Within the Department of Integrative Psychotherapy, essay writing represents an essential component of the training process. Essays are intended not only to assess theoretical knowledge, but also to encourage critical thinking, reflective capacity, integrative understanding, academic writing skills, and the development of a coherent professional identity as a psychotherapist.
Students are required to complete at least two essays per academic year, selecting their subjects from the official list of proposed essay topics corresponding to their year of training.
Purpose of the Essays
The essays are designed to help students:
- deepen their understanding of psychotherapeutic theories and concepts;
- develop integrative and critical thinking;
- connect theory with clinical and relational practice;
- explore the relationship between personal development and professional formation;
- strengthen academic writing and research abilities;
- learn to formulate coherent psychological and psychotherapeutic arguments;
- integrate scientific literature into reflective and clinical analysis.
Depending on the year of training, essays may focus on:
- theoretical analysis;
- comparative perspectives between psychotherapeutic models;
- reflective and developmental themes;
- case conceptualisation;
- psychopathology;
- clinical intervention strategies;
- integration between theory, neuroscience, attachment, trauma, cognition, emotions and relational processes.
Length and Structure
Each essay should contain approximately 10 A4 pages of academic writing.
This corresponds to approximately: 3,500 words (excluding bibliography and appendices).
Students are encouraged to prioritise depth, coherence, originality and integration of ideas rather than excessive length.
The recommended structure of an essay includes:
1. Title Page
Including: essay title; student name; year of training; date of submission.
2. Introduction
The introduction should: present the chosen topic; explain its relevance; formulate the central argument or objectives of the essay.
3. Main Body
The main section should: develop the theoretical and/or clinical discussion; integrate relevant psychotherapeutic concepts; critically analyse ideas rather than simply summarising them; include examples, comparisons, reflections or clinical implications where appropriate.
4. Conclusion
The conclusion should: summarise the main ideas; reflect on the implications of the topic for psychotherapy practice; demonstrate personal and professional integration of the material.
5. Reference List
All essays must include a bibliography written according to APA style guidelines.
Academic and Referencing Requirements
Students are expected to use: academic books; peer-reviewed scientific articles; recognised psychotherapy literature; contemporary research relevant to the chosen topic.
All sources must be cited appropriately throughout the text using APA referencing style.
This includes: in-text citations; full reference list at the end of the essay; accurate quotation and paraphrasing practices.
Failure to cite sources appropriately may constitute plagiarism and may result in the rejection of the essay.
Writing Style
Essays should demonstrate: academic clarity; logical structure; coherent argumentation; professional language; reflective and integrative thinking.
Students are encouraged to write in a way that combines: scientific understanding; clinical sensitivity; personal reflection; professional ethics.
The department values originality, depth of thought and the capacity to integrate multiple perspectives within an integrative psychotherapeutic framework.
Submission and Evaluation
Essays are submitted electronically by the deadlines established for each academic year.
Evaluation criteria include: relevance to the topic; depth of understanding; integration of concepts; critical thinking; use of scientific literature; coherence and organisation; quality of academic writing; correct APA referencing; originality and reflective capacity.
Academic Integrity
Students are expected to respect principles of academic honesty and professional ethics throughout the writing process.
Plagiarism, fabrication of references, or unauthorised use of AI-generated academic work without appropriate integration and critical contribution are not compatible with the ethical values of the department and the psychotherapy profession.
The process of writing essays is viewed as part of the student’s developmental journey — a process of learning to think, reflect, integrate and formulate meaning as an emerging psychotherapist.