It is essential that the students who want to participate to this course have already acquired the basic knowledge and practical skills to make a helping interview. The students need to be able to recognize and differentiate as well as produce the following relational responses: comprehensive, reassuring, exploratory, interpretative, and evaluative responses. The different types of exploratory responses need to be acquired (open-ended, closed, directive questions) as well as the different types of empathic reflections (from simple echoes to structural clarifications). The importance and components of the therapeutic setting have to be known as well as the different components of nonverbal communication. If the students have not previously been familiarized with this knowledge and practical skills, they should at least learn the syllabus of the course LPSP1308: Helping interview that is available on Moodle and have demonstrated their previous practice of the helping interview before they can follow the present course.
In addition, the students need to have been familiarized with the person-centered and experiential approach, its origins, theoretical and empirical developments (e.g., course in clinical psychology LPSY1201) and know the deontology code of the psychologists (course LPSP1309).
This course intends to acquire advanced psychotherapeutic relational skills within the person-centered and experiential approach. The theoretical and empirical bases of the efficacy of psychotherapeutic relationships will be presented together with the efficacy of teaching programs to helping skills. The acquisition in depth of psychotherapeutic relational competences will be done through the illustrations of themes and critical situations and practical exercises facilitating the development of the student's congruence (i.e., the identification-awareness of what is going on in oneself and in relation to other persons and the adequate expression of the psychologist's experience during his/her contacts with clients), empathy and unconditional positive regard. It will also occur when reflecting and analyzing other factors that contribute to therapeutic change (i.e., the client's characteristics and extra-therapeutic factors, therapeutic techniques and tools, client's expectations).
Themes/illustrations/witnesses will be provided where the psychologist is confronted to interpersonal difficulties that are at the intersection of their own person, that of the client. For example, how to deal with the therapeutic distance, the therapeutic setting, and therapeutic ruptures/drop outs, the (lack of) motivation to change. These will help to develop the student's knowledge (psychological processed involved), know-how-to-do and way of being. In addition to face-to-face settings, more complex situations will be explored and experienced (couple, family, and group). The critical situations involved deal with for example suicide, death-bereavement-grief, the affective bonds between the therapist and the client, ambivalence to change (no or partial change or relapses).
In line with the LOs of the Master in psychological sciences,
On successful completion of this course, each student will be able to:
Primary LOs :
F1. To use the means and opportunities for self-development as a person;
D1. To actively listen to others in learning situations
B3. To implement an interpersonal intervention, totally or partially, and to evaluate its effectiveness
D2. To interact and collaborate in a network in a manner appropriate for learning situations
E3. To act as a professional in the field of psychology, referring to the principles of, among others, ethics and deontology
Secondary LOs :
A1. To master knowledge that may help explain and understand an individual
B1. To master knowledge concerning interventions intended to improve a given situation (individual, group);
C1. To present a summary verbally and in writing, adapting it to suit the different target objectives
D3. To adopt an open and critical attitude to others and oneself in learning situations
The contribution of this Teaching Unit to the development and command of the skills and learning outcomes of the programme(s) can be accessed at the end of this sheet, in the section entitled “Programmes/courses offering this Teaching Unit”.
The chapters cover
- The therapeutic alliance and ruptures
- The psychology of death, dying and grief
- Suicide prevention
- Motivation to change
- Psychotherapeutic relationships with several clients (couple, family, group)
- The effectiveness of learning programs to advanced helping skills
- Norcross, J. (Ed.). (2011) Psychotherapeutic relationships that work (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: APA.
- Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2006). L'entretien motivationnel. Aider la personne à engager le changement. Paris: InterEditions-Dunod.
- Zech, E. (2006). Psychologie du deuil. Impact et processus d'adaptation au décès d'un proche. Hayen, Belgique: Editions Pierre Mardaga.
- Séguin, M. et Huon. Ph. (1999). Le suicide. Comment prévenir, comment intervenir. Outremont, Canada: Editions Logiques.
- Lafleur, Ch., & Séguin, M. (2008). Intervenir en situation de crise suicidaire. Montréal, Canada :Presses de l'Université Laval: Chronique sociale.
Learning supports
The slides of the course are available on Moodle. The students are required to register in Moodle for their assignment to the practical working subgroups and for the exchange of information. The main references are also available on Moodle (articles and chapters) or at the library.
Target audience
This course is a deepening and personal development course for students in adult clinical psychology and health psychology.
