The School of Constructivist Psychotherapy
The school of Constructivist Psychology prepares for psychotherapeutic practice following a model of interpretation and intervention derived from G. A. Kelly's Psychology of Personal Constructs. While following in the path of this tradition our approach develops and enriches it with the best of what the various constructivist schools have expressed in Europe and the world over the last 20 years.
The idea on which both the theoretical framework of the school and the clinical approach which students are taught hinges is that reality is not independent of who observes it, interprets it and experiences it. The person is considered as fundamentally engaged in making sense of his own world and in verifying how much of that sense is useful for living. This attention to the universe of meanings of the other differentiates our approach from models of clinical and psychotherapeutic practice that are still current and more widespread.
In the four-year course candidates will study not only the theory and practice of psychotherapy with individual patients, but also the application of the model to marriage, family and group therapy, as well as to organizational counselling, especially in the area of changes in corporate culture.
The pedagogy, the syllabus and the organization of the I.C.P. school of Psychotherapy reflect, the ethical mission and the innovative spirit of radical constructivism. This approach (through the re-reading of authors such as G.A. Kelly, G. Bateson, E. von Glasersfeld, K. Gergen, H. Maturana and Varela) looks at a person in their entirety as an active builder of theories, engaged in interpreting their world and in creating - through language, the negotiation of meanings and shared narratives - the social context in which they live. Within this frame of reference, which, compared to the clinical and psychological approaches still prevalent, is at the same time rigorous and revolutionary, candidates are trained in various fields of therapy or, more broadly, of change: individual, family, group, organization, and company systems. In accord with this approach, the personal evolution of each candidate, his or her formative and research choices, as well as the evolution of the class as a whole, are a priority object of attention.
Prof. Ughetta Micaela Maria Moscardino (Guarantor), Dr Francesco Velicogna e Dr Massimo Giliberto.
The school is part of a network of European schools of constructivist psychotherapy. This network aims to promote the exchange of experiences, contents and methods among teachers and students from various orientations who share a commitment to the constructivist paradigm. This aim is achieved, among other things, by encouraging and promoting exchanges of visiting faculty and of students, in a spirit of mutual welcome and cooperation. This is the reason why a functional knowledge of the English language (which is the official language of the network) is a preferential qualification for would-be candidates.
The course admits not more than 20 graduates in Psychology and in Medicine, who must be registered as qualified practitioners or acquire the professional qualification to practice within the first exam session following the actual beginning of the course.
The program takes four years to complete, at 500 hours per year, 140 of which are dedicated to internships. The 360 hours per year of classroom teaching (excluding the internship and each candidate's personal analysis) take place over 12 weekends (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) scheduled over course of the year at the location of the Institute of Constructivist Psychology in Padua, via Martiri della Libertà, 13.
The syllabus is divided into two main fields: theoretical teaching and practical training. The theoretical teaching takes up a total of 400 hours and includes:
Fundamentals
- Epistemological foundations of psychotherapy
- Ethics and deontology of psychotherapy
- Origins and evolutions of constructive psychotherapy
General
- General psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Research Methodology
- Psychology of Language
Social
- Social Psychology
- Constructivist Social Psychology
- Psychology of Organizations
- Constructivism and Total Institutions
Clinical
- Psychopathology
- Psychodiagnostics
- Psychopharmacology
- Child psychotherapy
- Psychotherapy in public institutions
- Psychosomatics
Models
- Elements of phenomenological therapy
- Elements of psychoanalysis and psychodynamic psychotherapies
- Elements of family therapy
- Elements of Gestalt therapy
- Elements of client-centered therapy
The theoretical syllabus is integrated by seminars in which topics of specific clinical relevance are treated in greater depth. The practical training - for a total of 1600 hours - includes:
- Personal group training
- Group exercises on clinical material
- Individual personal analysis
- Clinical supervision of the treatments performed by the students
- internships (performed in public or privately accredited institutions).
Successful attendance of the whole four-year course leads to the awarding of the "Specializzazione" recognized by the Ministry of University and Research. It is also possible to attend only the practical training, excluding personal analysis and internship (for a sum total of 1020 hours).
State regulations concerning institutes offering training in psychotherapy requires for each year of the course a practical-clinical internship in a public or private accredited institution, in which "the students can compare the specificity of their own training model with the needs expressed by the users and in which the student can acquire experience in clinical diagnosis and emergency intervention." (DM 11 December 1998 n° 509 art.8 comma 2). In accordance with the above-mentioned regulations, the ICP requires that the students attend a 140 hour-long internship for each year of the course. To this end, the Institute has stipulated agreements with various public and private institutions; new agreements are signed every year, also on students' recommendations.
