The basic training in integrative psychotherapy takes place during the first three years of the program and consists of both theoretical and practical components.
Each training module lasts 20 hours, including:
- 4 hours of theoretical study
- 11-12 hours of practical application
- 5 hours of individual work
During this stage, students develop the fundamental skills and knowledge required to apply various therapeutic interventions and techniques in working with clients or patients. The practical component is particularly crucial, as psychotherapy cannot be mastered through theory alone.
The basic psychotherapy training, conducted in English, is available both in a hybrid format
Basic Training Curricula
Theory and Methodology
MODULE 1. INTRODUCTION IN INTEGRATIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY
1. The history of integrative psychotherapy; 2. Defining integrative psychotherapy; 3. Psychotherapy integration; 3.1. “First generation” integrative models; 3.1.1. Technical eclecticism: Multimodal therapy – Arnold Lazarus; Systematic treatment selection- Beutler, Consoli & Lane; 3.1.2. The common factors in psychotherapy: The future predictions model – Beitman; Informed clinical strategy – Miller, Duncan & Hubble; 3.1.3. Theoretical integration: The transtheoretical model – Prochaska & DiClemente; The revised transtheoretical model – Freeman & Dolan; Cyclical relational psychodynamics- Wachtel; 3.1.4. Assimilative integration: Assimilative psychodynamic psychotherapy – Stricker & Gold; Cognitive-behavioural assimilative integration – Castonguay; 3.2. “Second generation” integrative models; 3.2.1. Relational psychotherapy- Gilbert & Evans; 3.2.2. The contact-in-relationship model – Erskine, Moursund & Trautmann, 3.2.3. Multi-theoretical psychotherapy – Brooks-Harris; 3.2.4. Integrative multicultural psychotherapy – Yvey & Brooks-Harris; 3.2.5. An outline of integrative strategic psychotherapy – Popescu & Viscu; 3.2.6. An outline of integrative child psychotherapy – Popescu & Gane; 4. Social and political aspects in psychotherapy
MODULE 2. PSYCHODIAGNOSIS
1. Categorical and dimensional diagnosis; 2. Structured diagnosis; 2.1. Psychotherapeutic diagnosis; 2.1.1. The object of psychotherapeutic diagnosis; 2.1.2. The components of psychotherapeutic diagnosis; 2.1.3. Counterindications for commencing or continuing psychotherapy; 2.1.4. The diagnostic guide in psychotherapy (Bartuska et.al.); 2.2. Relational diagnosis; 2.2.1. The client’s perspective on the world; 2.2.2. Information processing styles; 2.2.3. Power differences in psychotherapy; 2.2.4. Interpersonal connections; 2.3. Psychotherapeutic semiology; 2.3.1. The initial interview ; 2.3.2. Symptom analysis; 2.3.3. The integrative strategic system for case evaluation; 2.3.4. The case history; 2.3.5. The mental status; 2.4. The DSM 5 diagnostic system; 2.4.1. Diagnostic categories in DSM 5; 2.4.2. Risk and severity assessment; 3. Unstructured diagnosis; 3.1. Unstructured projective diagnosis; 3.2. Drawing and expressive diagnosis; 3.3. Diagnosis in music therapy
MODULE 3. INTEGRATIVE STRATEGIC PSYCHOTHERAPY
1. Core principles of integrative strategic psychotherapy; 2. The integrative strategic model of the Self; 2.1. The psychological axes; 2.1. The proto-self; 2.2. The core self; 2.3. The plastic self; 2.4. The external self; 2.5. The neuroanatomic model of the Self; 3. The model of the Self in the main psychotherapeutic orientations; 3.1. The Self in psychodynamic orientations: The Self in Freudian psychoanalysis; The Self in Jungian psychoanalysis; Winnicott’s theory on the True Self and False Self; Kohut’s theory on narcissism; Stern’s model of the four domains of the Self; The two domains of the Self, described by Masterson; 3.2. The Self in cognitive-behavioural orientations: The social learning theory; The behavioural theory; The cognitive theory; 3.3. The Self in humanistic-existential orientations: Berne’s transactional analysis; Logotherapy; Psychodrama; Gestalt therapy; Person centred psychotherapy.
