Psychotherapy with Individuals Assignments

Psychotherapy with Individuals Assignments

Introduction

In the course of the clinical experience, I have had an opportunity to interact with clients requiring psychotherapy for various psychological and psychiatric disorders. I have applied my psychiatric nursing knowledge to develop psychiatric diagnoses for clients undergoing psychotherapy. Besides, I have developed practicum journals assessing the efficacy of existential-humanistic therapy for clients receiving psychotherapy. I have further learned the legal and ethical issues involved when counseling clients diagnosed with psychiatric conditions. Through the psychotherapy practicum experience, I have been supervised by my preceptor, who has offered lots of guidance on how to provide psychotherapy services. The purpose of this journal is to reflect on my overall practicum psychotherapy experience.

Whether My Therapeutic Theory Has Changed As A Result Of the Practicum Experiences

My therapeutic theory focused more on addressing a client’s behavior and thought patterns, and it was short-term. It was generally focused on addressing clients’ presenting symptoms and helping them find ways to control or relieve those symptoms. It entailed assisting a client in identifying and defining the unhealthy behaviors and thoughts associated with a problem. After defining, I would then offer the client strategies to respond differently to the issue and think differently. My therapeutic theory aimed at helping clients take charge of their lives and identify their experiences as positive ones.

My interactions with clients undergoing psychotherapy during the practicum experiences have made me address clients’ issues from a different angle. Though my therapeutic theory has not completely changed, I have learned the importance of looking into a client’s background, such as childhood experiences, how they were nurtured, and relationship history. (Boadella, 2016) Learning a person’s background has helped me understand how a person’s past affects and influences the present adult personality. I have come to believe that the challenges we face in adulthood, develop from our life experiences.

I have adopted the integration of a psychodynamic approach when taking a client’s childhood history, such as family dynamics, conflicts, type of family rules, presence of friends, and studying habits (Boadella, 2016). History is an indicator of how an individual’s personality develops, which eventually affects experiences with other people (Capuzzi & Stauffer, 2016). By using a psychodynamic approach, I have been able to come up with ideas of how a client’s issues began and develop an effective psychotherapy plan to address the problems.

How I Integrated the Therapeutic Approaches from This Course in the Clinical Practice

Counseling therapies focus on four primary aspects of an individual, mainly background, behavior, emotions, and thoughts. Therapies that focus on an individual’s background include psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapies (Boadella, 2016). Psychoanalysis stresses on changing undesirable behaviors, feelings, and thoughts by exploring the unconscious meaning and motivation (Capuzzi & Stauffer, 2016). During the practicum experience, I incorporated the psychoanalytic approach when creating a close partnership with my clients to understand their backgrounds as well as how their past may be influencing their present behavior. I have also learned that establishing a therapeutic relationship with clients allows them to explore their interactions and learn more about themselves (Capuzzi & Stauffer, 2016). I included various psychoanalytic strategies during psychotherapy such as free association, interpretation, analyzing repetitive patterns, and modification of defense mechanisms.

Behavior therapy is also a therapeutic approach that emphasizes the role of learning when developing normal and abnormal behaviors. The therapy is based on the assumption that behavior is learned and acquired through exposure, experiences, conditioning, rewards, and punishments (Capuzzi & Stauffer, 2016). The practicum experience has enabled me to recognize nonproductive behaviors that could be harmful to clients or those surrounding them. I have learned that behavior can be unlearned and be replaced with new, healthy, and effective behaviors (Trower, Jones & Dryden, 2015). I integrated the behavioral therapy in counseling clients with abnormal and undesired behaviors to help them control or acquire new behavior. I also used rewards to encourage desirable behaviors and punishments to discourage and suppress unhealthy behaviors. The behavioral therapy approach was used to target behaviors such as substance use, interpersonal skills, parenting, executive functioning, self-care, eating, exercise, and working.

I integrated a cognitive therapy approach to change clients’ thoughts to change their emotions and actions. Cognitive therapy stresses on people’s thoughts rather than their actions (Trower, Jones & Dryden, 2015). Besides, the therapy is based on the belief that dysfunctional thinking contributes to dysfunctional emotions and behaviors. Cognitive therapists propose that an individual’s emotions, behaviors, and opinions of the world develop from their thoughts. If they can change their thoughts to positive and healthy ones, they will likely have positive changes in their emotions and behaviors (Trower, Jones & Dryden, 2015). I incorporated cognitive therapy by including strategies such as thought-blocking, imagery, affirmations, and self-talk. I also helped clients to transform unhealthy and dysfunctional thoughts into health and beneficial ones.

