| Unit name | Clinical Psychology |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PSYC30015 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1A (weeks 1 - 6) |
| Unit director | Professor. Leonards |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Psychological Science |
| Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
This unit provides an introduction to clinical psychology (CP) as viewed from a practitioners’ point of view. It will provide insight into OP theory and practice with its unique necessity to combine variety of different therapeutic approaches based on a combination of scientific evidence and clinical experience. The three main therapeutic models of cognitive behavioural therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy and systemic therapy will be discussed in addition to the concept of formulation — the process of synthesizing information from a variety of sources in order to understand and treat specific clinical disorders. The first ten lectures concentrate on therapeutic approaches, formulation and different areas of work, the last eight on different mental illnesses (e.g. schizophrenia, anxiety, depression etc.).
Aims:
The central aim of the unit is to provide students with a critical perspective and understanding of the foundations of clinical psychology. This option not only provides students with theoretical knowledge and concepts in this domain, but clarifies what students would have to expect from a career in clinical psychology in the UK environment. It fosters original thought because each student is invited to develop their own theoretical position on different therapeutic models and how different approaches might best fit a client’s personality, difficulties and requirements. The need to consider relations between scientific evidence in psychology and clinical practice requires students to develop an understanding of how to take research into practice. The aim is also to ensure that students do not have aspirations for a future career in the absence of sufficient understanding of what is entailed. Acceptance for formal training in Clinical Psychology requires extensive prior clinical experience (often unpaid) which is time consuming and wasteful if a clear understanding of the exact nature of the profession is not gained earlier. In short, one major function of the unit is to ensure that our students do not choose to embark upon a career choice that they may later come to regret.
Completion of the unit will provide:
18 lectures/critical issue discussion sessions and 1 tutorial (15 students per tutorial) plus one review/revision lecture at the end of the unit.
A variety of e-learning materials will be available for this unit. Undergraduate students will attend lectures in conjunction with Masters students (level 7) as described earlier but will have their own tutorials according to level 6.
Coursework: 1x 2000 word essay Examination: 1 x 2.5 hour exam Final Grade: Based on 30% coursework and 70% exam
Beinart, H., Kennedy, P., & Liewelyn, S. (2009). Clinical Psychology in Practice. Blackwell Publishing Ltd., John Wiley & Sons, U.K.
Johnstone, L., & Dallos, R. (2007). Formulation in Psychology and Psychotherapy: making sense of people’s problems. Routledge.
The two above references are textbooks written by U.K. clinical psychologists and are therefore far more applicable to the U.K. environment in which students would like to pursuit their later careers than other textbooks in the field. Much of the unit will be based upon peer reviewed scientific papers rather than any specific textbook.
