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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2021/2022

Information in the Degree Programme Tables may still be subject to change in response to Covid-19

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences : Psychology

Undergraduate Course: Psychological Therapies (PSYL10145)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryClinical Psychologists adhere to a Scientist-Practitioner model, using evidence-based treatments for people suffering mental illness and using interventions to promote mental well-being. This course examines current practice in psychological therapies, and the research which informs this. Attention will be paid to claims about evidence and its application in diverse clinical settings and populations
Course description Clinical Psychologists adhere to a Scientist-Practitioner model, using evidence-based treatments for people suffering mental illness and using interventions to promote mental well-being. This course examines current practice in psychological therapies, and the research which informs this. Attention will be paid to claims about evidence and its application in diverse clinical settings and populations.

This will include: a critical examination of a competency and evidence-based approach to psychological therapies and a discussion of the research designs which underpin clinical and therapeutic practice; understanding of the historical development and legacies of psychotherapies and their current applications; The foundational psychodynamic approaches and the evidence based interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT); the emergence of behavioural and cognitive science towards the development on modern Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT); other evidence based individual and systemic therapies; understanding creative and technology-mediated delivery of mental health services; the influence of modern neuroscience; integrated approaches to mental well-being.
Skills developed within this course include critical analysis of what constitutes "evidence"; an ability to understand how clinical judgements are formed; the ability to differentiate between different theoretical psychological models and why they have influenced service delivery; an understanding of practitioner psychology as a discipline.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Students MUST have passed: Psychology 2A (PSYL08011) AND Psychology 2B (PSYL08012)
Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesVisiting students should be studying Psychology as their degree major, and have completed at least 3 Psychology courses at grade B or above. We will only consider University/College level courses. Applicants should note that, as with other popular courses, meeting the minimum does NOT guarantee admission. **Please note that upper level Psychology courses are high-demand, meaning that they have a very high number of students wishing to enrol in a very limited number of spaces.** These enrolments are managed strictly by the Visiting Student Office, in line with the quotas allocated by the department, and all enquiries to enrol in these courses must be made through the CAHSS Visiting Student Office. It is not appropriate for students to contact the department directly to request additional spaces.
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2021/22, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  0
Course Start Semester 2
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Lecture Hours 20, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 176 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Mid-course MCQ test 30%
The assessment will comprise 40 MCQ questions with five response options each and will be completed on-line.

End of course essay 70%
2500 word essay on topic set by the course organiser.
Feedback The mid-term MCQ test is a summative assessment (so the mark will provide numerical feedback as to grade). Also, as the MCQ test is designed to assess foundational knowledge about the course topic, performance on the MCQ test will provide formative feedback as to whether students have a good grasp of the foundations or need to do some more study to consolidate knowledge and provide the necessary basis for more advanced parts of the course to follow.
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. An understanding of the scientist-practitioner model and its relevance to psychological therapies.
  2. Knowledge of what constitutes scientific evidence and its application.
  3. How intervention is informed by assessment and problem formulation.
  4. An understanding of the historical development and legacies of psychotherapies and their current applications.
  5. How therapies have relevance across different clinical populations and presentations.
Reading List
None
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Research & Enquiry:
Provide clear, well-organised arguments concerning the development of psychological therapies and the research evidence which underpins them, how they are applied and the challenges of specific problem presentations, clinical populations and therapeutic contexts.

Personal & Intellectual Autonomy:
Ability to read texts critically, with an awareness of the assumptions and attitudes that underlie them and underpin interpretation.
The ability to work independently.

Communication skills
Communicate effectively with other people, using verbal and written means.
Keywordspsychology; therapies
Contacts
Course organiserDr Mark Hoelterhoff
Tel: (0131 6)51 3969
Email: mark.hoelterhoff@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMiss Susan Scobie
Tel: (0131 6)51 5505
Email: sscobie@ed.ac.uk
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