MODULE 4. COMMON FACTORS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY. PART 1
1. A classification of common factors in psychotherapy: relational, transtheoretical and strategic (Popescu & Viscu); 2. Relational common factors in psychotherapy; 2.1. The therapeutic alliance; 2.1.1. Ruptures of the therapeutic alliance; 2.2. The therapeutic relationship; 2.2.1. Building and maintaining the therapeutic relationship; 2.2.2. Relational principles in psychotherapy; 2.2.3. The model of the six modalities of relationships (Clarkson & Gilbert): the therapeutic alliance, the transferential- counter-transferential relationship, the developmentally necessary/reparatory relationship, the I-You or the real relationship, the transpersonal relationship and the representational relationship; 2.3. The therapist variable; 2.3.1. Empathy; 2.3.2. Unconditional regard; 2.3.3. Authenticity; 2.3.4. Professional variables; 2.3.5. Demographic and diversity variables; 2.3.6. Personality variables; 2.3.7. The therapist’s personal development; 2.3.8. The therapist’s attachment style; 2.4. The client variable
MODULE 5. COMMON FACTORS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY. PART 2
1. Transtheoretical common factors; 1.1. Motivation; 1.1.1. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation; 1.1.2. Establishing a purpose; 1.1.3. The locus of control; 1.1.4. Learned helplessness; 1.1.5. Motivation for change and the stages of change in psychotherapy; 1.1.6. The self-determination theory; 1.2. Placebo, hope and the expectations regarding the therapeutic outcome; 1.3. Learning experiences; 1.4. Ego strengthening; 1.5. Attribution of the therapeutic outcome
MODULE 6. COMMON FACTORS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY. PART 3
1. Strategic common factors in psychotherapy; 1.1. The therapeutic context; 1.1.1. Contracts in psychotherapy; 1.1.2. Fundamental conditions for the validity of the therapeutic contract; 1.2. Therapeutic rituals; 1.3. Cognitive insight; 1.4. The corrective emotional experience; 1.5. Catharsis / emotional release; 1.6. Case formulation; 1.6.1. The integrative strategic model for case formulation; 1.6.2. Case studies; 1.6.3. The strategic dialogue; 1.6.4. The contributions of various psychotherapy schools to the integrative psychotherapy strategy; 1.7. The meta-model in psychotherapy; 1.8. The therapeutic myth; 2. Essential techniques for the beginner psychotherapist; 3. Success and failure in psychotherapy
MODULE 7. THE BIOLOGICAL LEVEL
1. Case formulation on the biological axis; 2. Genome, epigenome and phenotype; 3. Genetic vulnerability and resilience; 4. The formula of the first human experience; 5. Internal working models; 6. The body schema; 6.1. Body schema distorsions; 7. The body image; 7.1. Body image distorsions in anorexia nervosa; 7.2. The body dysmorphic disorder; 8. Mental maps about health and disease; 9. Psychosomatic mechanisms and the influence of early attachment; 10. Working with the biological axis
MODULE 8. THE COGNITIVE AXIS
Theoretical course (10 hours): 1. Case formulation on the cognitive axis; 2. Proto-cognitions; 3. Cognitive maps: Core beliefs; Intermediary beliefs; Automatic thoughts; The explanatory style; 4. Perfectionism; 5. Working with the cognitive axis
MODULE 9. THE EMOTIONAL AXIS
1. Case formulation on the emotional axis; 2. Attachment; 2.1. Attachment formation; 2.2. The attachment style; 2.3. Types of child attachment; 2.4. Types of adult attachment; 2.5. The influence of adult attachment on the quality of child attachment; 2.6. The client’s attachment style and its impact on psychotherapy; 2.7. The therapist’s attachment style and its impact on psychotherapy; 3. Emotions; 3.1. Affects; 3.2. Primary emotions; 3.3. Basic emotions; 3.4. Emotion regulation; 3.5. Emotion repression and neurotic guilt; 3.6. Emotional expression; 3.7. Alexithymia; 4. Intersubjectivity; 5. The conditions of worth; 6. Working with the emotional axis
