Module Directory

This module aims to enhance and further strengthen students’ theoretical and practice-based understanding of psychodynamic observation, to further support students in developing employability skills required in the care sector and to continue developing a psychodynamic approach to reflective practice.

Students will learn to apply their growing grasp of psychodynamic theory to everyday professional encounters and to develop their appreciation of the role of unconscious and emotional communication in working life.

Students will be asked to undertake their own observations initially in the community and later in their placement, to write these up and present them in seminars. They will hone their perception and receptivity in terms of detail and develop their sensitivity to what they observe and the importance of noticing their own emotional responses. It will enable them to reflect on their own process in observations and in groups and to become more self-aware.  They will become increasingly alert to the conscious and unconscious ways in which their capacity to observe and participate in learning is influenced by their experiences, and the way their own self-awareness affects their capacity to provide therapeutic care to others.

The aims of this module are:

• To enable students to understand the application of psychodynamic concepts and insights to all aspects of human experience.


• To deepen their capacity to use psychodynamic observation as a key skill in therapeutic care practice.


• To develop employability skills related to psychodynamic assessment and case presentation and reflective practice.


• To further support students in developing employability skills required in the social care, education and health sectors.


• To enable students to work within their chosen field of interest.


• To enable students to apply learning from their programme directly into the workplace.


• To continually reflect upon their abilities and performance in this role.


• To establish a reflective space for acknowledging and processing the emotional and psychological implications of the material studied on this course.


• To develop the capacity for self-reflection and an awareness of the influence of one’s own processes and personal experiences.

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

1. Demonstrate a deeper understanding of psychodynamic observation theory including its application to organisations.


2. Demonstrate greater ability to observe detail and to perceive subtle indications of emotional and unconscious dynamics.


3. Demonstrate awareness of the use of psychodynamic observation in work with clients.


4. The capacity to apply psychodynamic thinking to everyday professional encounters.


5. Have gained a deeper knowledge and experience about their chosen care sector.


6. Had a further opportunity to apply their learning within a work setting.


7. Have gained further experience of direct work with clients, the issues and dilemmas raised by this alongside the enriching aspects of therapeutic work. Direct work will be supervised by staff in placement.


8. Have sustained a working relationship with colleagues on placement and their placement supervisor.


9. Demonstrate a more sophisticated level of understanding and insight in their application of psychodynamic ideas to work-based practice.


10. Use their reflective journal to process their experiences.


11. Further develop a conscious use of self (self-awareness) in professional relationships.


12. Become increasingly reflexive and recognise the relationship between self-awareness and therapeutic care.


13. Demonstrate an enhanced understanding of key concepts and ideas in reflective practice.

The module will be delivered via:

• Seminars lasting 2hrs per week

Seminars will concentrate on the discussion of observation presentations. Students will be asked to undertake their own observations in the workplace, to write these up and present them in seminars.  Later in the term, to support and underpin this practice, there will be a series of three Theory Seminars.

• Assignment support, reviews and reflective groups.

The reflective groups are facilitated by teaching staff but they will be in a distinct role within the groups as facilitators and not as tutors. They will introduce the purpose of the group, their own role and they will keep time.  Each Reflective Group will occur within the teaching day.  It will last for 50 mins.  Afterwards there will be 10 minutes to consider the experience.