Psychopharmacology and Reflective Practice

This is a capstone unit that formally overviews, integrates and assesses a wide number of competencies central to the successful completion of the degree. In terms of content, however, it comprises two distinct topic foci: psychopharmacology and reflective practice. 12 seminar hours in this unit will be devoted to psychopharmacology, complementing the course emphasis on psychotherapy intervention. The psychopharmacology component, which will be delivered in workshop format, will cover the major neurotransmitter systems involved in psychiatric illness and the putative action of psychiatric medications on these targets. Further, the impact of illicit and other drugs will be reviewed in relation to mental health and prescribed medications. The relationship between psychotherapy and psychopharmacology will also be addressed. The reflective practice (RP) component of the unit comprises the remaining 12 seminar hours and will be delivered as six seminars. RP describes "the activity of reflecting on clinical experience, including our personal reactions, attitudes and beliefs, with the purpose of enhancing our declarative knowledge and procedural skills" (Bennett-Levy & Thwaites, p. 269). While RP is embedded throughout the course, these seminars will explicitly address theoretical and applied aspects of RP, especially its relationship to psychotherapy process and intervention. The assessment task for the RP component will comprise a systematic case study in which students will critically review the outcome of psychotherapy conducted with one of their Victoria University Clinic clients, and the therapeutic processes responsible for facilitating or impeding the clients' psychological progress. The systematic use of outcome measures will provide empirical evidence of any psychological change over the course of treatment, and students' critical reflection on the therapeutic process will demonstrate their knowledge of reflective practice models and principles. The case study will build on evidence based practice knowledge acquired in the Research Methods unit, and be conducted as a stand-alone mini-research project. Consequently, students' research skills will also be extended in the completion of this assessment task.