University of Essex

PA217-5-AU-CO:
Psychodynamic Concepts

The details

Year: 2024/25

Department: Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies

Campus: Colchester Campus

Term: Autumn

Level: Undergraduate: Level 5

Status: Current

Start date: Thursday 03 October 2024

End date: Friday 13 December 2024

Credits: 15

Last updated: 13 June 2024

Requisites for this module

Pre-requisites: (none)

Co-requisites: PA210 and PA211

Pre and / or co-requisites: (none)

Prohibited modules: (none)

Key module (requisite for): PA257

Key module for

DIPLC89A09 Psychodynamic Approaches,
DIPLC89A24 Psychodynamic Approaches,
MA C89D36 Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy (3 year),
MA C89D48 Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy (4 year),
MA C89DFD Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy (3 year)

Module description

This module offers an understanding of the key theoretical concepts used in psychodynamic thinking, relating both to individuals and personal relationships and to group and organisational dynamics.

In particular, it helps students understand the unconscious dynamics at work in individuals and families, and become able to apply their understanding beyond individuals in relation to groups and organisations. The module aims to establish a theoretical foundation for the rest of the programme. As such students will study the basis of a psychodynamic approach, the key theoretical ideas and their place within the discipline. The discipline is understood with reference to its place in social science and the underpinning philosophical assumptions are considered.

Module aims

The module aims are:

To familiarise students with the key concepts of psychodynamic thinking applied to individuals and families

To help students understand the underpinning assumptions of psychodynamic thinking and its place in Social Sciences

To build on students' understanding of the psychodynamics of human behaviour by applying these ideas to groups and organisations

To become aware of the unconscious dynamics at work in individuals, families, groups and organisations

To understand the importance of the unconscious in everyday life and in clinical presentations

To understand the importance of these theoretical ideas in later working with clients as a psychodynamic practitioner.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students will be expected to be able to:

Understand key psychodynamic concepts about individuals and personal relationships and their place in the discipline

Be aware of the place of psychodynamic thinking in the social sciences

Be familiar wiith the role of the unconscious and unconscious processes in relationships and interactions

Be familiar with key psychodynamic concepts relating to organisational dynamics

Be aware of the implications of psychodynamic concepts for later work with clients

Module information

No additional information available.

Learning and teaching methods

This module will be delivered via:

10 weeks of 2 hour seminars
Teaching is divided into two components, the first hour is a taught seminar, the second hour is a group discussion
Seminars may include workshops and other exercises

