Learning Resources

Required Readings

Wheeler, K. (Ed.). (2014). Psychotherapy for the advanced practice psychiatric nurse: A how-to guide for evidence-based practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

• Chapter 5, “Supportive and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy” (pp. 225–238 and pp. 245–258)

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Note: You will access this text from the Walden Library databases.

Young, J. M., & Solomon, M. J. (2009). How to critically appraise an article. Nature Clinical Practice. Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 6(2), 82–91.

How to Critically Appraise an Article by Young, J.; Solomon, M., in Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Vol. 6/Issue 2. Copyright 2009 by Nature Publishing Group. Reprinted by permission of Nature Publishing Group via the Copyright Clearance Center.

Select one of the following articles on psychodynamic therapy to evaluate in your Assignment:

Aznar-Martinez, B., Perez-Testor, C., Davins, M., & Aramburu, I. (2016). Couple psychoanalytic psychotherapy as the treatment of choice: Indications, challenges, and benefits. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 33(1), 1–20. doi:10.1037/a0038503

Karbelnig, A. M. (2016). “The analyst is present”: Viewing the psychoanalytic process as performance art. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 33(supplement 1), S153–S172. doi:10.1037/a0037332

LaMothe, R. (2015). A future project of psychoanalytic psychotherapy: Revisiting the debate between classical/commitment and analytic therapies. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 32(2), 334–351. doi:10.1037/a0035982

Migone, P. (2013). Psychoanalysis on the Internet: A discussion of its theoretical implications for both online and offline therapeutic technique. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 30(2), 281–299. doi:10.1037/a0031507

Tummala-Narra, P. (2013). Psychoanalytic applications in a diverse society. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 30(3), 471–487. doi:10.1037/a0031375

Note: You will access all of these articles from the Walden Library databases.

Required Media

Laureate Education (Producer). (2015c). The importance of a therapeutic relationship: Mary Boyle [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Provided courtesy of the Laureate International Network of Universities.

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 2 minutes.

Accessible player

Laureate Education (Producer). (2015b). Foundations of counseling techniques [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Provided courtesy of the Laureate International Network of Universities.

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 32 minutes.

Accessible player

Laureate Education (Producer). (2013b). Hernandez family genogram [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 3 minutes.

Accessible player

Optional Resources

Kernberg, O. (2013). Psychoanalytic psychotherapy [Video file]. Mill Valley, CA: Psychotherapy.net.

Note: You will access this media from the Walden Library databases. The approximate length of this media piece is 256 minutes.

Assignment 1: Applying Current Literature to Clinical Practice

Literature in psychotherapy differs from other areas of clinical practice. Generally, there are no clinical trials in psychotherapy because it is often neither appropriate nor ethical to have controls in psychotherapy research. This sometimes makes it more difficult to translate research findings into practice. In your role, however, you must be able to synthesize current literature and apply it to your own clients. For this Assignment, you begin practicing this skill by examining current literature on psychodynamic therapy and considering how it might translate into your own clinical practice.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Evaluate the application of current literature to clinical practice

To prepare:

• Review this week’s Learning Resources and reflect on the insights they provide.

• Select one of the psychodynamic therapy articles from the Learning Resources to evaluate for this Assignment.

Note: In nursing practice, it is not uncommon to review current literature and share findings with your colleagues. Approach this Assignment as though you were presenting the information to your colleagues.

The Assignment

In a 5- to 10-slide PowerPoint presentation, address the following:

• Provide an overview of the article you selected.

o What population is under consideration?

o What was the specific intervention that was used? Is this a new intervention or one that was already used?

o What were the author’s claims?

• Explain the findings/outcomes of the study in the article. Include whether this will translate into practice with your own clients. If so, how? If not, why?

• Explain whether the limitations of the study might impact your ability to use the findings/outcomes presented in the article. Support your position with evidence-based literature.

Note: The presentation should be 5–10 slides, not including the title and reference slides. Include presenter notes (no more than ½ page per slide) and use tables and/or diagrams where appropriate. Be sure to support your work with specific citations from the article you selected. Support your approach with evidence-based literature.

Week 3: Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Introduction

Contemporary psychodynamic psychotherapy, also referred to as psychoanalytic therapy, is rooted in Dr. Sigmund Freud’s proposal that unconscious thought processes, or thoughts and feelings outside of our conscious awareness, are responsible for mental health issues. This therapeutic approach is unique because its goal is to help clients achieve changes in personality and emotional development. Like most therapeutic approaches, however, psychodynamic psychotherapy is not appropriate for every client. In your role as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, you must be able to properly assess clients to determine whether this therapeutic approach would improve their clinical outcomes.

This week, as you explore psychodynamic psychotherapy, you examine the application of current literature to clinical practice. You also assess clients presenting for psychotherapy.

Photo Credit: Laureate Education