B3025 - Wellbeing Interventions in Clinical Psychology

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students: know evidence-based interventions aimed at improving well-being, their mechanisms of action, potential beneficial and adverse effects; -are able to evaluate the efficacy of well-being interventions and plan research and intervention projects to reduce risk in populations with unhealthy lifestyle and promote adaptation and self-management in patients with chronic and progressive diseases.

Course contents

1) Introduction to the use of clinical interviewing for well-being interventions.

2) Attending and listening skills for clinical interviewing.

3) The use of questions during clinical interviewing.

4) Well-being interventions based on person-centered approaches: theoretical principles and methodological recommendations.

5) Conceptual and methodological principles of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT).

6) Conceptual and methodological principles of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT).

7) The Well-Being Therapy (WBT): the conceptual background, the methodological framework, and its main clinical applications.

8) An introduction to the Schema Therapy.

9) The clinician and the soul: an introduction to Logotherapy.

10) The inferiority feeling and striving for superiority: an introduction to Individual Psychology and Adlerian Psychotherapy.

The course will take place during the first semester (Academic Year 2024-2025) at the Department of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, 40127, Bologna, Italy.

Readings/Bibliography

MANDATORY readings:

1) Wright, J. H., Brown, G. K., Thase, M. E., & Basco, M. R. (2017). Learning cognitive-behavior therapy: An illustrated guide. Arligton: American Psychiatric Association Publishing, limited to the following chapters: 1 (Basic Principles of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy), and 5 (Working With Automatic Thoughts).

2) John Sommers-Flanagan & Rita Sommers-Flanagan: Clinical Interviewing (limited to chapters [1-3-4].

3) Manfred Hillmann. Chapter 18: Viktor E. Frankl's Existential Analysis and Logotherapy.

4) Young E. Jeffrey, Klosko S. Janet, Weishaar E. Marjorie (2003). Schema Therapy: A Practitioner's Guide. Limited to Chapter 1 (Schema Therapy: Conceptual Model).

SUGGESTED readings:

1) Fava GA. Well-Being Therapy: Current Indications and Emerging Perspectives. Psychother Psychosom. 2016;85(3):136-45.

Additional references (i.e., articles, and book chapters) will be indicated at the beginning of the course and reviewed during classes to facilitate the co-construction of knowledge and to enhance critical thinking and the process of clinical reasoning.

Teaching methods

Academic lectures will be combined with practical and discussion sessions.

Cooperative teaching methods will be used and include “learning by doing” (i.e., assignments, group presentations, role-playing activities, and video illustrations of patient-clinician interactions).

Class attendance and active participation are required since they are essential elements to achieve expected learning outcomes.

Assessment methods

A final exam, which consists of an interview, will be scheduled at the end of the course.

Students will complete an oral examination where they will answer questions about well-being interventions in clinical psychology.

The acquired knowledge will be evaluated based on the extent to which answers are adequate and comprehensive. Critical thinking and clinical reasoning will also be evaluated.

The highest score (i.e., 30 cum laude) will be assigned to students demonstrating an extensive knowledge and understanding of the subject and providing answers based on their clinical reasoning.

The use of books, notes and slides is not allowed during the exam.

Teaching tools

PowerPoint presentations, scientific articles, video illustrations, worksheets and checklists will be used.

For more details about the course, please send an email to Professor Carrozzino: danilo.carrozzino@unibo.it

Office hours

See the website of Danilo Carrozzino