Outline

Overview

This unit builds on the Long Conversation 2A (PSTY5209), providing supervision, intending to continue in semester 2 and support the clinical experience of running a second intensive psychodynamic psychotherapy of 2 sessions per week in the Conversational Model, while continuing supervision of a first case. Individual and small group supervision will centre on listening to audiotaped sessions of the psychotherapies of patients brought from the student's workplace or allocated from an associated psychotherapy program, discussing assessment, formulation and the establishment of the frame and contract, and the relevant initial, middle and ending phases of therapy. Supervision will focus on the microprocesses of the interaction including attunement, affect, transference, countertransference and co-transference, states of mind and language. The student will develop and refine skills in sensitive, responsive and reflective practice to foster the conversational flow of the therapy, the development of the therapeutic relationship and the patient's self, and higher levels of reflective capacity and coherence to allow the processing of trauma and the integration of traumatic experience. Repetitions and enactments will be addressed. Supervised case ending will be encouraged. This unit represents a higher order of knowledge, skills and attitudes in psychotherapy, preparing the student for specialist psychotherapy practice.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Brain and Mind Science
Credit points	3
Prerequisites ?	PSTY5201 and PSTY5207 and PSTY5208 and PSTY5209
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Anthony Korner, anthony.korner@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Andrea Szasz, andrea.szasz@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Philip Graham, philip.graham@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 2 September 2024

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Presentation	Clinical Viva Oral presentation	25%	Formal exam period	Refer to Canvas
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	2 x Discussion Boards (Presentations) Participation, Post and Reply required	0%	Multiple weeks	1st post (250 words)/Replies (100 words)
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Topic/Journal presentation Relating to an area of clinical interest (aligned to treatise topic)	15%	Multiple weeks	Refer to Canvas
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Discussion Board 1 (Week 2) Participation, Post and Reply required	7.5%	Week 03	1st post (250 words)/Replies (100 words)
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Discussion Board 2 (Week 4) Participation, Post and Reply required	7.5%	Week 05	1st post (250 words)/Replies (100 words)
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Discussion Board 4 (Week 8) Participation, Post and Reply required	7.5%	Week 09	1st post (250 words)/Replies (100 words)
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Discussion Board 6 (Week 12) Participation, Post and Reply required	7.5%	Week 13	1st post (250 words)/Replies (100 words)
Outcomes assessed:
Skills-based evaluation	Participation in supervision (Group) Refer to Canvas	15%	Weekly	Refer to Canvas
Outcomes assessed:
Skills-based evaluation	Participation in supervision (Individual) Refer to Canvas	15%	Weekly	Refer to Canvas
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ?

Assessment summary

Discussion Boards: There will be 6 discussion board and each will remain open for 2 weeks. Each student is expected to make a post of no less than 250 words including one or more references on the first week. Each student is also expected to make a response to one of the other student’s posts of no less than 100 words. Note some discussion boards will require at least one citation.
Topic / journal presentation: relating to an area of clinical interest (that should be aligned to treatise topic)
Clinical VIVA: Oral presentation
Supervision: Group and Individual

Assessment details and rubric can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

Result name	Mark range	Description
High Distinction	85-100
Distinction	75-84
Credit	65-74
Pass	50-64
Fail	0-49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy 2023 reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy 2023. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Multiple weeks	Facilitating meeting (Zoom) Weeks 2 & 11	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 01	Challenging problems: Remembering the Erotic.	Independent study (7 hr)
Week 02	Challenging problems: Erotic Transference.	Independent study (7 hr)
Week 03	Challenging scenarios: Maintaining an exploratory attitude in the face of social pressures in relation to LGBTQIA therapy and changing societal norms.	Independent study (7 hr)
Week 04	Challenging scenarios: The chronically suicidal patient.	Independent study (7 hr)
Week 06	Presentation by students to group zoom meeting on treatise-related clinical topic	Presentation (1 hr)
Week 06	Technique in psychotherapy: Separations and Endings.	Independent study (7 hr)
Week 07	Technique in psychotherapy: Enactments.	Independent study (7 hr)
Week 08	Realizing Self in Communicative Exchange	Independent study (7 hr)
Week 09	Presentation by students to group zoom meeting on treatise-related clinical topic	Presentation (1 hr)
Week 10	The bigger picture: What’s love got to do with it?	Independent study (7 hr)
Week 11	The Bigger Picture: The Long Conversation	Independent study (7 hr)
Week 12	The Bigger Picture: The wisdom of the dream	Independent study (7 hr)
Week 13	Reflections on Semester 1 / Unit of Study – developing a personal mythology.	Online class (7 hr)
Weekly	Supervision	Clinical practice (10 hr)
	Group Supervision	Clinical practice (13 hr)
	Think Tank Grand Rounds	Lecture (13 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Students must attend a minimum of 11 out of 13 of weekly classes or 100% of block mode workshops. Failure to meet this requirement will result in an Absent Fail grade for the unit.