MODULE 10. THE PSYCHODYNAMIC AXIS. PART 1
1. Case formulation on the psychodynamic axis; 2. Subpersonalities or ego parts; 2.1.The ego parts; 2.2. The inner counsellor or the core, 2.3. The DNMS model of the ego parts; 2.4. The internal family systems model; 2.5. The ego parts therapy: Hypnosis and the empty chair technique; Ego parts therapy according to Watkins & Watkins; The management of dissociation; 3. The ego states; 3.1. The ego state concept; 3.2. Ego state therapy: The Inner Child Technique; Age regression; The theatre visualization technique; The Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy
MODULE 11. THE PSYCHODYNAMIC AXIS. PART 2
1. Transference and countertransference; 1.1. Definitions of transference; 1.2. Typical manifestations of transference; 1.3. The two triangles model – Malan & Davanloo; 1.4. The four triangles model – Molnos; 1.5. Transference interpretation; 1.6. Definitions of countertransference; 1.7. Typical manifestations of countertransference; 1.8. Projective identification; 1.9. Unconscious identity; 1.10. Countertransference management; 1.11. Countertransference interpretation; 1.12. Resistance to countertransference; 1.13. Enactments; 2. Psychological games; 2.1. The concept of psychological games; 2.2. The drama triangle; 2.3. Life positions; 3. The life script; 3.1. Formation of the life script beliefs; 3.2. The maintenance and manifestation of the life script; 3.3. Life script levels; 3.4. The counter-script; 3.5. Working with the life script in psychotherapy; 4. Working with dreams in psychotherapy
MODULE 12. THE FAMILY LEVEL
1. Case formulation from the perspective of family interactions; 2. Family roles; 2.1. Dysfunctional family roles; 2.2. Dysfunctional parental roles; 3. Family patterns; 3.1. The family structure; 3.2. Self differentiation within the family; 3.3. Family systems; 4. Family case studies; 5. Psychotherapeutic techniques in working with the family axis; 5.1. Working with families; 5.2. The genogram
MODULE 13. THE EXISTENTIAL LEVEL
1.Case formulation on the existential axis; 2.The four fundamental concerns; 2.1. Fundamental human concerns; 2.2. Death anxiety; 2.3. The purpose of life; 2.4. Responsibility / autonomy; 2.5. Existential isolation; 3. Spirituality and psychotherapy; 4. Individuation/differentiation and the theory of mind; 5. Existential guilt; 6. Time and time management; 6.1. Chronotypes; 6.2. Time orientation; 6.3. Time management; 7. Working with the existential axis
MODULE 14. TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS FUNDAMENTALS
1. The history of transactional analysis; 2. The definition of transactional analysis; 3. The philosophy of transactional analysis; 4. Contracts: 4.1. The business contract; 4.2. The therapeutic contract; 4.3. Conditions for the validity of contracts; 4.4. Three-cornered contracts; 5. Ego states: 5.1. The first order structural diagram; 5.2. The second order structural diagram; 5.3. The third order structural diagram; 5.4. The structural pathology of Ego states; 5.5. The functional analysis of Ego states; 5.6. The social-cognitive approach of Ego states; 5.7. The circumplex model of Ego states; 5.8. The neurobiology of Ego states; 6. Strokes; 7. Life positions; 8. Transactions; 9. Psychological games; 10. The drama triangle and the autonomous traingle; 11. The life script: 11.1. the script matrix; 11.2. the mini-script; 11.3. The script protocol; 11.4. Types of life scripts; 12. Fairy-tale analysis.