Integrating psychoanalytic, behavioral, and cognitive therapies in my clinical practice helped me to meet the goals and objectives that I had developed at the beginning of this course. By incorporating the psychoanalytic approach, I was able to meet my objective of understanding past experiences that contribute to psychological problems in the future. I also achieved my goal of offering cognitive-behavioral therapy by helping clients have desirable behaviors by changing negative thoughts to positive ones. My objective was to help clients with dysfunctional behaviors improve their behavior patterns to healthy ones to promote their mental wellbeing. Integrating behavior therapy enabled me to counsel clients and change their behavior, especially those with drug and alcohol addiction problems, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and abnormal eating behaviors.

How I Might Impact Social Change through My Work with Clients Who Have Mental Health Issues

During psychotherapy sessions with clients, I tried to lower the social stigma associated with mental health. I informed clients that having a mental condition is similar to having an illness affecting other body systems. I also explained to them the cause of mental illness and how they can be treated using pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. Besides, I motivated clients to adhere to psychotherapy sessions and medication regimen to promote overall wellbeing and prevent relapse or worsening of the symptoms in the future. I taught clients how to recognize a person with mental health issues and the ways they can help an individual with psychological or mental disorders to seek medical treatment and professional counseling.

A majority of my clients had a history of alcohol abuse or drug substance abuse, which resulted in inappropriate and aggressive behaviors. I counseled the clients and helped them control their addiction and change their behaviors into healthy ones.  This will help lower the population of teenagers and youth in the society who engage in substance abuse. Moreover, it will help reduce the rate of self-harm and suicides in the community, which are caused by alcohol and substance abuse.

References

Boadella, D. (2016). Common Ground and Different Approaches in Psychotherapy–Biosynthesis a Somatic Psychotherapy.

Capuzzi, D., & Stauffer, M. D. (2016). Counseling and psychotherapy: Theories and interventions. John Wiley & Sons.

Trower, P., Jones, J., & Dryden, W. (2015). Cognitive behavioral counseling in action. Sage.

• Syllabus, including the Course Schedule, located below as a linked PDF
• Term Calendar
• Student Support

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Credit Hours

• 5 quarter hours in 11 weeks

Walden University assigns credit hours based on the number and type of assignments that enable students to achieve the course learning objectives. In general, each semester credit equals about 42 hours of total student work and each quarter credit equals about 28 hours of total student work. This time requirement represents an approximate average for undergraduate work and the minimum expectations for graduate work. The number and kind of activities estimated to fulfill time requirements will vary by degree level and student learning style and by student familiarity with the delivery method and course content. NURS 6640 – Psychotherapy with Individuals – Syllabus.

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Course Description

Psychotherapy involves giving more than “good advice.” In order for the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) to be effective, deliberate approaches to therapy must be consistent with evidence-based practices. Learners in this course examine a variety of therapeutic techniques that can be used during psychotherapy sessions with individuals across the lifespan. Emphasis is placed on evidence-based applications of various therapeutic approaches for a wide range of psychiatric issues. Practicum experiences focus on psychotherapeutic approaches with individuals. NURS 6640 – Psychotherapy with Individuals – Syllabus.

Note: This course requires a minimum 144 practicum hours

Also Check Out: NURS 6640 Week 1: Foundations of Psychotherapy Essay Assignment

Psychotherapy with Individuals Assignments

Course Prerequisites

• NURS 6630 Psychopharmacological Approaches for Treatment of Psychopathology

Course Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will:

• Evaluate evidence-based psychotherapeutic counseling theories
• Apply psychotherapeutic counseling techniques and tools
• Assess clients presenting for psychotherapy
• Develop psychiatric diagnoses for clients across the lifespan
• Evaluate the use of psychopharmacological agents with clients across the lifespan
• Evaluate ethical and legal implications of counseling clients presenting for psychotherapy
• Analyze strategies to become a social change agent for psychiatric mental health

Click on the following link to view the Outcomes/Alignment map for NURS 6640:

Document: NURS 6640 SON Alignment of Learner Outcomes (PDF)

Course Materials

Please visit the university bookstore via your Walden student portal to ensure you are obtaining the correct version of any course texts and/or materials noted in the following section. When you receive your materials, make sure that all required items are included. NURS 6640 – Psychotherapy with Individuals – Syllabus.

Course Text

Wheeler, K. (Ed.). (2014). Psychotherapy for the advanced practice psychiatric nurse: A how-to guide for evidence-based practice. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

Note: The course text will be used in additional courses in the program; therefore keep it for addition reference.

Other readings (journal articles, websites, book excerpts, etc.) are assigned throughout the course and may be found within each week. NURS 6640 – Psychotherapy with Individuals – Syllabus.

Course Readings List

The Course Readings List contains all of the required Walden Library resources for this course. Please click on the following link to access the list:

NURS 6640 Course Readings List

Media

Assigned course media elements are found within the weekly Learning Resources pages and are available via a streaming media player or a hyperlink to the individual item.

