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FORMAL DETAILS OF THE TRAINING PROGRAM  

 

These include theoretical, clinical and experiential components, and comprise:

  • lectures, seminars and workshops;
  • supervision of clinical work;
  • group discussion of clinical work;
  • personal training psychotherapy;
  • group process training;
  • a reading list, and
  • assessment.

 Lectures and workshops

Each year includes 30 weeks of formal lectures conducted on Wednesday evenings, together with three weekend workshops generally conducted by interstate or overseas visitors.  

 Supervision / Integrative practice

This is of fundamental importance in the training experience. Each trainee must receive supervision of at least two (training psychotherapy) cases. A trainee must engage one client/patient in therapy for at least 200 hours of twice a week psychotherapy and another of at least 100 hours of twice a week psychotherapy. If the client terminates the therapy before completing the respective hours, the casework cannot be counted towards the 200 & 100 hours of supervised practice. Short term work with several clients cannot be used to make up the required hours of supervised psychotherapy.

 Clinical Casework

Trainees present clinical training cases to their peers for case discussion during three years of the program. Session leaders will discuss the assessment, contractual arrangement, and therapy of the case selected for intensive psychotherapy. Audio recording of therapy sessions is to be made and used for case discussion and teaching of trainees. Session leaders will help develop the professional and personal skills and assets necessary for a competent ethical psychotherapist.

In addition to case presentation, personal supervision is provided to all trainees.

 Psychotherapy

BeforeBefore graduating from MCCP, the trainee is required to have had 300 hours of psychotherapy; including 150 hours at a minimum of twice a week individual psychotherapy from an empathically oriented psychotherapist. Psychotherapy does not have to be concurrent with the other parts of the program, but the therapist needs to be approved by the Faculty. It is strongly recommended during the first year of the training program trainees are in psychotherapy.

As previously stated, it is the trainee’s responsibility to arrange and pay for psychotherapy, and the right to strict confidentiality is observed. The Board acknowledges that this required personal training psychotherapy must be excluded from the evaluation of a trainee's progress in the MCCP program. There will be no reporting on any aspect of a trainee's psychotherapy except to confirm that the hours have been completed. So that this psychotherapy does not influence administrative decisions, MCCP Faculty members are ineligible to conduct training psychotherapy for MCCP trainees once a trainee enters the program.

 Group Process Training

Trainees undertake two group process weekends in the first year of the MCCP program, 20 hours of which may be counted towards the 300 hour minimum psychotherapy requirement.

  Reading list

The current reading list is attached. Trainees are required to read material and books specified by the Faculty.

 Assessment

The Faculty evaluates each trainee at the end of each year in order to make a recommendation to the Board to be accepted for further study or for graduation.

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FIRST YEAR

 

101      Introduction to Self Psychology

This will be conducted during one period for a full year An exposure to the basic concepts in self psychology: empathy; narcissism; self-selfobject matrix; selfobject functions; structuralisation; organising principles; the self as a system and an introduction to trauma theory.

102     Introduction to Freud, Jung and Ferenczi

This course will be conducted in first semester and uses a selection of writings to survey their thoughts and contributions to psychoanalysis and the development of psychotherapy.

103      Infant and Child Psychological Development 1

This will be conducted during one period of second semester. Based on the work of Winnicott, Bowlby and Stern, this course traces human development during infancy and illustrates its significance for psychotherapy.

104       Clinical Casework for Psychotherapists

After introductory sessions which will introduce practical, legal and ethical issues relating to psychotherapy, trainees take turns in presenting a clinical case to the whole class, preferably of a client in twice weekly psychotherapy. The development of collegiality; shared insight; critical appraisal of self and others and the practical skills relating to public presentation are learned in this session.

105      Integrative Practice

Trainees receive personal supervision of their clinical training case. Supervisors assist with monitoring the progress of the student in practical application, and in the implications of theory for practice.

106      Group Process 

Trainees undertake two group process weekends in the first year of the MCCP program, 20 hours of which may be counted towards the 300 hour minimum psychotherapy requirement.
The content of this weekend is entirely private to the trainees and the group leader.

SECOND YEAR

 

201       Kohut and the origins of Self Psychology

A systematic reading and discussion of a selection of the works of Heinz Kohut will be undertaken in one period for the whole of the second year.

202      Infant and Child Development 2

This subject will be conducted during one period in first semester based on the work of Tomkins (affect theory), Main and Fonagy (attachment theory), Meares and brain development and function, this course continues the tracing of human development during infancy and illustrates its significance for psychotherapy.

203      Bridges to Self Psychology  

This subject will be conducted during one period of second semester.This course draws on the writings of Freud’s followers and successors to show how concepts of psychodynamic thought and practice have developed and changed.

204       Clinical Casework for Psychotherapists

After an introductory session, trainees take turns in presenting a clinical case to the whole class, preferably of a client in twice weekly psychotherapy. The development of collegiality; shared insight; critical appraisal of self and others and the practical skills relating to public presentation are further developed in this session.

