This two year, part-time taught masters programme, delivered at Mater Misericordiae University Hospital Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, is for professionals who wish to specialise in using images in a psychotherapeutic context to understand the inner world of the child.
Theory and Practice of Child Art Psychotherapy 1 & 2
These modules are delivered through a series of lectures, seminars and case presentations over the two years of the course. They are taught throughout the course in conjunction with the Module on Child Art Psychotherapy Training, Supervision and Experiential/Reflective Group Work in a way that the trainees simultaneously acquire the theoretical knowledge and skills necessary for the competent professional practice of child art psychotherapy. Both modules are closely linked with the clinical placement.
Child Art Psychotherapy Training, Supervision and Experiential /Reflective Group Work 1 & 2
These modules are taught throughout the course and comprise child art psychotherapy training sessions, individual and group supervision of clinical practice and experiential /reflective group work. The development and understanding of the trainee’s own pictorial language is facilitated during the sessions and the visual images produced are used in an experiential/teaching context. Opportunities are provided for trainees to experience and reflect on the roles of both client and therapist.
Development of the Theory of Pictorial Thinking and Contributions of 20th Century Artists
This module is delivered in a semester 2 year 2. This module covers the thinking whereby artists use images to express and understand their inner world in pictorial form. It includes a series of lectures on the contributions to pictorial thinking by 20th century artists and examines the interaction between art and psychoanalysis.
Clinical Placement in a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Setting 1 & 2
The clinical placement is arranged by the course co-ordinator in liaison with the students and the clinical placement supervisors. The placements are situated within a variety of child mental health multidisciplinary settings throughout Ireland . The placement is for one full day per week. It commences in Semester 2 Year 1 and continues through to the end of Semester 3 Year 2. The clinical placement provides the opportunity for the trainee to acquire clinical skills in the application of child art psychotherapy within a multidisciplinary team setting.
The trainee learns to develop skills in observation, assessment, engaging in, maintaining and terminating the therapeutic process. Careful planning takes place with the placement supervisor in choosing suitable clients for the trainee. Prior to starting his/her own clinical work the trainee observes clinical sessions of the team members to become familiar with the variety of approaches practised in child and adolescent mental health services.The clinical placement also provides an understanding of the importance of organisational issues and professional responsibilities such as boundaries, confidentiality, appropriate ways of clinical note taking, report writing and sharing relevant information about the progress of the therapeutic process with the placement team and the child’s parents.
It is a course requirement that each trainee should work under supervision with at least three long cases during the period of the placement. Trainees take on further cases for child art psychotherapy assessment and shorter treatment periods. The opportunity to co-work with team members is a further requirement. Transparency is required in all communications regarding trainee status.The assessment of the trainee’s performance in the clinical placement of the course is based on criteria developed from the above aims and objectives.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health: Theory and Practice
The lectures for this module are delivered in semesters 1 and 2 of year 1 of the course by multidisciplinary senior professionals. The series of lectures cover:The psychology of the human life cycle from a number of developmental perspectives. The nature and aetiology of emotional, behavioural and developmental disorders in children and adolescents.
Theory and Practice of Other Relevant Psychotherapeutic Models
This module is delivered in semester 1 of Year 2. It introduces a number of other psychotherapeutic theoretical models and clinical practice. It includes lectures on the history and development of the principles of psychoanalytic thinking and explores the similarities as well as the differences between verbal and non-verbal models of psychotherapy.
Clinical Case Studies Essay
This essay of 3,000 words assesses trainees’ clinical competence, using clinical vignettes and ability to critically reflect on their own therapeutic interventions. This essay also demonstrates the trainee’s ability to work independently as a professional practitioner.
Criteria for marking include:
- Clarity of structure, style and description of clinical material.
- Understanding of the therapeutic relationship between therapist, client and the pictorial image.Awareness of the role of the therapist within the multidisciplinary team.
- Critical reflection on the therapeutic method applied in working with the client.Consideration will be given to the following which are required to be incorporated within the case study.
- Referral information / review of assessment sessions and extensive therapy sessions / review of relevant literature/ learning from experiential training sessions / multidisciplinary context of therapeutic approach. Time will be spent on the typing and presentation of the 2 drafts and the final submission.
Dissertation
The thesis dissertation embraces a broader perspective of child art psychotherapy than the clinical case study. It is distinguished from the case study by the selection of a topic which is researched, studied and presented in the light of varying clinical and theoretical models drawn from psychiatry, psychology, psychotherapy and other allied disciplines. The study is intended to enhance the trainee’s understanding of the philosophical underpinnings of child art psychotherapy and its application. A proposal of 1,500 words is submitted for approval in the summer semester of Year 1. A long draft of 8,000 – 10,000 words is submitted in the autumn semester of Year 2. The work for both drafts is supervised by course staff. The final thesis dissertation is submitted at the end of Semester 3 of Year 2. This is forwarded to the External Examiners for marking.
Criteria for marking include:
- Clarity of structure and formulation of the main theme.
- Appropriate use of clinical material to illustrate theoretical assumptions.
- Ability to compare ideas of others with own hypothesis.
- Ability to devise clinically useful conclusions based on theory and practice.
Research Methodology and Protocol
The Research Methodology module comprises formal teaching of 12 hours and subsequent submission of a research protocol of 3,000 – 5,000 words. This module is delivered in Semester 1 & 2 of year 1.
The format of the Research Protocol is:
- Review of relevant literature and aims of study.
- Hypothesis
- Selection of clients
- Proposed method, including procedure and instrumental measures
- Proposed analysis of results
