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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2024/2025

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Health in Social Science : Clinical Psychology

Postgraduate Course: Clinical Psychology 1 (CLPS12034)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Health in Social Science CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 12 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits40 ECTS Credits20
SummaryThis course is mandatory for all DClinPsychol first year postgraduate students. Students will develop a critical overview of the application of clinical psychology to a wide range of psychological disorders, with a focus on adult mental health, intellectual disability and physical health settings. The course also includes an introduction to neuropsychology and working in forensic settings.
Course description Academic Description

Students will receive knowledge-based sessions, leading to a critical analysis and understanding of the principal theories and practices typically used with service users in the above settings. Sstudents will receive practical training on using therapeutic skills most often encountered in these specialisms and will be taught sufficient awareness and understanding of these skills and knowledge to be able to apply them to novel problems and circumstances. Throughout CP1 there will be a particular focus on the development of clinical competencies including engagement, assessment, formulation, treatment, and evaluation. The teaching also aims to deliver a detailed grounding in relevant issues in client, clinical work, service, legislation, and professional areas. Controversies and debates within the specialisms will be explored and trainees will be expected to reflect upon these and reach independent, defensible conclusions regarding their own practice.

Students will attend in blocks of teaching and monthly teaching days. The teaching is a mixture of face-to-face, online, and blended delivery. Students also have dedicated study time during this course during which they are expected to be studying towards the course learning outcomes, and for Research 1 learning outcomes.

Outline Content

Engagement, assessment, formulation, and treatment in relation to working age adults with a range of psychological difficulties ranging from common presentations in primary care through to complex and 'comorbid' psychopathology. Assessment and management of risk. Awareness of the evidence base and UK, including specific to Scottish, policy. Social, cultural, and historical perspectives to conceptualising mental health problems. Developmental and recovery approaches to adult mental health and critical psychology.

Engagement, assessment, formulation, and treatment in relation to service users with intellectual disabilities, their families and care systems. Awareness of evidence-based practice and the prevalence, classification, rights, social and developmental issues, philosophical issues. Service issues e.g., stigma, equity, multi-disciplinary team working, legislation & policy.

The application of psychological theories and approaches to health care, particularly to individuals with chronic health conditions e.g., oncology, coronary heart disease, stroke, HIV, chronic pain, chronic fatigue etc. Includes sessions on substance misuse. Interventions to prevent or reduce further illness; health promotion; improve adherence. Working with other healthcare professionals. Communication in healthcare settings.

Introduction to neuropsychology and working in forensic settings.

Professional issues, consultancy, leadership, reflective practice, strategy and policy, teamwork, the professional body. A consideration of the inherent power imbalance between practitioners and clients, the impact of one's own value base on clinical practice, and the impact of difference, diversity and social inequalities on the expression of clinical problems and the implications of this for clinical practice.

Student Learning Experience

This course uses significant elements of on campus teaching/workshops and distance participation. Some sessions are live in Edinburgh (classroom-based activities), some involve self-directed eLearning activities, and other sessions will make use of synchronous video conferencing (VC). The teaching is a mix of didactic, discussion based and clinical skills workshops. Self-directed eLearning sessions tend to focus on engagement in written or video recorded media, eLearning tools and online discussion groups. For online sessions a blended flipped classroom approach is often utilised combining self-directed eLearning activities followed by an online synchronous session using video conferencing.

Student learning is evidenced by the production of a 4000 - 6000 word case conceptualisation, based upon clinical practice relevant to this area. Marking criteria and detailed guidance on the case conceptualisation is available in the course handbook, in the Programme Academic Handbook.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2024/25, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  None
Course Start Full Year
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 400 ( Lecture Hours 200, Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 45, Feedback/Feedforward Hours 5, Formative Assessment Hours 5, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 8, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 137 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) An extended case conceptualisation, which will include a review and critique of relevant literature as it relates to an outline of a clinical case study, and the critical reflection of outcome and process of the case described.
Feedback Summative Feedback

Feedback and provisional marks will be returned to trainees through Turnitin once all work has been returned from markers and the results collated. All coursework will be returned with detailed feedback and comments.

Formative Feedback



During CP1, trainees will participate in role-play during clinical skills workshops and engage in seminar discussions. Some sessions will also take the form of problem-based learning, in which trainees will work in small groups before feeding back their findings (verbally or via e-learning) to the whole group. Lecturers, workshop facilitators and peers will provide formative feedback on trainee's contributions to these elements of training.

Trainees are expected to provide their supervisors with a copy of the case conceptualisation. Preferably a copy of the feedback should be sent to supervisors, though at minimum an email or telephone call conveying the general feedback should be provided.
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate a critical, detailed, and reflective understanding of the main theories, principles and concepts relating to the adult mental health, learning disability and health psychology specialties, including assessment, formulation, treatment, and evaluation.
  2. Apply the concepts, theories, and principles of the above specialties in an integrated, critical, ethical, and professional way in clinical practice.
  3. Apply the knowledge and competencies learned to develop creative and original responses to clinical problems and issues.
  4. Analyse, synthesise and evaluate the taught material and apply it to dealing with complex and novel situations and issues in an informed and reflective way.
Reading List
Detailed reading lists are available in the Academic Handbook here:

http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/health/clinical-psychology/studying/resources/doctorate-resources

Prioritised references are:

Beck, A. T., Rush, A. J., Shaw, B. F., & Emery, G. (1979). Cognitive therapy of depression. New York: Guilford Press.
Wells, A. (1997). Cognitive therapy of anxiety disorders: A practice manual and conceptual guide. Chichester: Wiley.
Briere & Scott (2006) Principles of Trauma Therapy and Treatment: a guide to symptoms, evaluation, and treatment. SAGE Publications.
Emerson, E., Dickson, K., Gone, R., Hatton, C., Bromley, J. & Caine, A. (Eds.) (2012). Clinical Psychology and People with Intellectual Disabilities 2nd Edition. Chichester: Wiley & Sons.
Taylor, J., Lindsay, W., Hastings, R. & Hatton, C. (Eds.) (2013). Psychological Therapies for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities. Chichester: Wiley & Sons.
Bennett P (2000) Introduction to Clinical Health Psychology. Open University Press. Bowling A. (2005) Measuring Health. Open University Press
Michie and Abraham (2004) Health Psychology in Practice. BPS Blackwell.
Ogden, J., (2012) Health Psychology: A Textbook. Open University Press.
White, C., (2001) Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy for Chronic Medical Problems
Additional Information
Course URL https://www.ed.ac.uk/health/subject-areas/clinical-psychology/postgraduate-taught/doctorate
Graduate Attributes and Skills Students that successfully pass this course will have demonstrated the required knowledge and understanding of clinical psychological work with the above client groups.
They will further possess the attitudes, qualities and skills that are considered basic and introductory to working with these client groups.
KeywordsClinical Psychology,Psychological Disorders,Assessment,Formulation,Intervention,Evaluation
Contacts
Course organiserDr Fay Huntley
Tel:
Email: fay.huntley@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMr Timothy Abbot
Tel: (0131 6)50 8498
Email: Tim.Abbot@ed.ac.uk
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