S/T Abnormal Psychology

Systems of Psychotherapy. In this seminar, we will explore many of the important models of psychotherapy from psychoanalysis to behavior therapy, from Gestalt to couples therapy. Although, our main emphasis is the study of treatments, we will also need to pay attention to what is "normative," "acceptable" or "desirable" according to these models in order to learn what is in "need of treatment." Similarly, we will also need to understand how the different theorists view the development of psychopathology. Finally, we will attempt to understand how different psychotherapies work by studying what theorists claim to be doing in therapy and by examining the empirical literature. We will also develop our own hypotheses by observing video tapes of different systems of therapy. Each week students will write a brief paper related to the readings, the tapes or session transcripts and to the class discussion. Students will also submit a final paper summarizing a major therapeutic approach or theorist not covered in the course.