The admission test takes place before a Committee made up of the Director, of the traning therapist responsible for the relevant course, and of the teaching co-ordinator and it includes:
- An individual interview to evaluate the professional curriculum of the candidate, his or her motivation and specific skills, the quality and the relevance of any scientific publications and his or her practical knowledge of the English language.
- An evaluation of the personal characteristics which emerge in group situations and team work (group task analysis).
Only students who have an attendance record of at least 80% will be permitted to enter the final examination each year.
The certificate awarded at the end of the course legally permits holders to work as professional psychotherapists. The certificate is awarded on the basis of an evaluation both of the technical and personal training, and of the theoretical-clinical proficiency attained by the student. The final exam consists of:
- A discussion of a paper about two clinical cases treated by the candidate in supervision
- A thesis on a subject agreed upon by one of the teachers of the course.
The examining commission will be made up of 5 members; the candidate's supervisor, 2 members of the Teaching Council and 2 qualified external psychotherapists. The final certificate is awarded to the students who at the end of the course have fulfilled the admission criteria and attendance requirements, have passed the intermediate and final evaluation, and have paid the course fees.
Is made up by the teachers of the theoretical area, those of the practical training, and by one student representing each year of the School. The Teachers' Council has the following tasks:
- Verify the quality of the syllabus, both in relation to the didactic activities performed and in relation to the syllabus requirements and to the update of the contents
- Prepare a syllabus register which allows students and the Council itself to monitor the work done to fulfill the criteria of the yearly and the final exams
- Define the method of the exams for the first 3 years
Students can meet the Director of the school and the Teaching Coordinator to discuss about didactic activity, training and their Diploma thesis one hour per month at the end of class.
Il patto chiarisce e specifica secondo un principio di trasparenza modalità, criteri e procedure che regolano il rapporto formativo fra la Scuola e l’allievo.
The yearly fee for the course of specialization which qualifies students to practice psychotherapy is € 4.200,00 (VAT free), including all mentioned activities and teaching materials, with the exception of the 20 hours of personal analysis (which vary in price according to the therapist chosen). The Institute will pay for accident insurance, the Insurance Policy and R.C.T. for course and training attendance.There is no extra enrolment fee.
The fee for attendance of the practical training course for professionals who are already officially qualified as practitioners of psychotherapy is € 2.200,00.
I professionisti già in possesso dell’abilitazione all’esercizio della psicoterapia (psicoterapeuti e psichiatri) che abbiano il desiderio di aggiornarsi ed acquisire un nuovo modello di interpretazione e di intervento mutuato dalla Psicologia dei Costrutti Personali di G.A. Kelly, possono conseguire una seconda specializzazione in psicoterapia accedendo al Corso Quadriennale di Specializzazione in Psicoterapia Costruttivista.
Criteri di ammissione
Al corso possono essere ammessi psicoterapeuti e psichiatri previo colloquio di ammissione. L'iscrizione è a numero chiuso e il numero dei posti disponibili varia di anno in anno.
Durata
I corsi hanno durata quadriennale per un totale di 1100 ore di formazione in aula così ripartite:
1° anno 240 ore
2° anno 270 ore
3° anno 310 ore
4° anno 280 ore.
Le lezioni sono distribuite in 12 weekend all'anno (venerdì, sabato e domenica).
Ogni anno dovranno essere svolte 140 ore di tirocinio.
Insegnamenti (numero ore totali nei quattro anni)
80 ore -Teoria Costruttivista e Psicologia dei Costrutti Personali
10 ore - Storia del costruttivismo
10 ore - Etica e deontologia in psicoterapia
60 ore - Attività seminariale
510 ore - Formazione pratica in gruppo
110 ore - Esercitazioni su materiale clinico
320 ore - Supervisione di casi clinici
1100 ore - Totale ore di formazione nei quattro anni
Frequenza ed esami
L'ammissione agli esami, al termine di ciascun anno di corso, è consentita a coloro che abbiano frequentato almeno l'80% delle ore di formazione.
Diploma finale
Al termine del corso è rilasciato il diploma di specializzazione in psicoterapia ad orientamento costruttivista. L'esame finale prevede:
- la discussione di una relazione scritta su due casi clinici trattati in psicoterapia durante la supervisione;
- la discussione di una tesi teorica su un argomento concordato con uno dei docenti del corso.
La Commissione Esaminatrice sarà composta da minimo tre membri: due membri del Consiglio dei Docenti (di cui almeno uno supervisore del candidato) e un membro esterno psicoterapeuta abilitato.
Costi
Il costo è di € 2.750,00 all'anno esente IVA e suddivisibile in rate.
The necessary forms needed to apply for admission to the school.
Please note the forms are only in Italian.
