Psychotherapy Training Program: Elective Subjects

Body-oriented Psychotherapy practice (Year II)

This subject provides training in observational and body-oriented therapeutic skills and focuses on the development of clinical skills and their integration with theoretical understanding. Students are expected to develop their diagnostic and assessment skills to enable them to effectively decide on the appropriate use of body-oriented interventions in clinical work. Special foci in this subject are the exploration of affective experience in the body, trauma, memory and psychosomatic processes.

Studies in Infant Observation (Year II)

This subject involves an in-depth study of the mother/infant relationship. The observation process places the student in a unique position, observing the responses of and interactions between a young baby and mother. This requires the student to develop the capacity to contain and reflect on the emotional impact of this relationship as it unfolds. Students learn to develop a spacious frame of mind in which to hold their observations and hypotheses about the mother/infant relationship and the developmental processes involved.

Clinical Supervision

(60 sessions of individual supervision or equivalent hours pro rata in a group supervision) Weekly clinical supervision is an integral part of the training process. It is an opportunity for students to use their own practice with clients and the relationship with their supervisor and supervision group to deepen their awareness of the psychotherapy process and to integrate their skills and knowledge.

The decision about when to begin psychotherapy practice and therefore supervision is made by each student in consultation with the trainers and depends on the student's prior experience and readiness.