Argosy University

COURSE SYLLABUS

PP 7365

Clinical Interviewing

Spring 2010

Faculty Information:

Faculty Name: Dawn Santucci, Psy.D.

Campus: Chicago

Contact Information: or

Office Hours: By appointment

Short Faculty Bio: Dr. Santucci earned a B.S. in Psychology and Sociology from Elmhurst College and a M.A. in Counseling Psychology and Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Adler School of Professional Psychology. She holds certification in Neuropsychological Assessment and Clinical Hypnosis. Her primary interest is assessment, particularly neuropsychological and forensic assessment.

Course Description:

This course is an introduction to clinical interventions across theoretical orientations. It will cover the basic skills needed for interviewing and engaging clients in a diagnostic interview, assessment session, or therapeutic relationship. It will provide a broad range of skill development experiences for students that serve as a foundation for diagnostic and therapy practica. The class will include discussion of readings, role-play, observing videos, class exercises, and self and peer evaluation.

Course Pre-requisites: None

Required Textbooks:

Hill, C. E. (2009). Helping Skills: Facilitating Exploration, Insight, and Action (3/e). American Psychological Association, Washington, D. C. ISBN: 1433804514

Technology:

Pentium III CPU/ Windows 98; 128MB RAM printer; Microsoft Office: Acrobat (full version); Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 (PC), 5.0 (MAC), or Netscape Navigator 4.08; Norton Antivirus.

Course length: 15 Weeks

Contact Hours: 45 Hours

Credit Value: 3.0

Course Objectives:

1. Students will develop basic skills essential for interviewing as clinicians.

  1. Students will develop a wide repertoire of skills on which to base their intervention in both diagnostic and therapy practica.
  2. Students will learn more advanced skills by which to foster engagement, alliance, and the therapeutic process.
  3. Students will know the basic legal, ethical, and professional concerns essential for clinical practice.
  4. Students will learn interventions that recognize and respect diversity related to race, religion, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and culture.
  5. Students will develop increased capacities for open and accurate self-evaluation and peer evaluation of their clinical interventions.

Class Expectations:

  1. To be present, punctual, prepared, and attentive during each class. Willingness to participate positively and constructively in class discussion and exercises. Attendance is required and absence is discouraged. Students must notify the instructor in advance of a planned absence. If 2 or more classes are missed either a failing grade will be given for the course or a contracted way to make up the class must be arranged. Evaluation will be based upon the quality of class discussion reflecting understanding of issues, openness to learning, and to reflect upon one’s own strengths and weaknesses. (15%)
  2. Another portion of the grade will come from demonstration of learned skills in class role-play exercises. (15%)
  3. A 10-15 minute audiotape will be submitted the 5th week of the term with a 2-3 page self-critique, and a verbatim transcript with extra space following each of your responses. These tapes will be presented in class. (15%)

NOTE: Client and therapist responses should be numbered (C1, T1; C2, T2). The specific clinical interviewing skill being used should be identified after each T statement. This applies to all audio and video tape submissions.

  1. A second 10-15 minute audiotape will be submitted during the 9th week of class with a 2-3 page self-critique, and a verbatim transcript with extra space following each of your responses. The responses should be numbered as they were in the first tape. These tapes will be presented in class. (20%)
  2. A 20-25 minute videotape will be submitted during the 13th week of the course. This is to be submitted with a self-critique (2-3 pages) and a written verbatim transcript of either the first or the last 15 minutes (depending on your preference and needs) and formatted as stated above. The tapes can be submitted in a VHS or DVD format. These videotapes will be presented in class. (35%)

The following pages provide more detailed information about each of these assignments.

