UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
GRADUATE SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM
COURSE OUTLINE
FALL 2013
Number and Title of the Course: 8240 Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
Semester Credits 2
Prerequisite: Concentration year and/or advanced standing
Instructor: Kim Jones, Ph.D., LCSW
I.
DESCRIPTION OF COURSE
This course will start with an overview of Freudian drive/structural theory and the central concepts of
early psychoanalytic thinking. The basic principles of psychodynamic psychotherapy will then be
covered with a review of how certain concepts proposed by Freud have been adhered to, changed,
modified, or abandoned altogether. The theoretical basis for dynamic therapy will then be covered
along with a brief overview of current schools of psychodynamic theory. An evidence-based egopsychological/object relations approach to assessment and treatment of neurotic, borderline and
psychotic disorders will then be presented. The ego psychological component will address the
assessment of person-in-situation factors; issues related to adaptation; and ego functions, including
defense mechanisms that span the range of mature-higher/lower level-psychotic. Particular emphasis
will be placed on the object relations component of this theory, focusing on the developmental
trajectory of object relations and specific fixation points that result in character pathology, organized at
a psychotic, borderline or neurotic level. Lastly, expressive and supportive treatment strategies and
interventions that derive from dynamic theory will be explored and presented within the context of
case situations. This course is meant to be very practice oriented in order to help participants apply the
model to a variety of client situations.
II. OBJECTIVES OF COURSE
To enable the student to:
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Understand basic concepts of Freudian drive/structural theory
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Understand how psychodynamic theory has evolved over the past several decades since Freud
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Learn the language of contemporary psychodynamic theory
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Assess clients using concepts derived from an evidenced-based ego psychological-objects
relations theory
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Apply interventions that are informed by the theoretical model
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III. UNITS, CONTENT & REQUIRED READING ASSIGNMENTS
Unit 1: Introduction (Session 1)
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Overview of the course: what students will learn
Assignments & student responsibilities
Instructor responsibilities
History of psychodynamic theory, starting with Freud’s
Drive/structural model: Topics of this section will include Freud’s key
contributions; tripartite model; psychosexual stages; notion of symptom
formation; and classical treatment.
Unit 2: Basic Principal of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (Sessions 2-3)
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Fundamental principals of most all psychodynamic psychotherapies
Expressive-supportive continuum.
Common psychodynamic interventions
Getting started: room; space; fee; boundaries; general treatment frame.
Unit 3: Theory Guided Practice (Session 4)
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Why use theory?
Contemporary concepts
Four central braches of psychodynamic theory
American School of object relations: Otto Kernberg, Margaret Mahler,
Edith Jacobson and Melanie Klein.
Readings:
Suggested
Kernberg, O.F., & Caligor, E. A psychoanalytic theory of personality disorders. In M.F.
Lenzenweger, & J.F. Clarkin (Eds), (Chapter 3, pp. 114-156.
Unit 4: An Ego-Psychological Object Relations Model of Development (Session 5-6)
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Central concepts
Early stages of object relations development: affects as building blocks of drives;
psychotic defenses; Mahler’s symbiotic phase.
Mid stages of object relations development: Mahler’s differentiation and
practicing phase; Klein’s paranoid-schizoid position; primitive-image
distorting defenses.
Later stages of object relations development: Mahler’s rapprochement phase; Klein’s
depressive position; tripartite structure with intact ego functions,
neurotic/mature defenses and the establishment of object constancy
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Readings:
Class text: Chapter 1.
Unit 7: Etiology, Assessment and Treatment for Client’s with Borderline Personality
Organization (Session 7-10)
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Borderline personality organization
Dominant object relational dyads typical of borderline organization
Treatment goals and strategies
Readings:
Class text: Chapters 2-5.
View Otto Kernberg lecture on “Transference focused psychotherapy in serious personality
disorders and other lectures by Kernberg” @ http://www.thecjc.org/genlect.htm
Suggested
Clarkin, J., Yeomans, F., & Kernberg, O. (2006). Psychotherapy for borderline personality:
Focusing on object relations. Washington DC: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. (Chapter
1).
Unit 8: Etiology, Assessment and Treatment for Client’s with Borderline Personality
Organization Continued (Session 7-10)
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Borderline personality organization
Dominant object relational dyads typical of borderline organization
Treatment goals and strategies
Readings:
Class text: Chapters 6-11.
Unit 5: Etiology, Assessment and Treatment for Clients with Neurotic Level Development
(Session 11)
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Neurotic-borderline-psychotic continuum
Features of neurotic level personality organization
Typical neurotic conflicts
Dominant and repressed dyadic/triadic self-object representations
Treatment goals/strategies: empathic responding; interpretation; confrontation and
clarification
Readings:
3
Article will be provided
Unit 6: Etiology, Assessment and Treatment for Clients with Neurotic Level Development
Continued (Session 12)
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Neurotic-borderline-psychotic continuum
Features of neurotic level personality organization
Typical neurotic conflicts
Dominant and repressed dyadic/triadic self-object representations
Treatment goals/strategies: empathic responding; interpretation; confrontation and
clarification
Readings:
Article will be provided
Unit 9: Integration of Units 1-8 into Case Material (Session 13-14)
Unit 10: Integration of Units 1-8 into Case Material (Session 15)
IV. TECHNIQUES OF INSTRUCTION
Instructional method will include lecture, discussion, case presentation and the use of video.
V. REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS
Clarkin, J., Yeomans, F., & Kernberg, O. (2006). Psychotherapy for borderline personality: Focus on
object relations. American Psychiatric Publishing Company.
VI. WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS
Case papers.
VII. METHOD OF EVALUATION
Case Paper(s) and homework assignments.
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VIII. GRADING SCALE
92-100
82-91
71-81
0-71
A
B
C
F
IX. CLASS ATTENDANCE
Learning in a professional program is based in large part on the interaction that occurs between the
instructor and students in the classroom. Regular attendance at class is an expected professional
responsibility of the student. Absences of greater than 20 percent of the total class time may constitute
grounds for course failure.
X. HONOR CODE
All students registered for courses in the School of Social Work are expected to adhere to the rights,
responsibilities, and behavior as articulated in both the UALR Student Handbook and the NASW
(National Association of Social Workers) Code of Ethics. An essential feature of these codes is a
commitment to maintaining intellectual integrity and academic honesty. This commitment insures that
a student of the School of Social Work will neither knowingly give nor receive any inappropriate
assistance in academic work, thereby affirming personal honor and integrity.
XI. DISABILITY SUPPORT SERVICES
Your success in this class is important to me, and it is the policy and practice of the University
of Arkansas at Little Rock to create inclusive learning environments consistent with federal and
state law. If you have a documented disability (or need to have a disability documented), and
need an accommodation, please contact me privately as soon as possible, so that we can discuss
with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) how to meet your specific needs and the
requirements of the course. The DRC offers resources and coordinates reasonable
accommodations for students with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are established
through an interactive process among you, your instructor(s) and the DRC. Thus, if you have a
disability, please contact me and/or the DRC, at 501-569-3143 (V/TTY) or 501-683-7629 (VP).
For more information, please visit the DRC website at www.ualr.edu/disability.
Revised: 08-06-2012
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