Dedicated Support for Course Media

You may use the following e-mail address and toll-free number for any questions or concerns you have about media in the course. NURS 6640 – Psychotherapy with Individuals – Syllabus

Permalink: https://nursingmasters.blog/psychotherapy-wi…uals-assignments/

Course Assignments

Online Discussion and Clinical Supervision

The exchange of ideas between colleagues engaged in scholarly inquiry is a key aspect of graduate-level learning and is a requisite activity in this course.

Requirements: You are expected to participate at least two separate days a week in the weekly Discussion area. Discussion topics/questions are provided in the Discussion area. In addition, you are expected to respond to your fellow students’ postings. To count as participation, responses need to be thoughtful; that is, they must refer to the week’s readings, relevant issues in the news, information obtained from other sources, and/or ideas expressed in other class members’ postings. Where appropriate, you should use references to support your position. Most weeks have at least one Discussion question. The Discussion questions require a response to one other student’s posting; it should be no more than two paragraphs long. NURS 6640 – Psychotherapy with Individuals – Syllabus

All Discussion postings need to be made in each week’s Discussion area of the course, unless otherwise stated. Please do not e-mail postings to the Instructor or other students. Refer to the Discussion area for specific instructions.

Discussions will be graded according to the Discussion Rubric found in the Course Information area.

Assignments and Projects

An Assignment or Project often is a writing assignment submitted to the Instructor for evaluation. Complete Assignment or Project directions are in the Assignments or Projectsla areas, including how and where to submit the Assignment or Project and the due date. Please note that you should keep copies of your Assignments and Projects on your computer in case of any technical difficulties. NURS 6640 – Psychotherapy with Individuals – Syllabus

Information on scholarly writing may be found in the APA manual and at the Walden Writing Center website.

Please refer to the APA Guide or visit the Walden University Online Writing Center at

http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/

Walden University expects you to act with integrity and honesty in your academic courses. Refer to the Guidelines and Policies and Academic Integrity areas for more details.

Check the Course Information area for any rubrics relating to the Assignments and Projects.

All assignments must be completed to pass the course.

Practicum Activities

The practicum experience in this course will assist your transition from the role of learner to that of scholar-practitioner. To achieve this transition, you will engage in a relationship with a clinical instructor and preceptor, focusing on roles and role functions and the achievement of individualized learning objectives. The primary objective of your practicum is to provide you with the basic skills necessary to serve as a mid-level provider of primary care to selected populations and prepare you to take the appropriate national certification exam. NURS 6640 – Psychotherapy with Individuals – Syllabus

The practicum component of the course will be graded as Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. In order to pass the course, you must earn a grade of Satisfactory on all required practicum activities including journal entries and time logs.

At the end of the course, you must also ensure that your practicum preceptor submits an online evaluation of your performance. You will also complete an online evaluation of your practicum experience at the end of the course. These evaluations will not only provide information about the progress of individual students, but also help program leadership to continuously work on the course review and improvements. You will receive an Incomplete (I) as a grade if any of the above evaluations are not received by the posted deadlines. NURS 6640 – Psychotherapy with Individuals – Syllabus

All assignments must be completed to pass the course.

Time Logs: Students are required to keep a log of the time spent related to their practicum experience and enter every patient they see each day. Students can access their time log from the Welcome Page in their Meditrek account. Students will track time individually for each patient they work with. Students are required to continuously input their hours throughout the term. Logs are reviewed by instructors in weeks 4, 7 and 10. Please print and keep your completed Meditrek Log at the end of your clinical experiences for future use as a component of your portfolio.

Grading Criteria and Total Components of a Grade

Course grades will be based on participation (postings) and completion of assignments listed below.

Note: All assignments must be completed to pass the course.

Grading Scale

Letter grades will be assigned as follows:

90%–100% = A

80%–89% = B

70%–79% = C

70% or below = F

Please see below for the policy on Incomplete (I) grades.

Important Note: This course contains weighted grading. Assignments are weighted differently depending on their type. The total points achieved for each assignment will be weighted based on the percentage values noted in the Weighted Total (%)column of the table that follows.

Assignment	Total Points	Percentage
DiscussionsParticipation in Discussions* 5 @ 100 points each	500	20%
AssignmentsWeeks 3, 4, 6, 7 4 @ 100 points each	400	26%
Exams Week 6 Midterm Exam (75 points) Week 11 Final Exam (75 points)	150	44%
Board Vitals 10 @ 20 points each	200	10%
Clinical SupervisionParticipation in Clinical Supervisions* Submitted in Weeks 8 and 10		S/U
Practicum Time Logs Submitted in Weeks 4, 7, 10		S/U
Practicum Journal Entries Submitted in Weeks 4, 7, 10		S/U
Practicum Assignments Submitted in Weeks 3, 7, 10		S/U
Total	1,250	100%

*Note: Each Discussion requires that you make one initial posting and at least two response postings to colleagues. See the Formative Evaluative Criteria for Discussion Board Assignments for posting details.

