APD1267H
This course is an introduction to the theory and practice of emotion-focused psychotherapy. The theoretical underpinnings and historical development of emotion-focused psychotherapy will be presented along with the practical application of the approach to facilitate clients’ emotional processing in the session. Students will be introduced to different ways of working with emotion using empathic reflections, focusing, exploratory tasks, and chair-dialogues. The role of the therapeutic relationship will be emphasized and specific emotional processing tasks will be explored. Students will receive three hours of instruction once a week consisting of lectures, video presentations, demonstrations, and in-vivo exercises. Students are expected to engage in in-vivo counselling exercises with their peers during class time under the supervision of the instructor. By the second class, students will be expected to form small process learning groups within which they will have the opportunity to experiment with different roles as counsellor, client and observer to practice using emotion focused and experiential techniques.