Assignment Table:

Week / Topics / Readings / Assignments
1. 1/11 / Introduction to clinical interviewing; ethical issues / Hill: Chapters 1, 2 & 4 / Practice introduction, disclosing student status, limits of confidentiality
2. 1/18 / Holiday J / ------/ ------
3. 1/25 / Beginning and ending sessions; setting and maintaining boundaries; assessing for suicide & violence / Hill: Chapters 3, 5 & 6 / Practice intake interviewing, assessing for suicide and violence
4. 2/01 / Exploration Stage / Hill: Chapters 7, 8, 9, 10 & 11 / Practice Exploration Skills
5. 2/08 / Class Audiotapes / Hill: Chapter 12 / Audiotape #1 with transcript & critique
6. 2/15 / Class Audiotapes / Hill: Chapters 13 & 14 / Class Audiotapes
7. 2/22 / Insight Stage / Hill: Chapters 15, 16 & 17 / Practice Insight Skills
8. 3/01 / Action Stage / Hill: Chapter 18, 19, 20 & 21 / Practice Action Skills
9. 3/08 / Class Audiotapes / Hill: Chapter 22 / Audiotape #2 with transcript & critique
10. 3/15 / Class Audiotapes / Class Audiotapes
11. 3/22 / Video: Helping Skills in Practice
12. 3/29 / Interviewing special populations;
Gathering supplementary info / Practice interviews with special populations
13. 4/05 / Class Videotapes / Videotape with transcript & critique
14. 4/12 / Class Videotapes / Class Videotapes
15. 4/19 / Make up class

Performance Evaluation Criteria:

  1. Students will structure a therapeutic session; opening the session, engaging and fostering self-disclosure, managing transitions and interruptions, and closing the session.
  2. Students will demonstrate basic skills such as attending and listening, communicating empathy, clarification, reflection, summarization, and appropriate questioning.
  3. Students will demonstrate the ability to assist the client in clarification of feelings, thoughts, experiences, and communication.
  4. Students will demonstrate the ability to effectively respond to a client’s strong emotional expressions (e.g. anger, crying, suicidality, personal attraction).
  5. Students will model appropriate self-disclosure.
  6. Students will demonstrate appropriate sensitivity to and respect for client diversity, including racial, religious, ethnic, gender and sexual orientation.
  7. Students will demonstrate therapeutic responses to silence and resistance.
  8. Students will demonstrate an understanding of professional therapeutic relationships and boundaries.
  9. Students will be able to identify basic legal, ethical, and professional issues involved in clinical interviewing.
  10. Students will become more objective in self-evaluation and peer evaluation.
  11. Students will gain awareness of the impact of the variety of interventions presented throughout the course.
  12. Students will demonstrate the ability to be self-reflective or self-monitoring during therapeutic interactions, and to be aware of their own emotions, thoughts, experiences, and bodily reactions, and to be aware of personal biases and issues that may foster and/or inhibit therapeutic progress in the interview.

Criteria for Evaluation of Tapes:

The criteria for evaluation of the tapes are based on the demonstration of those skills discussed in class and the assigned readings. Grades will also reflect cumulative demonstration of learned skills discussed and practiced up to the date when the exercise is submitted. Interventions should demonstrate basic attending and listening skills and a capacity for empathy including the communication of empathy. Tone, style, and content should communicate caring, concern and being present with the client. Grades will be based on the criteria described as follows: A grade of B is given to the degree that these are clearly evidenced and some good self-awareness is reflected in the self-critique. A grade of B+ is given when the above are consistently evidenced and solidly demonstrated.

A second major area of evaluation is the ability to demonstrate advanced skills that include moving the client beyond his/her initial perspective. This involves helping him/her clarify thoughts, feelings, and experiences, so as to increase their clarity of understanding regarding their conflict. Probing, questioning, advanced empathy, and challenging are part of these more advanced skills. A grade of A- is given to the degree that these are consistently evidenced in addition to the basic skills and solid self-awareness and openness reflected in the self-critique.

A third criterion is the ability to identify the major core issues of the client. This does not require identifying all issues, but those most significantly related to the presenting concern. This involves helping the client move beyond the presenting complaint so as to have increased understanding of the issue, and greater awareness of motivations, thoughts, feelings, and experiences associated with their concerns. To the degree that all three areas are addressed fairly consistently, a grade of A is given.

An interview that reflects the criteria identified above but which evidences problematic interventions will receive a lower grade. Problematic interventions might include shifting from topic to topic, lack of clear direction, focus on advice giving, devaluing, judgmental or insensitive comments with the client, or frequent breaks in understanding. If a student receives 2 or more grades below B- on the taped sessions, they will be required to submit at least 1 remediation tape. They may also have to enroll in an individual consultation with a faculty member in order to further remediate their problem areas.

Guidelines for Audio and Video Taped Submissions:

The session you provide should not be with a real client and should not be with another student in the class. It should be with an individual who wants to present a real concern or a role-play with an individual with a specific concern. It is actually easier when a real concern is presented, as the presentation is more consistent. The problem/concern should be of a mild nature and not one reflecting an individual who is lacking in reality testing or requiring crisis intervention. The entire session should be 10-15 minutes for audiotapes and 20-25 minutes for the videotape; not the first ten, the last ten or the best ten minutes of a longer session. Do not submit a tape that is based on interviewing someone who was challenging in an undermining way, i.e. someone who seemingly wants to sabotage your project, someone who presents an extremely complex and/or intense problem that would not be addressed within the time frame, or someone who discounts your interventions. It is advised to find someone who is a distant acquaintance, not a family member, romantic partner, or a close friend or colleague. Each audio and video interview may be with the same or a different person.

At least one of the tapes must be an interview with a person who represents one of the following groups: a person of color, a person who is not a U.S. citizen, a person with a disability, a person who is gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered. Though the specific aspect of difference may not be the focus of the interview, the student must demonstrate knowledge about and sensitivity to the aspect of difference. Other areas of diversity, gender, religion, social class, may be considered for this assignment, however they must be approved by the instructor ahead of time. YOUR PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON THIS EXPERIENCE WITH DIFFERENCE MUST BE INCLUDED IN THE CRITIQUE FOR THIS SESSION.

It is advisable to use a remote microphone for audio taped sessions. Tapes that are inaudible will not be accepted and will receive no credit. It is advisable to reserve a video camera early in the term. While the library has several available, many students have found it easier to access one from outside the school. It is advisable to practice with the camera before you tape your session.

The audiocassette to be submitted should be a standard cassette or a micro cassette. If you choose to use a digital recorder, it is highly advisable to copy the recording to a CD, and then submit the CD for grading. You should always make a back up copy of your digital recording if you choose to turn in your digital recorder for grading. Dr. Santucci will not be responsible for lost or stolen recorders. The videotape should be a standard cassette or should be turned in with a standard cassette converter. A DVD may also be turned in for the final assignment.

Confidentiality:

Since students may present actual personal concerns as well as role-play clients, confidentiality is required in this class. Your attending this class will imply that you understand the importance of confidentiality and that you will not share any information outside of the class.

Guidelines for Taping Sessions:

  1. Explain to the “client” that you are in training and will receive feedback about your clinical skills from your instructor and from peer discussion.
  2. Ask if they will be willing to discuss a current issue or problem they are having. Do not discuss a problem that is severe. Also inform your “client” that he or she may terminate the session at any time if he or she feels uncomfortable and not longer wishes to participate.
  3. In the first session, allow them to discuss their concern. Your task is to establish rapport and collect information regarding their experience. The second tape should include a focus on basic skills such as empathic communication. The videotape should include a demonstration of advanced skills such as challenging, summarization, emotional expression, probing, reframing of an issue, goal setting, etc.

Guidelines for the Self-Critique:

The self-critique should be 2-3 pages and address the following concerns:

  1. What were your strengths in the interview?
  2. What were your weaknesses/areas in need of further development in the interview?
  3. Was there any time when you felt stuck or uncertain how to respond?
  4. How were you impacted by the client…your emotions, thoughts, physical reactions, countertransference?
  5. What was your overall response to the interview? Did you feel connected to the client? Distracted? Disengaged?
  6. With hindsight, what might you have done differently?
  7. What was the quality of your engagement, your empathy?
  8. For the final self-critique only – If you were to continue seeing this particular client, what future directions would you take? How would you conceptualize the case and what would be some of your treatment goals? How would you pursue these goals?

Grading Criteria

Attendance/participation / 15%
In class role play / 15%
Audiotape #1 with critique / 15%
Audiotape #2 with critique / 20%
Videotape with critique / 35%
100%

Grading Scale Grading requirements

A / 100 – 93
A- / 92 – 90
B+ / 89 – 88
B / 87 – 83
B- / 82 – 80
C+ / 79 – 78
C / 77 - 73
C- / 72 – 70
D+ / 69 – 68
D / 67 – 63
D- / 62 – 60
F / 59 and below

Library Resources: