Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Training Program

The Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Training Program is a two-year postgraduate certificate program for mental health professionals. Classes combine lectures, discussion, case presentations and clinical examples. In addition to the lecturer, each class includes a coordinator from the steering committee whose job is to integrate the classes, stimulate discussion and monitor students’ development. Topics include principles of child development, psychopathology, assessment, parent work and psychotherapy of children and adolescents from a primarily psychodynamic orientation. The learning process is enhanced by weekly supervision with senior child therapists. Child psychotherapy and concurrent work with parents differs greatly from adult psychotherapy. Postgraduate training, focused on the inner and personal world of the child, deepens the clinician’s understanding of the unfolding dynamics. Working with the whole child requires working with parents and understanding the school and community context. The scope of the coursework and the broad experience of our faculty offer clinicians in both public service agencies and private practice a unique opportunity to enhance their professional lives.

CURRICULUM

The focus of the first year is development, assessment, introduction to psychodynamic therapy, and principles of psychotherapy. Class topics include

  • Parent and child assessment
  • Case formulation
  • Introductions to object relations theory
  • Development from infancy through late adolescence
  • Psychopathology
  • Defenses
  • Use of affect
  • Play therapy

The focus of the second year is on-going psychotherapy and principles of psychotherapy.

Class topics include:

  • Transference and countertransference
  • Working with resistance and defenses
  • Conceptualizing parent work
  • On-going work with young children, latency aged children and adolescents
  • Technique
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Working with depression, anxiety, developmental delays, learning disorders, trauma and substance abuse

READINGS

For each lecture, two or three articles or chapters are assigned for students to read before the lecture.

SUPERVISION

Over the two-year course, students are required to receive sixty hours of supervision by approved faculty members. Students are assigned to supervisors and meet in the supervisor’s office.

SCHEDULE

Classes begin in September and last through May, meeting on Wednesday evenings from 6PM to 9:30PM with a half hour break for dinner. There are thirty class meetings each year.

ELIGIBILITY AND SELECTION

The program is open to psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, psychiatric nurses, professional counselors, and other licensed mental health professionals. Class size is limited to ten. Each student is expected to have child and/or adolescent psychotherapy patients in treatment to discuss in supervision. Personal therapy is strongly recommended. Students are asked to submit a curriculum vitae and a statement about their interest in the program. Qualified applicants will be invited for interviews with faculty members. Applicants are expected to provide professional references.

Faculty

Jane Nielson, MSW, Chair

Steering Committee

Sandra Boots, MSW
Benson Forman, PhD
Denise C.K. Fort, PhD
Tom Holman, PhD
Richard Ruth, PhD
Anne Wake, PhD

Faculty
Gavin Behrens, MSW
Mimi Blasiak, MSW
Mauricio Cortina, MD
Georgia DeGangi, PhD
Elizabeth Miller, MSW
Bruce Pickle, PsyD

TUITION

Tuition for the academic year is $2,300. There is a separate fee for supervisory hours.

Limited scholarship money for tuition is available, based on financial need and merit. See