205       Integrative Practice

Trainees receive personal supervision of their clinical training case. Supervisors assist with monitoring the progress of the student in practical application, and in the implications of theory for practice.

THIRD YEAR

 

301       Psychotherapy after Kohut

This course is conducted during one period for the whole year and follows the continuing development of self psychology after Kohut’s death among a variety of contemporary practitioners. These theorists include Stolorow, Attwood and Branchaft’s intersubjective theory, Lichtenberg’s motivational systems. Trainees will also be introduced to heuristics, phenomenology, constructivism and creative art therapy.

302      Working within a Legal and Ethical Framework

This course is conducted for one period in first semester and covers issues relating to ethical principles, legal and practical issues in a professionally run psychotherapy practice.

303      Trauma and Psychodynamic Theory

This course is conducted for one period in second semester. This course traces the role of trauma as a guiding concept in psychodynamic theory from its beginnings with Janet in France, Freud and Breuer in Austria to Meares in Australia and its contemporary understanding.

304      Clinical Casework for Psychotherapists

After an introductory session, trainees take turns in presenting a clinical case to the whole class, preferably of a client in twice weekly psychotherapy. The development of collegiality; shared insight; critical appraisal of self and others and the practical skills relating to public presentation is further developed in this session.

305      Integrative Practice

Trainees receive personal supervision of their clinical training case. Supervisors assist with monitoring the progress of the student in practical application, and in the implications of theory for practice.

 

The Board, at the recommendation of the Faculty, reserves the right to alter the course content.

 

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ADMISSION TO TRAINING

 

The Board on the recommendation of the Faculty accepts applicants.

The training program begins in March each year.

A graduate degree or equivalent is a prerequisite. Applicants from diverse fields will be evaluated in terms of their specific qualifications. MCCP does not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, handicap, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational or administrative policies.

The Faculty evaluates each trainee at the end of each year in order to make a recommendation to the Board that she/he be accepted for further study or for graduation.

In addition applicants may sometimes be admitted directly into the Second Year or Third Year of the course if the Board, on the Faculty’s advice, appropriately accredits their qualifications and skills.

The Faculty reserves the right to terminate a trainee’s participation in the course at any stage.

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COURSE FEES

 

$3,300 for First Year and $3,000 each for Second and Third Year.

Integrative practice/ supervision is not included in the fee structure, fees for supervision are negotiated with the supervisor. The training psychotherapy is arranged and paid for privately between trainee and therapist. Fees for the training may vary from year to year.

 Payment of fees:

Fees are payable in three installments annually. Accounts for each installment are sent to each trainee in early March, June and September, with payment due by the end of the month. Late payments incur a 15% p.a. addition to the amount owing, calculated monthly. Failure to pay fees with interest by the end of the year precludes continuation with the course, or graduation, in the subsequent year.

 

GRADUATION

At graduation the trainee will receive a Diploma of Psychotherapy if he/she has satisfactorily completed the training requirements of the program including:-

  • Two group process weekends;
  • Three hundred hours of personal or training psychotherapy;
  • individual supervision of two cases. A trainee must engage one client/patient in therapy for at least 200 hours of twice a week psychotherapy and another of at least 100 hours of twice a week psychotherapy;
  • three years of group supervision, at least 80% attendance is required;
  • attendance in person at 80% of the formal lectures and at least six weekend workshops during the three years of the academic program;
  • assessments at the end of each training year; and final project in the form of an essay, clinical paper, or an oral examination based on the reading list.

Trainees must have attended at least 696 hours of experiential training (this includes personal supervision, clinical training case and training therapy) and 216 hours of didactic learning.

The Diploma awarded by the Melbourne College of contemporary Psychotherapy is considered by us to be at postgraduate level. The College is currently applying for tertiary registration, after which the Diploma may be designated a 'Graduate' Diploma.

 

Graduates are also eligible to apply for Clinical Membership of the College and to apply for registration with the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia.  

 

ENROLMENT

 

SELECTION PREREQUISITES

 

  • Appropriate qualifications and experience in the caring field.
  • Access to suitable clients.
  • It is recommended that trainees have their own professional insurance.

  

SELECTION PROCEDURES

Selection into the training program proceeds in four steps.

1. An initial assessment of an applicant’s academic qualifications and personal information.

2. The evaluation of an applicant’s written case material (three pages maximum).

3. A personal interview conducted by two faculty members.

4. An introductory weekend in February.

 

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Applicants are asked to submit the following:

  • A brief psychological autobiography.
  • A curriculum vitae.
  • Copies of academic transcripts.
  • A written summary of a case from your clinical practice (three pages maximum).
  • A $300 application processing fee. (Applicants who do not proceed to step 2, 3 and 4 of the selection procedure will be refunded $300, $250 and $150 respectively.)

 

Send all of the above to:

      
Patricia Danko
Melbourne College of Contemporary Psychotherapy
9 Cassels Road
Brunswick 3056
Tel: (03) 9386 2756

E-mail:   patricia.danko@bigpond.com