Personal and Professional Development, PP7080

ArgosyUniversity

American School of Professional Psychology/Chicago Campus

Personal and Professional Development, PP7080

Fall 2009 - Spring 2010

Wednesdays 5:30pm – 7:00pm

Seth Harkins, EdD..

Office phone number: (708) 860-1861Office Hours: by appointment

E-mail: (also available by phone)*

Please call to schedule an appointment

Co-leaders: Rachel Farrar

Purpose:

This course offers a group experience over the entire academic year that focuses on increasing knowledge, enhancing interpersonal skills and examining attitudes and values involved in interpersonal and group interactions. In this experiential approach, students are facilitated to increase self-awareness and empathic understanding of others, to practice more effective listening and communication skills, and to work on developing greater interpersonal competency in order to guide their development as clinicians and professional psychologists. The primary task is to explore and examine leadership, authority, group dynamics of overt and covert process, and role taking in the context of examining personal and professional development

This will involve the examination of roles, member relationships to the group task, issues such as joining, participation, differentiation and stages of group development. In addition to developing an understanding of the formation and maintenance of a learning group, members will also be expected to form explanatory linkages between their behavior in the group and roles they have in groups in other places and/or at other times. Students can facilitate this process by:

Being present for every class.
Acting and reacting authentically to events as they occur in the “here and now.”
Linking group phenomena with group theory to generate explanatory hypotheses.
Exploring the degree of responsibility exercised within the group with respect to the group’s task.

Faculty and co-leaders will assist in these course goals by:

Examining the group data and experience as it occurs in the “here and now.”
Consulting only to group-as-a-whole phenomena.
Strictly adhering to boundaries and roles as defined in this syllabus.
Identifying and interpreting covert and irrational barriers to group formation and effective group functioning.

Expectations:

This is difficult work. Members can expect to feel intense feelings, fantasies and impulses at times during the life of the group. In fact, the very work of the group involves the examination of these feelings, fantasies (phantasies), and impulses in the “here and now” and the development of understandings regarding their meaning. The group is a short-term, oftentimes stressful event. Individuals who are undergoing serious life stresses, or who feel they are in need of intensive, long-term or supportive psychotherapy should be aware of this and should not expect that this group will provide for such therapeutic needs. Such members should discuss these concerns and membership status with the co-leaders or faculty before the second session of the group.

Material discussed in the time boundaries of the group will be held confidential by the faculty and co-leaders. For this reason, the leaders will closely follow time boundaries. Groups will start and end at the stated times.

The course and group experience is not designed to be a personal therapeutic experience, although significant personal learning may occur.

Attendance:

Clearly, attendance is of the utmost importance in the effective functioning of the group. Groups will start and end precisely at the times posted in this outline. Students are expected to attend all scheduled sessions and the entire weekend retreat experience in May 16, 17, and 18, 2008 in order to pass the course. Absences not only impede your learning but also affect the group as a whole. Unlike lecture-form classes, in this setting, participation is the crux of learning from experience and being present is a prerequisite both for the individual and the group’s functioning and learning. If you must miss the group or arrive late due to an emergency, please call the faculty member at 708-860-1861 or contact one of the co-leaders in advance so that the group will be informed. Students who can not make a commitment to attend all scheduled sessions should not enroll for this course at this time. Remember, this time will continue into next semester as well. Multiple absences or inability to attend the group weekend will constitute failure to meet the course objectives, and will result in a grade of “No Credit.”

Confidentiality:

All material discussed within the time boundaries of the group is to be regarded as confidential by co-leaders, faculty and members. The only exception to this rule will be when a clear danger to self or others is indicated by the shared material.

However, as this is a course in an educational setting, group progress or group issues may be discussed with other P&PD faculty. This would not include individual performances unless there is a specified problem, in which case the issue would be discussed with the student first.

Lastly, faculty and co-leaders may engage in confidential consultation on the group process for their own learning as well as to keep the process open by means of processing projections or transferences that may occur during the life of the group.

Grades:

Except for poor attendance, behavior in sessions will not affect students’ grades. Credit will be assigned based, in addition, on two papers. One to be handed in at the end of the fall semester and the second, after the retreat weekend at GeorgeWilliamsCollege. The outline of the papers is attached.

Retreat:

Attendance at the final Community Retreat Weekend at GeorgeWilliamsConferenceCenter, Williams Bay, Wisconsin, is a required part of the course. The date of the retreat is to be determined. This retreat will offer an opportunity for group members to observe themselves in a larger community – a large group format, and to a lesser extent, an inter-group phenomenon.

The weekend retreat consists of different activities. The group will function both independently and as part of a larger group process. Therefore, the group will meet at times in the same capacity as in the fall and winter terms, but will also be expected to interact with members of other groups.

** RETREAT DATES: May ,2009( specific dates to be announced)

Course Design:

The course consists of four types of events: an Opening Event, Didactic Event, Discussion Events, and Here and Now Events. The opening Event occurs during the first session. The purpose of this event is to orient group members to the task and the roles in the group, to examine the course outline and to answer questions that arise. A Didactic Event will occur during the second session. The purpose of the event is to provide a theoretical and cognitive orientation to the design of the group. Here and Now Events, that consists of sessions 3 through 7 and 9 through 11 of the Fall Term and 1 through 7 of the Spring Term. Discussion Events will occur during the eighth and thirteenth sessions of the Fall Term and the eighth session of the Spring Term. These events constitute the major work of the group, in which members experience the group and themselves and learn through direct, experiential participation. The reminder of the small group sessions at the weekend retreat will be Here and Now Events.

Meeting Times:

The group will meet on Wednesdays in the Fall (2007) and Winter (2008) terms from 6:00pm-7:30pm.

Session 1 of the Fall term will be the Opening Event

Session 2 of the Fall term will be the Didactic Event.

Session 3-7 and 9-11 of the Fall term, and

Session 1-7 of the Spring term will be Here and Now Events.

(As will the 3 small study group sessions at the GeorgeWilliamsConferenceCenter)

Sessions 8 of the Fall term, and

Session 8 of the Spring term will be Discussion Events.

(As will the last session at the GeorgeWilliamsConferenceCenter)

Roles:

There are three formal roles in the group:

Co-Leaders: Richard Mann and Jennifer Simmons

Faculty: Seth Harkins, EdD.

Student Members: *Student Membership may change during the first two weeks.

The co-leaders and faculty assume the task of contributing to the group in such a way as to further the previously stated goals. Their role in the here and now events is to consult, to the group as a whole, processes that seem to be operating out of the awareness of the group. In the discussion events, their role is to facilitate a discussion that assists in the sense-making process.

Required Reading:

The following readings are required for the first five weeks.

The required readings are:

Hayden, C. & Molenkamp, R. (2004). Tavistock primer II. In Cytrynbaum and Noumair (Eds.) Group relations reader 3: Group dynamics, organizational irrationality, and social complexity. Washington, DC: A. K. Rice Institute. [to be provided as a handout at the first class session.]

Hazell, C. (2005). Imaginary Groups. Bloomington, Indiana: Authorhouse. ISBN: 9781418498184

Coleman, A.D. and Geller, M.H. (1985). Group relations reader 2. Washington, DC: A.K. Rice Institute.

ISBN: 0-9615099-0-2

Reading Schedule:

Week 1 - Hayden, C. & Molenkamp, R. (2004). “Tavistock primer II.”; Klein, M., “Our adult world and its roots in infancy. In A.D. Coleman and M.H, Geller (Eds.), Group relations reader 2. Washington, DC: A.K. Rice Institute.

Week 2 - Hazell, C. (2005). Imaginary Groups. Ch. 1 & 2; Horwitz, L. (1985). “Projective identification in dyads and groups.” In A.D. Coleman and M.H, Geller (Eds.), Group relations reader 2. Washington, DC: A.K. Rice Institute.

Week 3 - Hazell, C. (2005). Imaginary Groups. Ch. 9; Turquet, P.M. (1985). Leadership: The individual and the group. In A.D. Coleman and M.H, Geller (Eds.), Group relations reader 2. Washington, DC: A.K. Rice Institute.

Week 4 - Hazell, C. (2005). Imaginary Groups. Ch. 6; Bion, W. (1985). “The container and the contained.” In A.D. Coleman and M.H, Geller (Eds.), Group relations reader 2. Washington, DC: A.K. Rice Institute.

Week 5 - Hazell, C. (2005). Imaginary Groups. Ch. 9; Rioch, M. J. (1985). “Advanced learning in a small group.” In A.D. Coleman and M.H, Geller (Eds.), Group relations reader 2. Washington, DC: A.K. Rice Institute.

Week 6 – Bayes, M. and Newton, P.M. (1985). “Women in authority: A sociopsychological analysis; ” Dumas, R.G. (2004). “Black females in leadership.” In A.D. Coleman and M.H, Geller (Eds.), Group relations reader 2. Washington, DC: A.K. Rice Institute.

Week 7 – Hirschhorn, L. (1985). “The psychodynamics of taking up the role.” In A.D. Coleman and M.H, Geller (Eds.), Group relations reader 2. Washington, DC: A.K. Rice Institute.

Week 8 – Shapiro, R.L. (1985). “Family dynamics and object-relations theory: An analytic group-interpretive approach to family therapy.” In A.D. Coleman and M.H, Geller (Eds.), Group relations reader 2. Washington, DC: A.K. Rice Institute.

Recommended Reading:

It is the opinion of the Co-leaders and Faculty that groups are extremely complex entities and that while this is predominantly an experiential course, student learning can be greatly enhanced by reading from the following list as well as you go through the experience.

Recommended Texts:

Baum, H.S. (1987). The invisible bureaucracy: The unconscious in organizational problem solving. Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press.

0-19-503961-0

Colman, A.D. (1995). Up from scapegoating: Awakening consciousness in groups. Wilmette, IL: Chiron Publications.

0-933029-9500.

Colman, A. and Bexton, H. (1978) Group relations reader I. Washington, D.C.: A. K. Rice Institute.

# 0-916050-02-5

Bion, W. R.(1961), Experiences in Groups. Tavistock, London.

# 0-415-04020-5

Cyrtrynbaum, S. and Noumair, D. (2004).Group relations reader 3:Group dynamics, organizational irrationality, and social complexity. Jupiter, FL: A.K. Rice Institute for the Study of Social Systems.

0-9760899-0-4

DeLoach, S.S. (1988). The small group consultancy: Elements of the task. New Orleans: Author.

Ganzarain, R (1989). Object relations group psychotherapy. NY: IUP.

# 0-8236-3725-5

Hirschhorn, L. (1997). Reworking authority: Leading and following in the post-modern organization. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.

0-262-08258-6

Hirschhorn, L. (1990). The workplace within: Psychodynamics of organizational life. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.

Hirschhorn, L. and Barnette, C. K. (1993). The psychodynamics of organizations. Philadelphia: TempleUniversity Press.

1-56639-020-6

Kets, de Vries, M.F. (2001). The leadership mystique: An owner’s manual. NY: Prentice Hall.

0-273-656201

Kets de Vries, M.F. and Miller, D. (1984). The neurotic organization: Diagnosing and changing counterproductive styles of management. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

0-87589-606-5

Klein, M. and Riviere (1964). Love, hate and reparation. NY: The Norton Library.

Miller, J.A. (2002). The anxious organization: Why smart companies do dumb things. Facts On Demand Press.

Obholzer, A, and Roberts, V.Z. (1994). The unconscious at work: Individual and organizational stress in the human services. NY: Routledge.

Yalom, I.(1995). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy. New York: UIP.

# 0-465-08448-6

Journal:

In addition to reading, it is highly recommended that members keep a journal of their experience in group. This will clearly be of assistance in that it will provide a database for the final integrative paper.

Assignments:

Students are expected to hand in a summery of their experience in the group by the end of the Fall Term. This paper is primarily a “reaction and analysis” exercise. It should be a minimum of three pages, and no longer then five pages (double spaced) in length and should be placed in the faculty mailbox of Dr. Harkins in this building. Please be sure to address:

Your subjective experience/reaction(s) to the group/course thus far.
Drawing from lecture and readings, please generate hypotheses as to what has theoretically occurred in the group thus far. (This can be at the intra-psychic, interpersonal, and/or group-as-a-whole levels of analysis).
Identify or hypothesize your role in the group.
Identify expectations, goals, predictions, or hypotheses for next semester.

Students are expected to hand in a second paper after the Lake Geneva Weekend group by June 2nd, 2008 (approximately 2 weeks after the retreat). This paper is primarily a “role analysis” exercise. It should be a minimum of three pages, and no longer then five pages (double spaced) in length and should be emailed Dr. Seth Harkins at .

Your subjective experience/reaction(s) to the whole group/course, including the retreat weekend (This may also include large group or inter-group events from the weekend).
Drawing from lecture and readings, please generate hypotheses as to what has theoretically occurred in the group. (This can be at the intra-psychic, interpersonal, and/or group-as-a-whole levels of analysis).
Identify or hypothesize your role in the group.
Compare/contrast this role to roles you perform in other groups in your life.
Hypothesize as to what is the same or different about this group circumstance.
Identify contrasting and complimentary roles other students performed that helped/hindered, supported/frustrated your functioning in the group. Do you identify those group members with people in your personal life?
Identify any personal or professional learning you had in the course of the class and how it may or may not apply to your personal or professional development as a clinician.

Disability Statement:

It is the Policy of the Illinois School of Professional Psychology/Chicago Campus to make reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

If you are a student with a disability and need accommodations to complete your course requirements, please contact the instructor within the first week of class to discuss your request. All information regarding the disability will be held in confidence by the professor. If the student does not choose to disclose that s/he has a disability, then the student is taking full responsibility for any related consequences that may occur. Last minute special requests will be subject to the same late assignment policy as other students.

Academic Honesty/Plagiarism Statement:

The University seeks to foster a spirit of honesty and integrity. Any work submitted by a student must represent original work produced by that student. Any source used by a student must be documented through normal scholarly references and citations and the extent to which any sources have been used must be apparent to the reader. The University further considers resubmission of a work produced for one course and a subsequent course or the submission of work done partially or entirely by another to be academic dishonesty. It is the student’s responsibility to seek clarification from the course instructor about how much help may be received in completing an assignment or exam or project and what sources may be used. Students found guilty of academic dishonesty or plagiarism shall be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from the university.

Course Description: (from the catalogue)

This course offers a group experience which focuses on increasing knowledge, enhancing skills, and examining attitudes and values involved in interpersonal and group interaction. In this experiential approach, students are facilitated to increase self-awareness and empathic understanding of others, to practice more effective listening and communication skills, and to work on developing greater interpersonal competency in order to guide their development as clinicians and professional psychologists.

Personal and Professional Development, Overview and Rationale Statement:

Personal and Professional Development (PP7080) is designed to give students the opportunity to increase awareness of their own style of interpersonal relating and its impact on others and to foster awareness of group process.

Self Awareness and relationship skills are central to the practice of clinical psychology whatever the nature of the clinical practice students ultimately undertake. At the same time, each person’s relational style is quite unique – grounded in his or her own personality, history, culture and values. A psychotherapist’s style of relating will only work well if it is authentic to him or her. For this reason, the Personal and Professional Development class is taught in the experiential format, allowing a great deal of room for personal exploration, trial and error, and difference of opinion about the “right” ways of relating.

Most P&PD sections are taught in an open-ended group format because we believe that open-ended groups provide a particularly fertile ground for this kind of relational learning. They take away a lot of the features of everyday life that distract from noticing reactions or from initiating personally meaningful actions in response to such reactions. They are a little bit paradoxical- groups whose only initial purpose is to be a group, finding purpose out of no-purpose. In the process they are often intensify qualities of everyday group experience. At different times they may be boring, maddening, thrilling, engaging, interesting, funny, terrifying or moving. The more fully a person engages in the process the more he or she is likely to get out of the experience.

While group experiences are often personally helpful, students should remain clear that these P&PD groups are not psychotherapy or a substitute for psychotherapy. Students should interact at a level of level of intensity and self-disclosure that they find personally comfortable and helpful to their own learning.