Description
This practicum involves the delivery of cognitive behavioural therapy to cases selected from the UBC clinic referral list with supervision by an experienced clinician and group discussion of cases. The treatment approach is primarily a cognitive behavioural one, but elements of existential philosophy will be incorporated, as this provides an excellent foundation for the cognitive behavioural approach. The aim is to select appropriate CBT methods for the client’s particular life context and presenting set of problems, with CBT methodology remaining true to the relevant effectiveness literature while being creatively adapted to the client’s particular circumstances and coping style.
Types of Cases
Appropriate cases will involve a mixture of mood, anxiety, relationship, health condition and work issues. Primary substance abuse issues would not be addressed, nor would psychotic or severe personality disorders.
Caseload
Each student would at a given time carry two cases. If one case completes, another would be picked up, throughout the year.
Supervision Approach
Each student will receive one hour of individual supervision each week and both students together would be seen for another hour of supervision each week. Video recordings will be used to review progress with each of the cases being treated. The student will highlight particular parts of the session where clarification or feedback is sought and the supervisor will indicate where a specific verbal intervention was effectively done or could have been modified to be more effective. There will be an emphasis upon identifying the client’s problematic coping strategies and specifically addressing these to collaboratively formulate more effective strategies and work with the client to practice these new strategies in a safe and graduated way to encourage success experiences and steady change. As we review video sessions, it will be important to elucidate the thinking of the student and of the supervisor with regard to the presentation of this client as new aspects of this individual’s context or coping style emerge. CBT self-management workbooks will be used to help the client participate in an engaged manner in the change process.
At various points of the supervision, specific issues may arise that would benefit from examination of relevant clinical or research literature and students will be encouraged to seek out such literature and share what they learn in the supervision context. The underlying aim is to model good clinical practice which tracks changing scientific knowledge and integrates it into ongoing planning and implementation of treatment.