Psychotherapy Clinic-CAP 2
Rotation Co-Directors: Eric Spiegel, M.D. and Neha Navsaria, Ph.D.
Number of residents per rotation: Four
Length of Rotation: 12 months
Time of Rotation: Second year of training
Frequency of Rotation: One afternoon per week
Goal
The goal is to provide the CAP resident with a strong foundation in Child and Adolescent
Psychotherapy to enhance the quality of practice of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry regardless
of main treatment modality.
Objectives
To develop competencies in the following areas:
Patient Care
The rotation co-Directors recognize that residents come to Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
training with variable previous grounding and experience in Psychotherapy. Nevertheless, the
competencies outlined below are expected of all trainees:
 Building of therapeutic alliance with patients and if applicable, with the family members
of patients
 Engaging patient and family in psychotherapeutic treatment
 Refinement of interviewing and communication skills
 Understanding how psychiatric symptoms can be exacerbated or moderated by
environmental variables
 Recognition and tolerance of transient provider discomfort during therapeutic sessions
unique to practice of psychotherapy
 Conceptualize the development of improved patient resiliency through psychotherapy
Medical Knowledge
The resident will gain medical knowledge through a combination of clinic specific supervision,
mandatory psychotherapy seminar, supervised reading of the pertinent CAP or related literature.
 The role of parents and families in developmental psychopathology
 Major developmental theories
 Understand theory and evidence related to major psychotherapeutic modalities including
CBT , motivational interviewing, solution focused brief therapy and family therapy
Practice Based Learning
In addition to supervised clinical activities, the resident will participate in weekly group
supervision including review and discussion of videotaped psychotherapy sessions
 Insight into one’s behavior and how it facilitates or not the psychotherapeutic process
 Insight into one’s communication and how it facilitates or not the psychotherapeutic
process
 Learn to appreciate, recognize and work with patterns of patient and family behaviors
during sessions
Professionalism
Psychotherapy training will provide the resident with the opportunity to deepen the development
of multiple aspects of professionalism
 Mindful intra-professional development by managing adaptively their
countertransference to youth and to the family members with psychopathology
 Mindful use of self-disclosure
 Appreciation and respect of boundary issues
 Attention to termination issues in psychotherapy
 Providing clear and constructive feedback to peers
Interpersonal/Communication Skills
The resident will effectively communicate with patients and their families within a
psychotherapeutic context
 Broaden the use of therapeutic understanding by increasing the number of
communication techniques.

Communication of therapeutic goals

Addressing problem-solving and decision making

Attention to complex interactional issues: parent-child, family-child, parent-provider,
child-provider and group
System Based Care
 Understanding the role of psychotherapist vs. physician
 Conceptualizing the role of the psychotherapist-psychiatrist
 Understanding the advantages and limitations of medical vs. psychosocial model systems
 Bridging mental health systems for the benefit of patient and families
Measurement of Objectives
Review of videotaped interactions
Direct Observations
Feedback by other professionals
Description of Rotation
The fellow will participate in a weekly clinic where he/she will participate in: (i) a group
supervision session including both rotation directors and peers and in (ii) the clinical care of up to
4 patients and/or families per week (except during the 3 months of the C/L rotation where it is
expected that the fellow will see up to 2 patients or families per week. Portions of the clinical care
are directly observed by one of the rotation directors.