OFFICE HOURS:  Monday, 4:15-5:45 pm; Wednesday 1:30-5:00 pm

REQUIRED TEXT:  Bongar, B. & Beutler, L. E. (1995). Comprehensive Textbook of Psychotherapy:  Theory and Practice.  New York:  Oxford University Press.

DESCRIPTION: An examination of the theory and techniques of major psychotherapy approaches and an introduction to basic components of the psychotherapeutic process. The course will include lecture, audiovisual aids, and role-playing.

OBJECTIVES: After successful completion of this course, the student should have:

• an understanding of the theory and techniques of major psychotherapy approaches
• an awareness of legal and ethical issues associated with psychotherapy
• experience in role-playing basic therapy techniques and associated documentation
• an appreciation for the importance of psychotherapy outcome research
• begun to consider one’s own psychotherapy philosophy and therapist role

1. Psychotherapy roleplays/documentation assignments (25% of grade) - Role-playing will utilize information covered in the readings and in lecture. It is expected that you will review the DSM-IV criteria for the disorder you are portraying, and to be as realistic as possible in your roles. As therapists, it also is expected that the disorder of the client being treated will be reviewed in DSM-IV to assist in the therapy process. Each role-play will be videotaped for review by me. You may sign out your own therapy role-play tape for review. You will be required to psychotherapy documentation related to the role-playing experiences, as assigned and discussed in class. Progress note assignments are due the next class following the role-play.

3. Article review/Oral presentation (10% of grade) - You will submit a brief, written summary and critique of an empirical research article involving psychotherapy effectiveness and provide their findings orally to the class in a short presentation (no longer than 10 minutes). The selected article must be approved by me. Only one student per article, so claim it early! It is expected that the critique will include shortcomings of the study, recommendations for how it could have been improved, and implications of the results for the psychotherapy field. A copy of the article must be attached to the critique.

4. Final paper (25% of grade) - You will prepare a 10-12 page paper with 1" margins discussing your personal views of psychotherapy theory, techniques, and process and your role as therapist. This paper is to be introspective - as such, it may be written in the first person (e.g., "I feel most comfortable with Rogerian therapist characteristics, because..."). It is expected that you will compare and contrast your psychotherapy views with those covered in class and will cite reasons for accepting/rejecting major theories/techniques/approaches. This requirement is designed to prompt you to begin to critically evaluate approaches to psychotherapy and to begin to develop your own individual views of the psychotherapy process and your role as therapist. If you are unclear as to how to approach this assignment, discuss it with me. I will read drafts and give feedback prior to the due date. You are strongly encouraged to use this editorial process, but are not required. Only the paper turned in on the due date will be graded.

5. Examinations (each 20% of grade) - There will be two exams, covering assigned material in the text, assigned readings on reserve, handouts, videos, and lecture. Format will be objective test items and short answer. Should an emergency necessitate a make-up exam, the resulting raw score will determine the grade; that is, you will not benefit from the modified curve based on class performance. Therefore, there is a distinct advantage to taking the exam as scheduled. The final exam will be scheduled to occur during the last week of class – to be coordinated with students’ schedules.

GRADING: Grades for the requirements will be assigned according to the following subjective descriptors:
 

A = outstanding	B- = below average
A- = excellent	C + = poor
B+ = above average	C = seriously deficient
B = average	F = failing

Assignments will be graded for content and quality, according to the essential components of each requirement. For example, the final paper should contain each of the elements outlined above (content), and your critique/acceptance of each therapy method/philosophy should be well-supported, clear, and organized. Do not hand in a paper that is less than 10 pages or has margins greater than 1", or your grade will be lowered significantly, regardless of paper quality.

Grading of exams will be based on a modified "curve," with the top grade on each exam determining the "A," or 100%. The A range will be from 95-100%; the A- range from 90-94%; the B+ range from 85-89%; the B range from 80-84%; the B- range from 75-79%; C+ from 70-74%; C from 65-69%; and F<65%. The curve is not based on the number of people, but the percentage of earned points. Therefore, there is no limit to the proportion of students who can earn As (or any other grade).

Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Any written or orally presented material must be in your own words, with appropriate citation for the paraphrasing of another's work. Any direct quotes from another source must be designated with quotation marks and cited according to the APA Publication Manual. Direct quotation should be minimal, i.e., no more than a few words or phrases which cannot be paraphrased adequately. Quoting or using the exact wording of another author because you do not understand what is written is no excuse. Find another reference if that is the case. Any assignments completed through plagiarism will receive a grade of zero.

Role-plays will be graded according to nonverbal characteristics (as discussed in class) and your adherence to the therapeutic modality being portrayed. You should review the relevant role-play handout for therapist characteristics, features of therapy, and techniques to try. Only the role-plays as therapist will be graded; however, if you fail to adequately portray a client, such that it impedes your partner's ability to complete his/her task, then your grade for this assignment will be lowered by 1 full step (e.g., A- to B-). If there are difficulties with your client portrayal, you will be notified immediately, so that you may correct your performance.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: A student with a disability may request an adjustment in meeting the requirements of this class. Requests for any such adjustment are handled by Mr. Christopher Moy, McGowan Center (348-6211 ext. 2549).

NOTHING WILL BE ACCEPTED LATE! Plan ahead. Expect printing problems, computer viruses, etc. I will gladly accept assignments early. If you are sick or your car won’t start or whatever on the day the paper is due, put it in the mail that day or the next morning - I will check the postmark.

DO NOT MISS A ROLE-PLAY! As you will see, the scheduling of your role-plays requires significant coordination of therapist-client-observer roles. Note the dates that role-plays are to take place and do not miss class on those days. If an emergency results in missing a role-play, a make-up assignment will be necessary and will be determined on an individual basis.

• American Psychological Association (1992). American Psychological Association Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct
• Dawes, R. (1994). House of Cards: Psychology and Psychotherapy Built on Myth. New York: Free Press.
• Glasser, W. Reality Therapy in the Year 2000 - The William Glasser Institute
• Handelsman, M. & Galvin, M. (1988). Facilitating informed consent for outpatient psychotherapy: A suggested written format. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 19, 223-225.
• Hynan, M. (1981). On the advantages of assuming that the techniques of psychotherapy are ineffective. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, and Practice, 18, 11-13.
• Stein, H. T. Demonstration of the Socratic Method in Classical Adlerian Psychotherapy With A Depressed Man - Alfred Adler Institute of San Francisco