PSB_115 Psychopathology: approaching an understanding (level 2)

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2025

The course is not taught in Spring 2025

Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
Michael Friedrich, MSc (lecturer), PhDr. Pavel Humpolíček, Ph.D. (deputy)
Guaranteed by
PhDr. Pavel Humpolíček, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology – Faculty of Arts
Supplier department: Department of Psychology – Faculty of Arts
Prerequisites
PSA_0SZ Comprehensive Examination && PSB_114 Psychopathology - level 1
The course will be taught in English. The course will only be offered to students of Psychology. The maximum number of students is 25. Students are required to attend 80% of classes to pass the course.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 25 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/25, only registered: 0/25
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The objectives of this course are to teach the knowledge, skills and abilities associated with clinical engagement with psychopathology. This will deal with theory and practice associated with psychopathology in general – for example a discussion of the aims of treatment. It will also deal with the theory and practice associated with treating particular psychopathologies, such as borderline personality disorder.
Syllabus
  • 1) The history of the treatment of psychopathology.
  • In this seminar we will discuss the history of the treatment of psychopathology, particularly in the British context.
  • Literature:
  • Pilgrim, D. (1990). British psychotherapy in context, pp. 1-17. In W. Dryden (Ed) Individual Therapy: A Handbook. Milton Keynes: Open University Press.
  • 2) The aims of the treatment of psychopathology.
  • This seminar is an exploration of the aims of psychotherapy – to cure the patient, to help the other understand themselves, to impose societal values etc.
  • Literature:
  • Winnicott, D.W. (1962). Chapter 15: The aims of Psycho-Analytic Treatment, pp. 166-170. In D.W. Winnicott (1990) The Maturational Processes and the Facilitating Environment. London: Karnac.
  • 3) Thinking clinically about the treatability of patients with long term severe difficulty.
  • This is a discussion of what treatment, if any, can be offered to patients with long term severe difficulties.
  • Literature:
  • Bateman, A. & Holmes, J. (1995). Chapter 10: Psychoanalytic contributions to psychiatry, pp. 212-242. In A. Bateman & J. Holmes (1995). Introduction to Psychoanalysis: Contemporary Theory and Practice. London: Routledge.
  • Winnicott, D.W. (1963). Chapter 20: The Mentally Ill in your Caseload, pp. 217-229. In D.W. Winnicott (1990) The Maturational Processes and the Facilitating Environment. London: Karnac
  • 4) Thinking clinically about the treatment of borderline personality disorder.
  • This seminar presents a discussion of the treatment of borderline personality disorder.
  • Literature:
  • Winnicott, D.W. (1963). Chapter 19: Psychotherapy of Character Disorders, pp. 203-216. In D.W. Winnicott (1990) The Maturational Processes and the Facilitating Environment. London: Karnac
  • 5) Clinical thinking about the treatment of narcissistic patients.
  • In this seminar we will think about the treatment of narcissistic personality disorder from a Kleinian and post Kleinian perspective.
  • Literature:
  • Steiner, J. (1993). Psychic retreats. Chapter 4: Review: narcissistic object relations and pathological organizations of the personality, pp. 40-54. London: Routledge.
  • 6) Thinking about the treatment of schizoid patients.
  • In this seminar we will discuss the treatment of patients who have a schizoid personality disorder.
  • Literature:
  • Guntrip, H. (1962). Chapter 11: The Schizoid Compromise and Psychotherapeutic Stalemate, pp. 288-309. In H. Guntrip (1968) Schizoid Phenomena, Object Relations and the Self. London: Karnac Books.
  • 7) Working clinically with patients suffering from anxiety.
  • This seminar will be about trying to understand the patient’s fundamental anxieties and we will discuss stress management and anxiety management techniques. This is important with patients whose main symptom is anxiety, but it is important with all patients who wish to change and are going through pain barriers and feeling anxiety as part of this process.
  • Literature:
  • Winnicott, D.W. (1963). Chapter 18: Fear of Breakdown, pp. 87-95. In C. Winnicott, R. Shepherd & M. Davis (1989) (Eds) Psychoanalytic Explorations. London: Karnac Books.
  • 8) Working clinically with people who have difficulties with relationships.
  • In this seminar we will discuss clinical approaches to people who have relationship difficulties.
  • Literature:
  • Winnicott, D.W. (1971). Playing and Reality. Chapter 6: The Use of an Object and Relating Through Identifications, pp. 86-94. London: Routledge.
  • 9) Thinking clinically about patients who have been abused.
  • In this seminar we will think clinically about the difficulties which emotionally abused patients might present in therapy and how the therapist might usefully respond.
