Practical courses (EX)
Objectives
At the end of the course, students will be able to apply what they have learned practically in different contexts; they will be able to select from the theoretical knowledge and tools they have learned what is more useful/pertinent for specific practical applications or in specific contexts.
Syllabus
The course provides the basic knowledge to design, plan, and implement psychosocial and clinical interventions in group settings.
The course will be split into two parts: during the first one, starting from an analysis of the psychologist’s core competences when working with groups, students will practice behavioral observation of group dynamics.
Students will have the opportunity to practice essential skills for designing group interventions, such as the ability to define the objectives of the intervention, in line with the theoretical model of reference, and to observe, decode, and understand interpersonal dynamics. In active roles, they will practice encouraging participation, cohesion, support, promoting listening, and providing feedback with the aim of fostering the skill learning.
In the second part of the course, students will apply the knowledge they have acquired to the clinical context.
The training method will be didactic-experiential with elements of practical training and supervision. Exercises, group work, role-playing, and examples will alternate with moments of reflection and theoretical focus. Students will be evaluated based on their active participation, their observation and critical skills, their ability to share, cooperate, and contribute to the learning process.
Exam
Students will have to produce an individual work and a group project.
The individual assignment will focus on the personal knowledge gained through group activities, the level of competence acquired and areas to be developed in the future.
Evaluation criteria for the individual assignment:
- Completeness and punctuality in carrying out the assigned task;
- Quality of the assignment (critical analysis of participation in experiential activities and awareness gained regarding psychological skills in group settings).
Students must present a group project on an intervention assigned during the lessons.
The evaluation criteria for group activities are as follows:
- Completeness and punctuality in carrying out assigned tasks;
- Quality of the final products developed by the groups (theoretical depth; originality; analytical skills);
- Quality of written presentations (clarity of presentation; ability to synthesize and organize materials);
- Quality of the intervention hypotheses (degree of feasibility; theoretical soundness; intervention methodology).
Bibliography
- Baggio, F. (2013). Assertività e training assertivo. Teoria e pratica per migliorare le capacità relazionali dei pazienti. Franco Angeli, Milano.
- Mastromarino R. (2013) La gestione dei gruppi, Franco Angeli, Milano.
- Yalom, I.D., Leszcz M. (2009). Teoria e pratica della psicoterapia di gruppo. Bollati Boringhieri, Torino.
- Linehan, M. (2011). Trattamento cognitivo-comportamentale del disturbo borderline. Volume II – I gruppi di skill training. Raffaello Cortina Editore, Milano.
- Andrews G. Creamer M., Crino (2004) R.Fobia sociale. Manuale per chi soffre del disturbo. Centro Scientifico Editore 2004