Note: All assignments must be completed in order to receive a grade for the course. NURS 6640 – Psychotherapy with Individuals – Syllabus

Feedback Schedule

• The Instructor will log into the course at least 3–4 times during the week to monitor the weekly Discussion area. Feedback will be provided via the Discussion area and/or the Announcements page. Requests for more specific feedback may be made in the Discussion area or in the Contact the Instructor thread.
• The Instructor will respond to at least one main post each week but will usually not respond to all posts.
• Timely Review and Return of Student Work. As a guideline, faculty members are expected to review and return graded student work for all coursework within 10 calendar days.
• Each Instructor has a unique way of providing feedback. If you think that you are not getting enough feedback, you are strongly encouraged to contact your Instructor and ask for more. Contact information for your Instructor can be found under the Contact the Instructor area. For more information on Instructor feedback, go to the Faculty Accessibility section of Faculty and Student Guidelines for Online Courses, located in the Guidelines and Policiesarea.

Preferred Methods for Delivering Assignments

Submitting Course Postings to the Weekly Discussion Areas

Be sure that you post to the correct Discussion area each week. Do not e-mail postings to the Instructor. For all initial Discussion postings, make sure that the first sentence of your posting reads Main Question Post. For your responses to others’ postings, make sure that the first sentence of your response reads Response. These actions will ensure easily identifiable subject lines for your postings and responses.

Submitting Assignments and Projects

Assignments and Projects are submitted according to the instructions in the Assignments or Projects areas and are named according to the week in which the Assignment or Project is submitted. Directions for naming each Assignment or Project are included in each week’s Assignment or Project area. NURS 6640 – Psychotherapy with Individuals – Syllabus.

E-mailing Your Instructor

When e-mailing the Instructor, please use the following heading for your e-mail subject line: last name + your first initial + course number (e.g., RideSNURS6640) so that your Instructor will recognize and read your e-mail.

Policies on Late Assignments

Discussion and Assignment Postings

No credit will be given for Discussion and Assignment postings made after the week in which they are due unless prior arrangements are made with the Instructor. Exceptions will be made only for those rare situations that legitimately prevent a student from posting on time. Points will be deducted from late postings. NURS 6640 – Psychotherapy with Individuals – Syllabus.

Assignments

Assignments are due by Day 7 of the week in which they are assigned unless otherwise noted. Failure to meet the deadline without prior approval will result in at least a 3-point deduction per day. Any Assignment submitted after Day 4of the week following that in which it is assigned will receive zero points.

Keeping Your Coursework

You will have access to the course and your coursework from the course start date until 60 days after the course ends. After this time, you will no longer be able to access the course or related materials. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you retain copies of your completed assignments and any documents you wish to keep. The University is not responsible for lost or missing coursework.

Instructor Feedback Schedule

The Instructor will log in to the course during the week to monitor the weekly Discussion area. Feedback will be provided via the comments in the My Grades area, the Discussion area, and/or the Announcements page.

You can expect your weekly assignment grades to be posted within 10 calendar days of a due date. Instructor feedback and explanation are provided whenever full credit is not achieved. Depending on the nature of the feedback, Instructor responses may be posted to the Discussion area or included in the My Grades area. The goal of your Instructor is to act as a discussion and learning facilitator rather than a lecturer. The Instructor will not respond to every posting by every individual, so please feel free to ask your Instructor if you would like some personal feedback on a particular assignment posting or any time you have any questions regarding your assignments or your grade. NURS 6640 – Psychotherapy with Individuals – Syllabus.

Students With Disabilities

Students in this course who have a disability that might prevent them from fully demonstrating their abilities should contact the director of disability services at disability@waldenu.edu or at 1-800-925-3368, ext. 312-1205 and +1-612-925-3368 or http://www.waldenu.edu/contact for international toll-free numbers as soon as possible to initiate disability verification and discuss accommodations that may be necessary to ensure full participation in the successful completion of course requirements. NURS 6640 – Psychotherapy with Individuals – Syllabus.

Classroom Participation

In accordance with US Department of Education guidance regarding class participation, Walden University requires that all students submit their required Week 1 assignments within each course(s) during the first 7 calendar days of class. The first calendar day of class is the official start date of the course as posted on your myWalden academic page.

Assignments submitted prior to the official start date will not count toward your participation.

Financial Aid cannot be released without cla