Program learning outcome 1: Theoretical Knowledge
Theoretical Knowledge (PLO 1): Graduates will integrate foundational theories from psychodynamic, neurobiological, and trauma-informed perspectives into their knowledge of infant, child, and adolescent development and their mental health. Graduates will:
1a. Distinguish and critically evaluate classical and contemporary psychodynamic theories.
1b. Investigate and appraise neurobiological and trauma-informed perspectives.
1c. Synthesize psychodynamic theories with the advances from neurobiological and trauma-informed perspectives as related to human development and mental health.
Below are all courses that meet PLO 1.
PSY-701 Prenatal, Infant, Early Childhood Development & Psychopathology (3.0 units)
This course introduces students to the theoretical constructs of a comprehensive conceptual framework: a bio-psycho-social-relational psychodynamic model to understand healthy and disordered infancy and early childhood development (prenatal to five). Students will learn how to identify typical development during this stage, as well as to assess, diagnose and implement appropriate intervention strategies for children presenting with atypical and psychopathological etiologies. This course traces the place of childhood and child development in psychoanalysis from Freud through contemporary relational-developmental psychoanalysis.
PSY-703 Latency Development & Psychopathology (3.0 units)
Building upon the developmental and neurobiological concepts learned in the course on prenatal and early childhood, this course will explore those areas unique to the latency years (6-10) of a child’s development. While pathology in this age group can often trace its etiology to early childhood development, the course will also explore pathology unique to the latency-age child. By the end of the course, the student will be able to recognize symptoms of behaviors that interfere with a child’s functioning, be able to provide comprehensive assessment and diagnosis, and develop treatment planning for latency-age children and their families.
PSY-705 Psychodynamic Theory I (2.0 units)
This course will present an introduction into the theory and concepts of Sigmund Freud and his contemporaries that set the foundation for all later psychodynamic thinking such as drive theory, structural theory, topographic theory, and his psychosexual theory. The course will further provide an overview of major theory developments in psychoanalysis and elucidate the contributions of selected other authors and their schools in psychoanalysis such as Anna Freud, Melanie, Klein, Erik Erikson, Winnicott, Fairbairn, Balint, and Bowlby, etc. Developmental models, notions of pathology, the role of the analyst, and the nature of healing will be examined. The discussions will include the application of psychoanalytic concepts in the clinical context, psychoanalytic technique and its specific interventions as they are relevant in classic psychoanalysis and contemporary psychodynamic psychotherapy.
PSY-707 Psychodynamic Theory II (2.0 units)
This course continues the historical and conceptual expansion of psychodynamic theory and explores different schools of psychoanalysis such as object relations theory, attachment theory, and self-psychology. The course will particularly elucidate the contributions of selected authors such as Melanie Klein, Winnicott, Fairbairn, Balint, and Bowlby, etc. Developmental models, notions of pathology, the role of the analyst, and the nature of healing will be examined. The discussions will include the application of psychoanalytic concepts in the clinical context, psychoanalytic technique, and its specific interventions as they are relevant in classic psychoanalysis and contemporary psychodynamic psychotherapy.
PSY-709 Psychodynamic Theory III (2.0 units)
This course expands the understanding of psychodynamic thinking into contemporary theories and current clinical practice. It explores the contributions of authors such as Christopher Bollas, Jessica Benjamin, Robert Stolorow, etc.
PSY-711 Neurobiology & Affect Regulation (3.0 units)
This course will study brain anatomy and function. The course will focus on the right brain and limbic system in order to understand the mind-brain-body connections that are the underpinnings of our emotional selves. It will also focus on understanding memory systems, the limbic and autonomic nervous systems and affect regulation as a basis for psychotherapy.
PSY-713 Psychodynamic Understanding of Attachment (3.0 units)
This course will teach John Bowlby’s original attachment theory, including separation and loss. Mary Ainsworth, Mary Main, and attachment research will be considered, as well as ways of measuring attachment categories. Neurobiology and affect regulation theory will be integrated into a conception of Modern Attachment Theory as written about by Allan Schore and Judith Schore. In this course we will study Classic and Modern Attachment theory.
PSY-715 Foundations of Child Psychodynamic Play Therapy (3.0 units)
This course presents the fundamental theories of psychodynamic child play therapy and focuses upon a variety of challenges, difficulties and disorders involved in child treatment. Students will learn how to integrate these concepts into clinical practice.
PSY-717 Pre to Adolescent Development & Psychopathology (3.0 units)
This course presents the normal and abnormal development of preadolescents and adolescents from a neurobiological and psychodynamic perspective. Theoretical and empirical findings are examined as related to assessment, etiology, the effects of trauma, and the major categories of child psychopathology based on the DSM-V.
PSY-719 Cultural Competence (3.0 units)
This course introduces students to the emergent contemporary psychoanalytic (relational and intersubjective systems theory) examining the impact of culture, gender, sexual orientation, and social location. This contemporary perspective serves as a corrective construct to the biases of classical psychoanalysis and ego psychology, with their often seen adherence to the dominant Eurocentric worldview, homophobia, and often racist attitudes. This course will explore how culture, color, and gender identification organize the experience of both the psychodynamic psychotherapist and the patient in the therapeutic process. We all have unconscious biases, based on our social context, positionality, and the potential effects of trauma. The course rigorously explores the implications of an ethical psychodynamic perspective which requires that we reflect on our privilege and the clinical implications of our social situatedness and cultural humility.
PSY-721 Integration of Psychoanalytic Work (3.0 units)
In this course, neurobiology and psychoanalytic psychotherapy are integrated, particularly as it relates to children and adolescents. The right brain and limbic system are examined in conjunction with the mind-brain-body connections that are the underpinnings of our emotional selves. The course focuses on integrating neurobiology, infant-parent research, trauma, and psychoanalytic models of the mind, as related to the treatment of children and adolesc
1a. Distinguish and critically evaluate classical and contemporary psychodynamic theories.
