Overview

PPC4002 Approaches and Therapies 1 aims to provide you with an understanding of humanistic and psychodynamic psychology alongside the associated person-centred therapy and psychoanalytic therapy. You will gain an insight into the theories of human nature adopted within these areas of psychology and then develop an applied appreciation of how this psychological knowledge can be used to enhance and develop the therapeutic relationship. You will be assessed on this module through an essay that requires you to analyse and integrate these two approaches and therapies. The module will conclude with an assessed presentation in which you can share your own independent research into other therapeutic methods with your peers.

PPC4002 Approaches and Therapies 1 will provide you with a deeper understanding of the psychological and therapeutic foundations for two of the most renowned and well-established therapeutic orientations in the counselling world. Carl Rogers’ person-centred therapy and Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic therapy inspired our modern understanding of counselling theory and practice. This module will give you a deep insight into the concepts underpinning these therapies and an opportunity to consider it in action in work with clients. You will learn how the humanistic and psychodynamic psychological approaches are used to understand human nature, with an appreciation of the social and historical development of these approaches. You will then use this knowledge to understand how to manage the therapeutic relationship and apply therapeutic techniques as a person-centred therapist and psychoanalytic therapist. This theoretical knowledge will be illustrated with video examples to demonstrate counselling in action, and you will be assessed in your ability to critically analyse this process in practice. Finally, you will be asked to independently research other therapeutic methods and share your research findings with peers.

Topics covered in this module include:

• Approaches, Therapies, and Models in Counselling and Psychotherapy
• History of the Humanistic Approach with focus on Rogers
• Humanistic Theories of Human Nature and Personality
• Therapeutic Relationship in Person-Centred Therapy
• Therapeutic Techniques in Person-Centred Therapy
• History of the Psychodynamic Approach with focus on Freud
• Psychodynamic Theories of Human Nature and Personality
• Therapeutic Relationship in Psychoanalytic Therapy
• Therapeutic Techniques in Psychoanalytic Therapy
• Compare, Contrast, Critique, and Apply
• Skilled Helper Model

Please note that these topics are subject to change dependent on staff availability, unexpected circumstances, and the assessed needs of the students.

Assessment Strategy

Assessment criteria for this module are:

Excellent (A*, A+, A, A-) •Insightful and critical consideration of the interplay between different approaches, therapies, and models •Comprehensive knowledge of humanistic and psychodynamic approaches and person-centred and psychoanalytic therapies •Detailed understanding with no factual errors •Critical analysis showing evaluation and synthesis of ideas •Novel and innovative originality in approach, interpretation, and voice •Extensive and comprehensive independent research •Logically defended arguments with evidence for all claims •Highly focused and well structured •Clear and thoughtful presentation with accurate and appropriate expression •Correct format in appropriate referencing style

Good (B+, B, B-) •Some insight into the interplay between different approaches, therapies, and models •Strong knowledge of humanistic and psychodynamic approaches and person-centred and psychoanalytic therapies •Clear understanding and mostly free of factual errors •Some analysis showing critical evaluation and links between ideas •Novel originality in approach, interpretation, and voice •Considerable independent research from appropriate sources •Coherent arguments with evidence for most claims •Focused and well structured •Clear presentation with accurate and appropriate expression •Mostly correct format in appropriate referencing style

Satisfactory (C+, C, C-) •Some understanding the interplay between different approaches, therapies, and models •Basic knowledge of humanistic and psychodynamic approaches and person-centred and psychoanalytic therapies •Understanding of the main concepts with no major factual errors •Basic analysis showing obvious points of evaluation and links between ideas •Some originality in approach, interpretation, and/or voice for part of the work •Some independent research from appropriate sources •Arguments presented with evidence for the most important claims •Readable structure showing focus at times •Acceptable presentation with appropriate expression •Attempt at correct format in appropriate referencing style with no major errors

If you do not meet the threshold for Satisfactory, then your work will be graded as a Fail. Fail grades vary from Poor (D+, D, D-, E+, E, E-) to Very Poor (F).

Learning Outcomes

• Compare, contrast, critique, and apply different approaches, therapies, and models, with an understanding of purism, integration, and eclecticism

• Describe and critically analyse the social context and theories of human nature from the humanistic approach then apply this in practice to evaluate the client-therapist relationship and therapeutic techniques of person-centred therapy

• Describe and critically analyse the social context and theories of human nature from the psychodynamic approach then apply this in practice to evaluate the client-therapist relationship and therapeutic techniques of psychanalytic therapy

• Research and present academic theories and empirical research into original integrative and eclectic counselling and psychotherapy