8 ECVET/ECTS / EQF Level 7 / 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th year of study – IDAP
Module Description:
This module focuses on process diagnostics and clinical interventions in psychotherapeutic work with children and adolescents. It studies key phenomena that occur within the therapeutic relationship, including transference, countertransference, resistances, regression, dissociation, grieving, work on dreams, and corrective emotional experience.
The module includes:
- Process Diagnostics – understanding the client’s internal dynamics through expressive and non-verbal modes of expression.
- Phenomenology of the Therapeutic Process – recognising key phenomena in clinical work and their function in therapy (transference, countertransference, projective identification, parallel process).
- Interventions in Work with Children and Adolescents – strategies aimed at adaptive restructuring of dysfunctional patterns.
- The Role of the Therapist – analysis of therapeutic boundaries, power dynamics, and responsibilities in working with vulnerable populations.
- Work with Parents and Contextual Factors – integrating the family and environment into the therapeutic process.
- Psychotherapeutic Phenomena in Work with Children and Adolescents – analysis of non-verbal and symbolic expressions within the therapeutic space.
- Grieving in Children and Adolescents – developmental specificities of mourning, coping strategies, and therapeutic interventions to support the grieving process.
- Stages of Grief (Kübler-Ross model and developmentally specific models) and how to recognise them in the therapeutic process.
- Work on Dreams – the symbolism of dreams in the psychotherapeutic process, interpretation, and use of dreams as a means of emotional processing.
- Non-verbal Communication Channels in Therapeutic Work – body language, expressive arts, and non-verbal expressions in therapy with children and adolescents.
Learning Outcomes:
Competencies
By the end of the module, students will be able to:
a) Apply process diagnostics to recognise key phenomena (grieving, the role of dreams, and unconscious processes) in therapy with children and adolescents.
b) Analyse and understand transference and countertransference reactions and utilise them in therapeutic work.
c) Apply integrative therapeutic methods in working with grieving, dreams, and other unconscious content based on the individual needs of the child and adolescent.
Knowledge
By the end of the module, students will have acquired:
a) A deep understanding of therapeutic process phenomena and their function in psychotherapy, including key concepts such as transference and countertransference dynamics.
b) Knowledge of intervention techniques tailored to the developmental stages of children and adolescents, emphasising therapeutic methods appropriate to the cognitive and emotional capacities of different ages.
c) Understanding of theoretical models of grieving and their implications in psychotherapy, including developmentally specific responses to loss, the symbolism of dreams in therapeutic work, and the dynamics of the therapist–client relationship, including resistances and ways to overcome them.
Skills
By the end of the module, students will develop:
a) The ability to structure therapeutic work with grieving children and adolescents, including recognising the stages of mourning and adapting the therapeutic approach to the individual needs of the client.
b) The skill to apply various techniques in grief work, including expressive methods, narrative approaches, and therapeutic interventions for emotional regulation.
c) Competence in working with families and supporting the environment, integrating a systemic perspective into the grieving process for children and adolescents, and collaborating with parents and other key figures in the child’s life.
Assessment of Knowledge and Competencies:
The module is assessed through:
– Clinical case analysis
– Practical demonstrations of therapeutic interventions
– Reflective essay
Total Learning Hours
| Total learning hours: 240 hours | Assessment of knowledge (examinations and presentations): 20 hours |
| Contact hours: 140 hours | Independent study: 80 hours |