The Washington School of Psychiatry

a dynamic learning and treatment community for all mental health practitioners making a difference

pictures of WSP programs

Skip Navigation

CENTRAL CONCEPTS IN DYNAMIC PSYCHOTHERAPY

Lenore Shapiro, MSW, Chair

Central Concepts in Dynamic Psychotherapy is an introductory psychodynamic training program focusing on fundamental principles. It includes a classroom segment and a practicum segment. Trained psychotherapists teach central concepts, and present and discuss relevant clinical material in addition to supervising students' clinical work. Students completing the program gain a good working knowledge of core psychodynamic language and concepts, and an ability to read and understand the psychodynamic literature. The program's duration is one year.

CURRICULUM

  • What is psychotherapy? The therapeutic relationship vs. the real relationship; an overview of transference; the therapeutic alliance; the unconscious; making the initial phone contact; the early sessions: establishing the frame - place, time and money; cancellation policy; open-ended vs. structured interviews; recommendations for treatment
  • Fundamental concepts of dynamic psychotherapy. Unconscious mental processes, fantasy, unconscious and conscious, compromise formations, drive, defense, therapeutic resistances, psychic determinism, repetition compulsion, normal development, psychopathology
  • Transference. Definition of transference; how psychotherapy elicits transference; examples of transference during initial phone contact, opening sessions and middle phase of treatment; working with transference
  • Countertransference. Narrow and broad definitions of countertransference; illustration of the continuum from conscious to unconscious countertransference; how the therapist becomes aware of countertransference; how the therapist makes use of it
  • Middle phase of psychotherapy. How psychotherapy unfolds; how the therapist applies the basic concepts in the ongoing work of psychotherapy
  • Termination of psychotherapy. Definition of termination; differences between planned and unplanned termination; how to apply basic concepts to termination; transference and countertransference in termination

SCHEDULE

Classes meet on Thursday evenings, 7 to 9 p.m.; there are 30 classes in the program.

SUPERVISION

The program includes a practicum segment, designed to provide experience conducting psychotherapy under supervision. Students may see patients at the School's nonprofit Eugene Meyer III Treatment Center or at their own worksites, if appropriate.

Students are required to have a minimum of 30 hours of supervision with a faculty member during the year. Fees are set well below current private practice rates.

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must have an advanced degree in a mental health field. The class is designed for new graduates, as well as students with advanced degrees who have been providing services such as crisis management or case management since graduating, but who have not provided psychotherapy in the course of their professional careers or in recent years.

TUITION AND FEES

Tuition for the 2008–2009 academic year is $1,200. Supervision fees and required course materials are additional. Limited scholarship money for tuition may be available, based on financial need and merit.