- Non-attendance for reasons of illness or misadventure can be approved provided a special consideration form is submitted along with supporting documents (e.g. Professional Practitioners Certificate or Statutory Declaration). The University policy document regarding special consideration can be found in “Help and Resources” module in every Canvas course, under Special Consideration and other Policies, or at the link (https://sydney.edu.au/students). Note that special consideration must be requested within 3 days of the assessment due date.

Students must submit a genuine attempt for every assessment and earn an average mark of at least 50% for the unit as a whole.

- If a student has attempted and failed an assessment they may be given the opportunity for resubmission typically within a week of receiving their mark. This resubmission may be the same or an alternative task to the original and the maximum mark obtainable for a resubmission is 50%.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 3 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 60-75 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Celenza, A., Erotic Revelations. Clinical Applications and Perverse Scenarios. London & New York, Routledge, 2014.
D’Angelo, R (2020): The man I am trying to be is not me, The International Journal of Psychoanalysis, DOI: 10.1080/00207578.2020.1810049
Freud, S. (1937). Analysis Terminable and Interminable. Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 18:373- 405. (available on net)
Hobson, R. Forms of Feeling. London, Tavistock, 1985.
Korner, A., Communicative Exchange, Psychotherapy and the Resonant Self. London & New York, Routledge, 2020.
Koslowska, K. & Rethinking Healthcare Ethics r, S., Rethinking Healthcare Ethics. Singapore, Palgrave Macmillan, 2018.
Meares, R., Bendit, N., Haliburn, J., Korner, A., Mears, D. & Butt, D., Borderline Personality Disorder and the Conversational Model: A Clinician’s Manual. New York, Norton, 2012.
Meares, R., Intimacy and Alienation. London, Routledge, 2000.
Meares, R. The Metaphor of Play. 3rd edition. Hove, Routledge, 2005.
Meares, R. A Dissociation Model of Borderline Personality Disorder. New York, W.W. Norton, 2012.
Westmead Psychotherapy Program, Conversational Model Adherence Scale version 4 (CoMTAS)
Murray, D., The Madness of Crowds. Gender, Race and Identity. London, Bloomsbury Continuum, 2019.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Understand and apply the clinical framework in psychodynamic psychotherapy.
LO2. Understand and apply the general principles of the CM, as outlined in identified readings.
LO3. Become familiar with reporting on the experience of therapy within the expectational field.
LO4. Be able to articulate an ethical basis for longer term therapy.
LO5. Describe the relational factors that shape the development of self with a particular focus on the use of empathy
LO6. Distinguish between boundary crossings and boundary violations.
LO7. Apply the need for recognition and validation in practice.
LO8. Work with situations of reversals, impasse and disruptions in therapy
LO9. Discuss the major principles of psychodynamic therapy including the role of feeling and responsiveness, the capacity to picture things with the patient and work with the minute particulars.
LO10. Develop a flexible technique adaptable to a range of specific clinical presentations

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Meeting dates are now in Wks 2,6,9 and 12 We value your feedback about any aspect of the unit of study and your experience as a student of Sydney Medical School. To help ensure our courses meet your needs and maintain a high standard, we welcome your feedback at any time and we ask you to complete the Mid-Semester Evaluation Survey and the unit of study Evaluation Survey at the end of the semester. You can also rate any component of the unit using our star rating system found at the bottom of many pages as you progress through the unit. Your ratings and comments are anonymous and specifying what you liked and didn’t like about any of the learning materials, assessment items, discussion forums, feedback etc will help us to target our improvement efforts. Please note that your participation in this unit of study permits de-identified information about your learning experience and interaction with learning resources to be used for the purpose of improving the student learning experience.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

PSTY5210: The Long Conversation 2B

Semester 2, 2024 [Normal day] - Westmead, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect