Personal and Professional Development in Systemic Clinical Psychology

Recommended Prerequisites

It is recommended to attend, with approval, the 1st semester of this master's course. The student must have good knowledge of English (reading) since many bibliographic references are in English.

Teaching Methods

Eminently practical and experiential teaching using discussion of clinical cases and other clinical materials (e.g., videos, clinical vignettes) articulated with active methods (e.g., simulation of therapeutic sessions) for skills training and experiencing movement and self-references processes. Thus, this unit functions as a "laboratory" of clinical work with the classes taking place in FPCE therapeutic setting, which allows the participation and/or observation of simulated sessions, as well as the audio-visual recording of the role-plays, allowing an efective training of clinical skills.

Learning Outcomes

The unit, taught according to an integrative model of family therapy, Curiosity Therapy (Relvas, 2003), has the overall objective to develop in students a professional identity as systemic family therapists. Students should acquire practical skills on how to manage therapeutic processes and professional practice. They should also be able to assess the role of personal values, beliefs and interpersonal relational style in therapy work, as well as how personal and family history shapes their clinical practice. They must learn how to use their self in therapy. They should acquire skills associated with legal and ethical issues related to therapeutic practice through a family and systemic perspective.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. Introduction: a) ethical, aesthetic and pragmatic standards in systemic clinical psychology; b) ethical and legal issues.

2. Skills training for individual, couple and family interview: a) rrom the creation and maintenance of the therapeutic context to the definition of the omnidirected therapeutic relationship; b) structuring the interview and ongoing relationship intervention-assessment; c) co-therapy - pitfalls and potential; d) supervision.

3. Training techniques to promote systemic change: a) the co-construction of change - negotiating objectives, applying the techniques resulting from different models; b) particular aspects - use of circular questions, metaphors and analogical language, reframing and deconstruction, reflecting team and "as if"; creativity and sense of humor.

4. The person of the therapist: a) resonances and personal work on the therapist’s origin family; b) the therapist-client setting; c) discovering the therapist's personal style, skills and attitudes.

Head Lecturer(s)

Luciana Maria Lopes Sotero

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Trabalho de grupo com a análise clínica de um vídeo de uma sessão terapêutica simulada (e.g., hipótese sistémica, condução da sessão, aliança terapêutica): 30.0%
Individual written work with reflective analysis of the personal genogram or family genealogy: 30.0%
Individual written tests (mini-tests) at the end of each thematic unit of the Program: 40.0%

Bibliography

Anderson, H. (2012). Collaborative relationships and dialogic conversations: Ideas for a relationally responsive practice. Family Process, 51, 8-24.

Ausloos, G. (1999). A competência das famílias: tempo, caos e processos. Climepsi.

Relvas, A. P. (2003). Por detrás do espelho. Da teoria à terapia com a família. Quarteto.

Roberts, J. (2005). Transparency and self-disclosure in family therapy: Dangers and possibilities. Family Processs, 44, 45-63.

Sotero, L., Cunha, D., Silva, J., Escudero, V., & Relvas, A. P. (2017). Building alliances with (in)voluntary clients: A study focused on therapists’ observable behaviors. Family Process, 56, 819-834.

Tomm, K. (1987). Interventive interviewing: Part II. Reflexive questioning as a means to enable self-healing. Family Process, 26, 167-183.

Zatloukal, L., Žákovský, D., & Bezdíčková, E. (2019). Utilizing Metaphors in Solution-Focused Therapy. Contemporary Family Therapy, 41, 24-36.