Undergraduate Course: Psychological Therapies (PSYL10145)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | 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 |
| 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.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting 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
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| Academic year 2021/22, Available to all students (SV1)
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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 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| 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.
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| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- An understanding of the scientist-practitioner model and its relevance to psychological therapies.
- Knowledge of what constitutes scientific evidence and its application.
- How intervention is informed by assessment and problem formulation.
- An understanding of the historical development and legacies of psychotherapies and their current applications.
- How therapies have relevance across different clinical populations and presentations.
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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.
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| Keywords | psychology; therapies |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Mark Hoelterhoff
Tel: (0131 6)51 3969
Email: mark.hoelterhoff@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Susan Scobie
Tel: (0131 6)51 5505
Email: sscobie@ed.ac.uk |
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