Systemic, Dynamic and Support Psychotherapies

Presentation

This curricular unit aims to make students aware of the systemic way of thinking and acting with individuals, couples and/or families. Starting from the understanding of the principles of systemic theory and epistemology, and of the challenges inherent to the successive stages of the family's life cycle in normative and non-normative contexts, students are then familiarized with its application to the therapeutic field, more precisely with the distinctive aspects of the systemic therapeutic process and with different methodologies of systemic intervention. It is also intended to address basic concepts underlying psychodynamic and supportive psychotherapies.

Part of this Programme

Clinical and Health Psychology

Level of Qualification|Semesters|ECTS

| Semestral | 5

Year | Type of course unit | Language

1 |Mandatory |Português

Code

ULHT65-14825

Recommended complementary curricular units

N/A. 

Prerequisites and co-requisites

n/a

Professional Internship

Não

Syllabus

1. Systemic approach
1.1. Systemic epistemology
1.2. General systems theory
1.3. Bioecological model of human development
1.4. Axioms of communication
1.5. Family life cycle: normative and non-normative transitions

2. Systemic Psychotherapy
2.1. Techniques for collecting and analyzing information (e.g., genogram, ecomap, structural map)
2.2. Contract, systemic hypothesis, definition of objectives, intervention planning
2.3. Schools, models and strategies for systemic intervention
2.3.1. Structural, Transgenerational, Strategic, Narrative, Solution-centered.
2.3.2. Sculpture,  circular questioning, prescriptions, reframing, metaphors, externalization

3. Dynamic and supportive psychotherapies

Objectives

At the end of this curricular unit students are expected to:

 -Acquire basic knowledge about epistemology and systems theory;

-Recognize and reflect about the challenges inherent to the successive stages of the family's life cycle;

-Identify the main procedures to be adopted during the different phases of systemic therapy, including conceptualization and intervention;

-Explore different schools, models and strategies for systemic intervention;

-Apply different strategies for collecting and analyzing information;

-Recognize the main characteristics of psychoanalysis and of dynamic and supportive individual psychotherapies;

-Reflect on the relevance of different psychotherapeutic models for their future practices as clinical psychologists.

Teaching methodologies and assessment

Classes make use of expository and interrogative methods; presentation and discussion of clinical vignettes and audiovisual materials illustrating the themes covered; the modeling and individual/group practice of specific tools of systemic assessment, conceptualization and intervention. Between classes, students will be given tasks related to reading and analysing texts or videos relevant to the discipline, and further discussed in classes. Class attendance  is mandatory. The assessment may be carried out in the form of continuous assessment or final assessment. The continuous assessment modality includes: (1) one written group work (30%) with oral presentation/discussion with the teacher in class (20%); (2) one individual written work (50%). The final evaluation consists of a written exam (100%). In both assessment modalities, the final grade achieved by students should be 10 values or higher. 

References

• Alarcão, M. (2000). (Des)Equilíbrios familiares, uma visão sistémica. Quarteto Editora. 
• Fryszer, A  & Schwing, R. (2014). Handbook of systemic psychotherapy. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.
• Gehart, D. (2014). Mastering competencies in family therapy: A practical approach to theories and clinical case documentation (2^nd Ed.).  Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning
• Leal, I. (2005). Iniciação às Psicoterapias. Fim de Século. 
• Nichols, M. & Davis, S. (2019). Family therapy: Concepts and methods (12^th ed.). Pearson.
• Relvas, A.P. (2003). Por detrás do espelho: da teoria à terapia com a família (2ª ed.). Quarteto Editora.

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