Postgraduate Course: Psychological Approaches to Psychosis (CLPS11062)
Course Outline
| School | School of Health in Social Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The course provides an intensive introduction to working psychologically with individuals distressed by psychotic experience. Psychological Approaches to Psychosis is suited only to DClinPsychol trainees, suitably qualified students on the part-time MSc in Psychological Therapies or suitably qualified visiting students who wish to develop further expertise with this population. The course provides a mix of seminar-based teaching and 'masterclass' clinical workshops requiring a high degree of participation. In addition to reviewing and critically appraising relevant psychological literature pertaining to this client group, there will be a particular focus on acquiring clinical skills in assessment, formulation and interventions as applied to this population. |
| Course description |
Teaching content includes:
Introduction to Psychological Approaches to Psychosis
Assessment workshop
Goal setting, problem lists and formulation workshop
CBTp workshop (normalizing, hallucinations, delusions)
Affect regulation/recovery/attachment
Negative symptoms and social recovery
Family Interventions workshop
Lived experience and carer's perspective seminars
Cognitive Interpersonal Therapy for Bipolar Disorder Workshop
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | The course is only open to students on the part-time MSc in Psychological Therapies programme who are suitably qualified health professionals (e.g. psychologist, nursing, OT, psychiatrist) who have existing experience (minimum 6 months) of working psychological with individuals with psychosis and knowledge/experience of CBT as well as students registered on the DClinPsychol programme. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students must be suitably qualified health professionals (e.g. psychologist, nursing, OT, psychiatrist) who have existing experience (minimum 6 months) of working psychological with individuals with psychosis and knowledge/experience of CBT. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
| Course Start Date |
11/01/2027 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 18,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 7,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 20,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
151 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
A written assignment based on clinical case material which will be one case study of 4,000 words (100%) |
| Feedback |
Participation in role play is required during the face-to-face teaching component. Formative feedback will be provided by tutors and peers during role play sessions. Participants will also be required to engage in analysis of the content of video role plays. Discussions will be facilitated by tutors who will provide feedback to the cohort. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of a developmentally informed psychopathological approach to psychosis and enduring mental health problems.
- Demonstrate an awareness of the wider socio-cultural and systemic context in which these difficulties present, including the differing perspectives of service-users and carers, and the different theoretical frameworks that are evident in the multidisciplinary/multiagency setting.
- Demonstrate an ability to identify gaps in psychological knowledge in this field and develop ways of advancing psychological knowledge within NHS settings.
- Demonstrate an understanding of how established psychotherapeutic approaches for psychosis (e.g. cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis, cognitive interpersonal therapy and family interventions) are applied to assessment, formulation and treatment, including how these approaches may differ from their application to more common disorders such as anxiety and depression.
- Demonstrate competencies in specified models of psychological therapies for psychosis, for example, cognitive-behavioural therapy for psychosis (CBTp) and cognitive interpersonal therapy.
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Reading List
Brabban, A., Byrne, R., Longden, E., & Morrison, A. P. (2017). The importance of human relationships, ethics and recovery-orientated values in the delivery of CBT for people with psychosis. Psychosis, 9(2), 157-166.
Freeman, D. (2016). Persecutory delusions: a cognitive perspective on understanding and treatment. The Lancet Psychiatry, 3(7), 685-692.
Gumley, A., & Schwannauer, M. (2006). Staying well after psychosis: A cognitive interpersonal approach to recovery and relapse prevention. John Wiley & Sons.
Harder, S. (2014). Attachment in Schizophrenia¿implications for research, prevention, and Treatment. Schizophrenia bulletin, 40(6), 1189-1193.
Lincoln, T. M., & Pedersen, A. (2019). An overview of the evidence for psychological interventions for psychosis: Results from meta-analyses.¿Clinical Psychology in Europe,¿1(1), 1-23.
Morrison, A.P. (2017) A manualised treatment protocol to guide delivery of evidence-based cognitive therapy for people with distressing psychosis: learning from clinical trials, Psychosis, 9:3, 271-281, DOI: 10.1080/17522439.2017.1295098
Morrison, A.P., and¿Renton, J.C. "Cognitive therapy for auditory hallucinations: A theory-based approach." Cognitive and Behavioral Practice 8.2 (2001): 147-160
Newman¿Taylor, K., & Bentall, R. (2024). Cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis: The end of the line or time for a new approach?. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 97(1), 4-18.
Newman-Taylor K, Isham L, Brabban A. Ten misconceptions about CBT for psychosis.¿The Cognitive Behaviour Therapist. 2025;18:e51. doi:10.1017/S1754470X25100275
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Psychosis,Psychological Therapies,Cognitive Interpersonal Therapy,Developmental Psychopathology,CBT |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Helen Griffiths
Tel: (0131 6)50 3482
Email: Helen.Griffiths@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Clara Shaw
Tel: (0131 6)51 3970
Email: Clara.Shaw@ed.ac.uk |
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