| CODE | PSY5615 | |||||||||
| TITLE | Psychological Trauma: Working with PTSD, Complex Trauma and Related Issues | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Psychology | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit will focus on the foundational concepts of working with clients who have faced trauma experiences. Emphasis will be given to the various theoretical paradigms, techniques and strategies for intervention. Study-unit Aims: The main objective of this unit is to present an overview of the foundational concepts of working with post traumatic stress disorder and complex trauma. The students will be exposed to the different modalities of treatment which will be interweaved with practical "how-to-guidelines" from clinical experience. The students will be asked to become aware of their own personal assumptions related to trauma events and to think how these assumptions and other biases may hinder or help the therapeutic process. The unit will adopt a phenomenological approach to formulation of case presentations, emphasising a resilience perspective, including a depathologising use of language and a contextual understanding of the individual rather than a focus on psychiatric labels. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - comprehend the nature of traumatic experiences from the perspective of the clients and the ways in which these experiences and their aftermath influence their life; - discriminate between the different modalities of treatment of PTSD and complex trauma. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - conceptualise a case that centers both of an evidence-based treatment and on an empathic understanding of a client's life and individual trauma experiences rather than rely on his or her symptom profile or type of trauma exposure; - develop a strengths-based treatment plan to both reduce distress and dysfunction and promote the wellbeing of clients; - address the psychological risks in practitioners working with traumatised clients. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main texts: - Wilson, J.P., Friedman, M.J., & Lindy, J.D. (Eds) (2001). - Treating psychological trauma and PTSD. New York: Guilford. - Meichenbaum, D. (1994). Treating post-traumatic stress disorder: a Handbook and practice manual for therapy. New York: Wiley Supplementary readings: - Briere, J.N. (2004). Psychological assessment of adult post traumatic states: Phenomenology, diagnosis, and measurement. (2nd ed.) Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. - Briere, J.N. & Lanktree, C.B. (2012). Treating complex trauma in adolescents and young adults. London: Sage. - Courtois, C.A. & Ford, J.D. (2013). Treatment of complex trauma. A sequenced, relationship-based approach. London: Guildford Press. - Rothschild, B. (2011). Trauma essentials. The go-to guide. London: W.W. Norton. - Jonsson, P.V. (2009). Complex trauma. Impact on development and possible solutions on an adolescent intensive care unit. Clinical child psychology and psychiatry, 14, 437-456. - Joseph, S. Williams, R., & Yule, W. (1997). Understanding post-traumatic stress: a psychosocial perspective on PTSD and treatment. New York: Wiley. - Marsella, A.J., Friedman, M.J., Gerrity, E.T., & Scurfield, R.M. (1996). (Eds.) Ethnocultural aspects of post-traumic stress disorder: issues, research and clinical applications. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. - Wilson, J.P. (2006). The post traumatic self. Restoring meaning and wholeness to personality. London: Routledge. - Yule, W. (1999). (Ed). Post-traumatic stress disorders: Concepts and therapy. New York: Wiley. - Bass, E., & Davis, L. (1988). The courage to heal: a guide for women survivors of child sexual abuse. London: Vermillion. |
|||||||||
| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Pre-Requisite qualifications: BPsy Hons or equivalent | |||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Seminar | |||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
|
|||||||||
| LECTURER/S | Clarissa Sammut Scerri |
|||||||||
|
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
||||||||||