1b. Investigate and appraise neurobiological and trauma-informed perspectives.
1c. Synthesize psychodynamic theories with the advances from neurobiological and trauma-informed perspectives as related to human development and mental health.
Below are all courses that meet PLO 1.
PSY-701 Prenatal, Infant, Early Childhood Development & Psychopathology (3.0 units)
This course introduces students to the theoretical constructs of a comprehensive conceptual framework: a bio-psycho-social-relational psychodynamic model to understand healthy and disordered infancy and early childhood development (prenatal to five). Students will learn how to identify typical development during this stage, as well as to assess, diagnose and implement appropriate intervention strategies for children presenting with atypical and psychopathological etiologies. This course traces the place of childhood and child development in psychoanalysis from Freud through contemporary relational-developmental psychoanalysis.
PSY-703 Latency Development & Psychopathology (3.0 units)
Building upon the developmental and neurobiological concepts learned in the course on prenatal and early childhood, this course will explore those areas unique to the latency years (6-10) of a child’s development. While pathology in this age group can often trace its etiology to early childhood development, the course will also explore pathology unique to the latency-age child. By the end of the course, the student will be able to recognize symptoms of behaviors that interfere with a child’s functioning, be able to provide comprehensive assessment and diagnosis, and develop treatment planning for latency-age children and their families.
PSY-705 Psychodynamic Theory I (2.0 units)
This course will present an introduction into the theory and concepts of Sigmund Freud and his contemporaries that set the foundation for all later psychodynamic thinking such as drive theory, structural theory, topographic theory, and his psychosexual theory. The course will further provide an overview of major theory developments in psychoanalysis and elucidate the contributions of selected other authors and their schools in psychoanalysis such as Anna Freud, Melanie, Klein, Erik Erikson, Winnicott, Fairbairn, Balint, and Bowlby, etc. Developmental models, notions of pathology, the role of the analyst, and the nature of healing will be examined. The discussions will include the application of psychoanalytic concepts in the clinical context, psychoanalytic technique and its specific interventions as they are relevant in classic psychoanalysis and contemporary psychodynamic psychotherapy.
PSY-707 Psychodynamic Theory II (2.0 units)
This course continues the historical and conceptual expansion of psychodynamic theory and explores different schools of psychoanalysis such as object relations theory, attachment theory, and self-psychology. The course will particularly elucidate the contributions of selected authors such as Melanie Klein, Winnicott, Fairbairn, Balint, and Bowlby, etc. Developmental models, notions of pathology, the role of the analyst, and the nature of healing will be examined. The discussions will include the application of psychoanalytic concepts in the clinical context, psychoanalytic technique, and its specific interventions as they are relevant in classic psychoanalysis and contemporary psychodynamic psychotherapy.
PSY-709 Psychodynamic Theory III (2.0 units)
This course expands the understanding of psychodynamic thinking into contemporary theories and current clinical practice. It explores the contributions of authors such as Christopher Bollas, Jessica Benjamin, Robert Stolorow, etc.
PSY-711 Neurobiology & Affect Regulation (3.0 units)
This course will study brain anatomy and function. The course will focus on the right brain and limbic system in order to understand the mind-brain-body connections that are the underpinnings of our emotional selves. It will also focus on understanding memory systems, the limbic and autonomic nervous systems and affect regulation as a basis for psychotherapy.
PSY-713 Psychodynamic Understanding of Attachment (3.0 units)
This course will teach John Bowlby’s original attachment theory, including separation and loss. Mary Ainsworth, Mary Main, and attachment research will be considered, as well as ways of measuring attachment categories. Neurobiology and affect regulation theory will be integrated into a conception of Modern Attachment Theory as written about by Allan Schore and Judith Schore. In this course we will study Classic and Modern Attachment theory.
PSY-715 Foundations of Child Psychodynamic Play Therapy (3.0 units)
This course presents the fundamental theories of psychodynamic child play therapy and focuses upon a variety of challenges, difficulties and disorders involved in child treatment. Students will learn how to integrate these concepts into clinical practice.
PSY-717 Pre to Adolescent Development & Psychopathology (3.0 units)
This course presents the normal and abnormal development of preadolescents and adolescents from a neurobiological and psychodynamic perspective. Theoretical and empirical findings are examined as related to assessment, etiology, the effects of trauma, and the major categories of child psychopathology based on the DSM-V.
PSY-719 Cultural Competence (3.0 units)
This course introduces students to the emergent contemporary psychoanalytic (relational and intersubjective systems theory) examining the impact of culture, gender, sexual orientation, and social location. This contemporary perspective serves as a corrective construct to the biases of classical psychoanalysis and ego psychology, with their often seen adherence to the dominant Eurocentric worldview, homophobia, and often racist attitudes. This course will explore how culture, color, and gender identification organize the experience of both the psychodynamic psychotherapist and the patient in the therapeutic process. We all have unconscious biases, based on our social context, positionality, and the potential effects of trauma. The course rigorously explores the implications of an ethical psychodynamic perspective which requires that we reflect on our privilege and the clinical implications of our social situatedness and cultural humility.
PSY-721 Integration of Psychoanalytic Work (3.0 units)
In this course, neurobiology and psychoanalytic psychotherapy are integrated, particularly as it relates to children and adolescents. The right brain and limbic system are examined in conjunction with the mind-brain-body connections that are the underpinnings of our emotional selves. The course focuses on integrating neurobiology, infant-parent research, trauma, and psychoanalytic models of the mind, as related to the treatment of children and adolesc
