ability to draw connections and links between concepts and theories not only within the specific course, but also between the course and concepts and theories pertinent to other preceding courses attended by students.
Course program
Brief interventions in clinical psychology aim to alleviate psychological distress and to break the vicious pathological cycles out. Since the last twenty years of past century, brief interventions have been increasingly using for their flexibility and broad applications. The course will illustrate the basic of CBT and phenomenological approaches as well as their applications. Recent developments for complex problems will be reviewed. Also, elements of therapeutic relationship management will be discussed. In general, difficulties and challenges of clinical work will be focus of attention.