Bibliography

Braddock, L. and Lacewing, M. (2007) ‘How do psychoanalysts know what they know?’, in M. Rustin (ed.) The academic face of psychoanalysis: papers in philosophy, the humanities, and the British clinical tradition. London: Routledge, pp. 172–195. Available at: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=529420&site=ehost-live&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_172.
Caper, R. (2009) ‘The goals of clinical psychoanalysis’, in Building out into the dark: theory and observation in science and psychoanalysis. London: Routledge, pp. 15–18. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=1581990.
Phillips, A. (2007) Winnicott. New ed. London: Penguin. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/800225.
Joseph, B., Feldman, M. and Spillius, E.B. (1989) ‘Object relations in clinical practice’, in Psychic equilibrium and psychic change: selected papers of Betty Joseph. London: Routledge, pp. 203–216. Available at: https://pep-web-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/search/document/nlp.009.0001a#p0203.
Kegerreis, S. (2010a) ‘Key Theoretical Ideas in Psychodynamic Thinking’, in Psychodynamic counselling with children and young people: an introduction. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 12–21. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=4762791.
Trowell, J. (1995) ‘Key psychoanalytic concepts’, in The emotional needs of young children and their families: using psychoanalytic ideas in the community. London: Routledge, pp. 12–21. Available at: https://www-taylorfrancis-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203135129-6/key-psychoanalytic-concepts-judith-trowell?context=ubx&refId=44b3f60a-2427-4ec9-9dca-3507cd6c1499.
Slater, P. (no date) ‘Anxiety –“the dizziness of freedom”: The Developmental Factors of Anxiety as seen through the lens of Psychoanalytic Thinking’, in. Available at: https://www.semanticscholar.org/reader/bd859ddca1d41d862701785576d11598a94029b6.
Deborah Abrahams , and Poul Rohleder (2021) A Clinical Guide to Psychodynamic Psychotherapy. Taylor & Francis Group. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/reader.action?docID=6468481&ppg=144.
Freud, A. (1968) ‘The Mechanisms of Defense’, in The ego and the mechanisms of defence. London: Hogarth Press for the Institute of Psycho-Analysis. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=709572.
Salzberger-Wittenberg, I. (1970) ‘Persecutory Anxieties and Defences Against them in the Adult, Child and Infant’, in Psycho-analytic insight and relationships: a Kleinian approach. London: Routledge & K. Paul. Available at: http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9780203722596/chapters/10.4324/9780203722596-14.
McWilliams, N. (2011) Psychoanalytic diagnosis: understanding personality structure in the clinical process. 2nd ed. New York: Guilford Press. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=735603.
Dina Rosenbluth (1970) ‘Transference in Child Psychotherapy’, Journal of Child Psychotherapy, 2, pp. 72–87. Available at: https://pep-web-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/search/document/jcptx.002d.0072a.
Gianna Henry, Elsie Osborne, Isca Salzberger-Wittenberg (1999) ‘Aspects of the Student’s Relationship to the Teacher’, in The emotional experience of learning and teaching. London: Karnac Books. Available at: http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9780203393093/chapters/10.4324/9780203393093-10.
Holmes, G. and Perrin, A. (1997) ‘Countertransference: What is it? what do we do with it?’, Psychodynamic Counselling, 3(3), pp. 263–277. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13533339708402492#TANDF.
Heimann, P. (1950) ‘On Counter-Transference’, The International journal of psycho-analysis, 31, pp. 81–84. Available at: https://pep-web-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/search/document/ijp.031.0081a.
Miller-Pietroni, M. (1999) ‘Containment in theory and practice’, Psychodynamic Counselling, 5(4), pp. 407–427. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13533339908404980.
Shohet, R. (1999) ‘Whose feelings am I feeling? Using the concept of projective identification’, in Loving, hating, and survival: a handbook for all who work with troubled children and young people. Aldershot: Ashgate. Available at: https://www-taylorfrancis-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429445347-4/whose-feelings-feeling-using-concept-projective-identification-robin-shohet?context=ubx&refId=cbca8ac7-4e64-4f01-a19a-e9bdc1f0d239.
Howard, S. (2017) Skills in psychodynamic counselling & psychotherapy. Second edition. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/284692.
Halton, W. (1994) ‘Some unconscious aspects of organisational life: contribution from psychoanalysis’, in The Unconscious at work: individual and organizational stress in the human services. London: Routledge, pp. 11–18. Available at: http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9780203359860/chapters/10.4324/9780203359860-8.
De Board, R. (1978) The psychoanalysis of organizations: a psychoanalytic approach to behaviour in groups and organizations. London: Tavistock Publications. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=179926.
Anton Obholzer and Vega Zagier Roberts (1994) ‘The troublesome individual in the troubled institution’, in The Unconscious at work: individual and organizational stress in the human services. London: Routledge, pp. 129–138. Available at: http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9780203359860/chapters/10.4324/9780203359860-21.
Obholzer, A. (1994) ‘Authority, power and leadership: contributions from open systems theory’, in The Unconscious at work: individual and organizational stress in the human services. London: Routledge, pp. 39–47. Available at: http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9780203359860/chapters/10.4324/9780203359860-11.
Hinshelwood, R.D. and Skogstad, W. (2000) ‘The dynamics of healthcare institutions’, in Observing organisations: anxiety, defence, and culture in health care. London: Routledge, pp. 3–16. Available at: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=63894&site=ehost-live&authtype=sso&custid=s9814295&ebv=EK&ppid=Page-__-17.
Main, T. and Johns, J. (1989) The ailment and other psychoanalytic essays. London: Free Association Books.

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam	Description	Deadline	Coursework weighting
Coursework	Formative essay	18/11/2024	0%
Coursework	Essay	15/01/2025	100%

Exam format definitions

Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework	Exam
100%	0%

Reassessment

Coursework	Exam
100%	0%

Module supervisor and teaching staff

Supervisor: Ms Joanne Emmens, email: je23897@essex.ac.uk.

Teaching staff:

Contact details: Student Administrator 5A.202; telephone 01206 873745; email ppspgt@essex.ac.uk Email: ppspgt@essex.ac.uk

Availability

Available to incoming Essex Abroad / Exchange students: No

Available to Outside Option: No

Available to Audit: Yes

External examiner

Name: Mr Mike Keating

Institution: Wessex Counselling and Psychotherapy

Academic role: Head of Training

Resources

Teaching materials: Available via Moodle

Lecture recording: Of 10 hours, 0 (0%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
10 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

Further information

Department website: Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies

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Module Directory

PA217-5-AU-CO:Psychodynamic Concepts