  • Literature:
  • Hirigoyen, M.-F. (1998). Stalking the Soul: Emotional Abuse and the Erosion of Identity. Chapter 12: Taking Charge Emotionally, pp. 183-197. New York: Helen Marx Books.
  • 10) Should the therapist meet the patient’s needs?
  • In this seminar we will discuss the therapist’s response to needy or hysterical patients.
  • Literature:
  • Casement, P. (1990). Further Learning from the Patient. Chapter 6: The meeting of needs in psychoanalysis, pp. 90-109. London: Tavistock Routledge.
  • 11) Inner and outer realities.
  • This seminar describes how the patient and therapist’s inner and outer realities interact during the process of working with the psychopathology of the patient.
  • Literature:
  • Casement, P. (1990). Further Learning from the Patient. Chapter 8: Inner and outer realities, pp. 125-136. London: Tavistock Routledge
  • 12) Helping patients achieve health as a search for their true self.
  • This seminar explores the idea of psychopathology as a false self organisation and treatment as an attempt to approach a truer self. Literature:
  • Winnicott, D.W. (1960). Ego Distortion in Terms of True and False Self, pp. 140-152. In D.W. Winnicott (1984). The Maturational Processes and the Facilitating Environment. London: Karnac Books.
Literature
  • Winnicott, D.W. (1971). Playing and Reality. Chapter 6: The Use of an Object and Relating Through Identifications, pp. 86-94. London: Routledge.
  • Winnicott, D.W. (1963). Chapter 20: The Mentally Ill in your Caseload, pp. 217-229. In D.W. Winnicott (1990) The Maturational Processes and the Facilitating Environment. London: Karnac
  • Winnicott, D.W. (1963). Chapter 18: Fear of Breakdown, pp. 87-95. In C. Winnicott, R. Shepherd & M. Davis (1989) (Eds) Psychoanalytic Explorations. London: Karnac Books.
  • Storr, A. (1979). The Art of Psychotherapy. London: Secker and Warburg.
  • Winnicott, D.W. (1960). Ego Distortion in Terms of True and False Self, pp. 140-152. In D.W. Winnicott (1984). The Maturational Processes and the Facilitating Environment. London: Karnac Books.
  • Guntrip, H. (1962). Chapter 11: The Schizoid Compromise and Psychotherapeutic Stalemate, pp. 288-309. In H. Guntrip (1968) Schizoid Phenomena, Object Relations and the Self. London: Karnac Books.
  • Winnicott, D.W. (1962). Chapter 15: The aims of Psycho-Analytic Treatment, pp. 166-170. In D.W. Winnicott (1990) The Maturational Processes and the Facilitating Environment. London: Karnac.
  • Casement, P. (1990). Further Learning from the Patient. Chapter 8: Inner and outer realities, pp. 125-136. London: Tavistock Routledge
  • Bateman, A. and Holmes, J. (1995). Introduction to Psychoanalysis, contemporary theory and practice. London and New York: Routledge.
  • Pilgrim, D. (1990). British psychotherapy in context, pp. 1-17. In W. Dryden (Ed) Individual Therapy: A Handbook. Milton Keynes: Open University Press.
  • Copies of individual papers relating to specific topics will be given to the students during the course.
  • Steiner, J. (1993). Psychic retreats. Chapter 4: Review: narcissistic object relations and pathological organizations of the personality, pp. 40-54. London: Routledge.
  • Bateman, A. & Holmes, J. (1995). Chapter 10: Psychoanalytic contributions to psychiatry, pp. 212-242. In A. Bateman & J. Holmes (1995). Introduction to Psychoanalysis: Contemporary Theory and Practice. London: Routledge.
  • Winnicott, D.W. (1963). Chapter 19: Psychotherapy of Character Disorders, pp. 203-216. In D.W. Winnicott (1990) The Maturational Processes and the Facilitating Environment. London: Karnac
  • Hirigoyen, M.-F. (1998). Stalking the Soul: Emotional Abuse and the Erosion of Identity. Chapter 12: Taking Charge Emotionally, pp. 183-197. New York: Helen Marx Books.
  • Casement, P. (1990). Further Learning from the Patient. Chapter 6: The meeting of needs in psychoanalysis, pp. 90-109. London: Tavistock Routledge.
Teaching methods
The knowledge, skills and abilities contained within the objectives of this course will be taught using direct teaching of theory, seminar discussion of this theory, discussion of clinical presentations, role play as therapist in relation to verbatim accounts of therapy sessions and discussion of DVD and video material.
Assessment methods
Assessment Methods
The course will be assessed by a written essay, which will enable the students to demonstrate their grasp of the objectives of the course and the relationship and interaction of the elements within these objectives.

The course will also be assessed by a written test in the classroom which will evaluate the student’s ability to grasp the course content in a similar way to that described above.

The essay and test will be in English.

Requirements and course enrolment limitations
The course will be taught in English. The course will only be offered to students of Psychology. The maximum number of students is 25.

Students are required to attend 80% of classes to pass the course.
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
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