Psychotherapy

Goals/Objectives:

Through an experiential learning process of individual sessions with facilitators who will assist the trainee in experiencing psychotherapy from the perspective of the patient, the trainee will: 

• More effectively understand how to establish an alliance that fosters inquiry into a patient’s inner life  
• Gain increased understanding of the unconscious and its relation to behavior  
• More effectively be able to identify and assist patients in working through their resistances and defenses
• Be able to recognize, utilize, and manage aspects of countertransference
• Be able to utilize self-reflection to learn about their own response to patients

Trainee Participation:

• Trainees interested in learning about psychodynamic psychotherapy in depth who elect to participate in this course will contact the Psychotherapy 483 liaison, Dr. Caroly Pataki, who will describe the course and answer any questions. Dr. Pataki will then arrange for the trainee to contact either Dr. Van DeGolia, or Dr. Mark Thompson who will assign the trainee to a participating faculty facilitator. 

Teaching/Facilitation:

• Individual teaching/facilitation between a trainee and faculty facilitator will occur on a weekly basis for the duration of the academic year. In some cases, with agreement between the trainee and the faculty facilitator, this course can be extended for more than one year.

Evaluations:

• Evaluations of faculty by trainees will be generated and completed through the UCLA MedHub system. Training program directors will be aware of individual trainee and faculty assignments and will review these evaluations when they are completed by trainees. Evaluations will be released to faculty in aggregate every two years to provide anonymity of the trainees. If evaluations require real-time feedback to the faculty member, the trainee will be incorporated into the decision-making process of how to deliver this feedback. 
• Evaluations of trainees by faculty will be generated and completed through the UCLA MedHub system and trainees will be evaluated on the basis of their attendance. 

Psychotherapy 483 Policy:

• Trainees will be made aware at the outset of their participation that the course is designed to train them on the fundamentals of psychodynamic psychotherapy. It does not provide psychotherapy or other forms of treatment. 
• Trainee and faculty interactions in this course will follow all university-wide policy for trainees and faculty interactions. The principles of confidentiality that apply to a treatment relationship do not apply to this experiential learning activity. Faculty members are subject to university-wide reporting expectations.  https://sexualviolence.universityofcalifornia.edu/faq/responsible-employee.html 

• Trainees seeking psychotherapy or psychiatric treatment will be assisted in finding local referrals. Faculty members can contact the UCLA Physician Wellness Program for confidential consultations and/or assessment of potentially compromised physicians. They will assess the situation and provide any needed referrals. https://mednet.uclahealth.org/physician-wellness/
• Trainees who experience discrimination or harassment will be directed to report it to the UCLA Office of Civil Rights.