MODULE 15. PSYCHODRAMA FUNDAMENTALS
1. The principles of psychodrama; 2. Applications of role theory in psychotherapy interventions; 3. Creativity; 4. Spontaneity; 5. Imaginary games; 6. Psychodynamic aspects in psychodrama; 7. The integration of psychodrama and cognitive-behavioural therapy; 8. A meta-theory of psychodrama; 9. Therapeutic factors in psychodrama.
MODULE 16. FAMILY THERAPY FUNDAMENTALS
1. Models of family and couples’ therapy; 2. Specific interventions in family therapy.
MODULE 17. JUNGIAN PSYCHOLOGY FUNDAMENTALS
1. The structure of the human psyche: 1.1. Psychic energy; 1.2. The Ego; 1.3. The Self; 2. The unconscious: 2.1. The psychoid; 2.2. The personal unconscious; 2.3. The collective unconscious; 3. The shadow: 3.1. The personal shadow; 3.2. The collective shadow; 3.3. The archetypal shadow; 4. The collective unconscious: 4.1. persona; 4.2. Anima and animus; 4.3. Archetypes; 5. Dream interpretation: 5.1. The levels of dreams; 5.2. The world of symbols; 5.3. The amplification level.
MODULE 18. ARGUMENTATIVE ABILITIES IN PSYCHOTHERAPY
1. The semantic structure of psychotherapy: 1.1. Surface structures and deep structures: 1.2. Patterns of the psychotherapeutic language: 2. Accessing deep structures in the client’s discourse: 2.1. Eliminations; 2.2. Transforming processes into events: 2.3. Adequate formulation from a semantic standpoint: 3. Formulation in psychotherapy: 3.1. Assertiveness training: 3.2. Reformulation; 3.3. Reflecting feelings: 3.4. Clarification questions: 3.5. Suggesting solutions by emphasizing exceptions; 3.6. Abstract versus concrete; 4. Transactions; 5. Redefinitions; 6. Communication channels: 6.1. Personality adaptations; 6.2. Contact doors in psychotherapy; 6.3. Communication channels; 7. Verbal and non-verbal communication; 7.1. Output channels; 7.2. Non-verbal communication; 8. Hypnosis; 8.1. Hypnotic inductions; 8.2. Hypnotic suggestions; 8.3. Hypnotic language; 8.4. The structure of hypnotic interventions; 8.5. Hypnoanalysis.
MODULE 19. RESEARCH IN INTEGRATIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY
1. Research perspectives: The intuitive practitioner; The research practitioner; The applicative researcher; Scientifically validated practice; 2. Quantitative versus qualitative research; 3. Quantitative measurements; 3.1. The measurement process; 3.2. Fundamentals of quantitative research; 3.3. Psychometric theory; 4. Qualitative research; 4.1. Phenomenological approaches; 4.2. Social constructivist approaches; 4.3. Discourse analysis; 4.4. Narrative analysis; 4.5. Grounded theory; 4.6. The relational research model; 4.7. Ethnographic methods; 4.8. The integrative strategic interview in qualitative research; 5. The qualitative data analysis
MODULE 20. INTEGRATIVE STRATEGIC PSYCHOTHERAPY WITH CHILDREN AND THE CHILD WITHIN
1. Child development; 1.1. The child’s fundamental needs; 1.2. Self development; 1.3. The stages of child development; 2. Child psychopathology; 2.1. Psychological disorders in children; 2.2. Stuttering; 2.3. Nocturnal enuresis; 2.4. Encopresis; 2.5. Nightmares; 2.6. Anxiety; 3. Child psychotherapy; 3.1. The therapist-client relationship in child psychotherapy; 3.2. The purposes of child psychotherapy; 3.3. Play therapy; 3.4. Sand-play therapy; 3.5. Child hypnotherapy; 3.6. Fairy-tales and their psychotherapeutic use; 3.7. The psychological treatment using the “Harry” technique; 4. The Wizarding School programme; 4.1. A therapeutic fairy-tale: the wizarding school; 4.2. Structure; 4.3. Theoretical fundamentals; 4.4. Applicability; 4.5. Psychotherapeutic interventions; 4.6. The theoretical basis of the psychotherapeutic applications.