OVERVIEW

The course will provide an overview of the history of clinical psychology and of the main current approaches, prompting a critical reflection of the student in this regard. It will also focus on some central issues such as the helping relationship and psychological evaluation in the clinical setting. The course also aims to illustrate some fundamental notions used in clinical psychology as well as the main existing psychotherapeutic approaches. Finally, particular attention will be paid to some psychological problems emerging in the context of the social worker intervention.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide a basic knowledge of the psychological approach towards 
family and personal challenging contexts.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Attendance and active participation in the planned training activities (lectures and discussion of clinical cases) and individual study will enable the student:

- to learn the basics of the psychology of personality development according to the psychoanalytic theoretical approach;

- to learn the Kleinian psychoanalytic theories and their application to social service, with particular reference to the transference and countertransference relationship;

- to learn the Winnicottian psychoanalytic theories and their application to the social service;

- to understand the unconscious basis of personality and of the helping relationship;

- to develop understanding of the impact of the traumatic experiences on personality development;

- to learn the models of clinical intervention with dysfunctional families and with the victims of violence and abuse;

- to critically discuss the intervention techniques within the social service with regard to the centrality of the Client-Social Assistant relationship;

- to acquire an appropriate vocabulary with reference to psychoanalytic clinical psychology

PREREQUISITES

There are no mandatory prerequisites. However, a basic knowledge of psychiatry (highly recommended) and developmental psychology (recommended) is recommended.

TEACHING METHODS

The teaching consists of lectures, presentation and discussion of clinical material for a total of 54 hours.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course program includes the presentation and discussion of the following topics:

• The development of personality in the psychoanalytic theoretical perspective

• Mental states

• Containment and reverie

• Defenses from psychic pain

• The schizoparanoid position

• Depressive position

• The latency period

• Adolescence

• Adulthood and parenting

• Conflicts, anxieties and defenses in the course of development

• Personality disorders

• The contribution of Kleinian psychoanalysis to the understanding of the client-social worker relationship

• The winnicottian contribution to social work

• The trauma in the external reality and in the internal world

• Dissociation

• Identification with the aggressor

• The deficit of symbolization in traumatized people

• Clinical interventions in favor of traumatized people

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Attending students

Handouts by the teacher available on Aulaweb at the beginning of the lessons and during the course

Applegate, J. S., Bonovitz, J. M. (1995). The facilitating partnership: a Winnicottian approach for Social Workers and other helping professionals. Jason Aronson, Inc.

Not attending students

Applegate, J. S., Bonovitz, J. M. (1995). The facilitating partnership: a Winnicottian approach for Social Workers and other helping professionals. Jason Aronson, Inc.

Salzberger-Wittenberg, I. (2004). Psychoanalytic Insight and Relationships. A kleinian approach. Brunner-Routledge

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

ANNA MARIA ROSSO (President)

ANDREA CAMOIRANO

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Classes will start in the second semester according the academic calendar.

Class schedule

PSYCHOLOGY

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam will take place in written form. The exam will be related to the texts, handouts and slides by the teacher available on aulaweb and to what has been discussed in class. For not attending students the exam will focus only on the exam texts.

The exam consists of a test with 62 multiple choice questions (0.5 point for each correct answer, -0.10 points for each wrong answer). If the student refuses the grade obtained, the next exam will consist of 5 open-ended questions evaluated from 0 to 6 points depending on correctness, relevance, synthesis, clarity and use of the appropriate terminology.

A written test in progress, valid for passing the exam, will be held at the end of the lesson for the students attending the lessons.

For students who will take the exam in English the exam will consist of 5 open-ended questions. Students must inform the teacher at least 7 days before taking the exam by writing to rosso@unige.it.

Students with DSA certification will be able to choose whether to take the exam orally or to take the exam in written form with 31 multiple-choice questions (1 point for each correct answer, -0.2 for each wrong answer) or with 5 open-ended questions. They must inform the teacher of their choice at least 5 days before taking the exam by writing to rosso@unige.it

Three exam sessions will be available for the winter session (January-February), 4 exam sessions for the summer session (May, June and July), 1 exam in September and 1 exam in December.

No extraordinary appeals will be granted outside the periods indicated in the Regulations of the Degree Program. The students who do not pass the exam and the students who refuse the grade obtained will not have to take the exam on the date immediately following

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam will verify the effective acquisition of the knowledge of the topics covered during the course.

Specifically, the exam aims to ascertain the following aspects of student preparation:

- understanding of theoretical concepts;

- ability to apply the theoretical concepts to the helping relationship Client-Social Worker;

- ability to distinguish the crucial and most relevant aspects of the Social Worker's intervention;

- ability to analyze the emotional aspects of the helping relationship Client-Social Worker;

- knowledge and understanding of the implications of the traumatic experiences on the development of the personality and on the Client's relationship with the Social Worker

Exam schedule