INDIVIDUAL WORK WITH CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES IN VARIED SETTINGS; A PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACH

A course accredited by the University of East London, the Tavistock Clinic and BTPP leading to the POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA/MA IN PSYCHOANALYTIC INFANT OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES

Aim of the Course
The course is designed to help people think about their work with children and adolescents from a psychodynamic perspective. Applicants should be working with children and should be aged 25 or over and working.

Course Structure

The course is taught on 30 Fridays and 8/9 Saturdays during term time, as follows.

FRIDAY SEMINARS

Years One and Two

Work Discussion Seminar

30 weeks: 12.30-1.45pm

Members present, in turn, material which is drawn from their current caseload. To understand the child and families' experience, taking into account their past histories, ph/fantasies, taking into account the pressures exerted on the worker by the patient's experience and the pressures exerted on the worker by the agency's expectations. To give an example, there is a particular set of emotional difficulties in an abused family and thus on their worker which will be different if that worker is a paediatrician, teacher, social worker or a police officer - irrespective of the worker's sensitivity.

Infant Observation Seminar

30 weeks: 2.00-3.15pm

Members will undertake weekly visits of one hour for the duration of the course to a family with a newborn baby, and are asked to present, in turn a detailed record of their observations to the seminar for discussion. These observations provide a unique opportunity to enrich and extend observation skills, to learn first hand how a relationship begins between a baby and her family, and to think about how babies grow physically, mentally and emotionally. Whole Course Review Meetings 3 meetings during the year, taking the place of the infant observation seminars These provide a space for members and tutors to think together about the positive and negative aspects of the course experience.

 

FRIDAY WORKSHOPS

Thinking Psychodynamically about Clients and Settings: 5 afternoons:1.00-4.00pm

These are led by speakers from a variety of settings. Attendance is essential.

This series of lectures is designed as a framework which, it is hoped, will heighten awareness of children's experiences and the effects we as professionals have on them. Attendance is not mandatory, but is recommended.

Year Two Only Young Child Observation Seminar 30 weeks: 3.30-4.45pm

Members will make weekly visits of one hour for the duration of the course to a child between the ages of two and four, either at home or in nursery. Detailed records of these visits are presented to the seminar group for discussion.

SATURDAY THEORY SEMINARS
Year One	Year Two
Psychoanalytic Theory One: Freud 8 mornings: 10.00 am-1pm	Psychoanalytic Theory Two: Klein 9 mornings: 10.00 am-1pm
Through reading Freud's papers (don't be put off!) we will try and follow what he learned about an individual's human experience	Following on from year one, we will read Klein's papers and see how she took psychoanalytic thinking further.
Child Development Research 8 afternoons following the Freud	Personality Development 9 afternoons following the Klein
This is a reading seminar based on selected texts from child development research, eg. attachment theory, the nature/nurture controversy and the significance and influence of relationships with mother, father siblings, society and culture on the child's development.	This is a discussion based seminar in which the participants will be encouraged to begin to pull together ideas from the other seminars, to get a wider picture of the development of a person across the life-span (relax, there's no essay!).

All events are at Queens college. A well-resourced library is open to students during office hours, with lending and reference sections and free internet access. Photocopying of materials for the course is also free to students.


Course requirements for Postgraduate Diploma/MA in Psychoanalytic Infant Observational Studies

Students wishing to undertake the Postgraduate Diploma in Psychoanalytic Infant Observational Studies will need to attend the Work Discussion and Infant Observation Seminars, Friday workshops and Saturday Theory seminars. They will also need to produce two portfolios and six essays; a total of eight pieces of written work over the two year course.

Those intending to progress to the MA will need to have attained a good pass in at least six of these papers. The MA is external to BTPP and registration for Year Three will be direct to the University of East London

The minimum amount of time working with children and adolescents will be the equivalent of 1.5 days per week for the duration of the course.

Whilst a 100% attendance is the target level for individual students, the minimum acceptable attendance per term is 80% without consultation with the Organizing Tutor.

Note: It is also possible for those not wishing to undertake the Diploma to attend the Work Discussion and Infant Observation seminars in order to further their professional development.

Tutorials

These may be requested by staff or students at any time, to review progress or to discuss particular issues, e.g. written work. The tutors reserve the right to ask members to withdraw from the course after consultation. If they are embarked on the MA in Psychoanalytic Infant Observational Studies, their Tavistock/U.E.L. registration fee would be refunded by BTPP.