Dynamic Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, Professor of Dynamic Psychology at the IUL University, researcher at the Multidisciplinary Laboratory of Care Relationships at the University of Florence, lecturer in numerous courses for students of medicine, physiotherapy, nursing science and psychology relating to the care relationships. For over ten years, she has been an expert on the subject of the Groups Psychodynamics course at the University of Florence. She is President of the Section “Il pupazzo di garza” of the “Lapo APS Association”. She has coordinated numerous phenomenological-hermeneutical research projects in the hospital, voluntary and educational sectors. She is the author of books adopted in university courses. She has produced articles in national and international journals. She is a member of the Scientific Society BIOM.

TABLE AND DEFINITION OF CONTENTS

The course in dynamic psychology will cover the following contents:

Module 1 – Introduction to dynamic psychology

• Introduction to Freudian thought.
• Freud and the Case of Little Hans.
• Freud and the structural model of the psychic apparatus.
• Freud: ‘Mourning and melancholy’ and the death impulse.
• Introduction to the thought of Carl Gustav Jung.
• Approaching Melanie Klein’s thinking.
• Introduction to the thought of Donald Winnicott.
• Introduction to John Bowlby’s attachment theory.

Module 2 – Introduction to group psychodynamics

• Freud and group psychodynamics.
• Bion and ‘the working group’.
• The hermeneutic phenomenological method and institutions.
• Group psychodynamics in the hospital context.
• Group psychodynamics and volunteering.
• Group psychodynamics in the educational world.

A critical review of the historical, epistemological, and clinical developments of the discipline is provided in order to illustrate the foundations of the dynamic paradigm. Attention is devoted to the bond between theoretical and conceptual assumptions and methodologic and technical implications for the dynamic psychologist.

The course aims to encourage:

• Knowledge and understanding. To provide basic knowledge related to the psychodynamic approach.

• Applied knowledge and understanding. To provide knowledge of psychodynamically oriented models for intervention and research in clinical settings.

• Autonomy of judgement. To encourage the development of self-reflective skills and autonomy of judgement by accompanying individual and group reading of classical texts and examples of research and interventions.

• Communication skills. Fostering the ability to express the acquired psychological competences inherent to the professional role.

• Ability to learn. Developing an openness to the contact and an initial sensitivity to grasp psychodynamic phenomena in the context of targeted training experiences.

A. Knowledge and understanding

To know the theoretical assumptions of the Freudian psychoanalytic model.

To know the theoretical assumptions of the Jungian psychoanalytic model.
To know the main elements of the psychoanalytical model proposed by Melanie Klein.
To know the basic elements of John Bowlby’s attachment theory.
Getting to know the hermeneutic phenomenological method.
It includes the case of Little Hans.
Understanding the concept of mourning and the concept of melancholy in Freud.

B. Applied knowledge and understanding
Knowing how to apply the theoretical assumptions of the phenomenological-hermeneutic method within various institutional contexts.

C. Autonomy of judgement
The student will be able to choose the most appropriate method to apply in different contexts.

D. Communication skills
The student will be able to communicate in both oral and written form using appropriate scientific language.

E. Learning capacity
The student will be able to independently explore the action theories of the psychoanalytic model of the mind.

A. Use of advanced textbooks, knowledge of some cutting-edge topics in dynamic psychology and group psychodynamics.

B. Professional approach to work and possession of appropriate skills to devise arguments, support them and solve problems in the field of dynamic psychology within institutions. Ability to collect and interpret data useful for making independent judgements.

C. Ability to communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to specialists and non-specialists.

D. Ability to undertake further studies with a high degree of autonomy within the psychological and social disciplines.

DIDACTICS PROVISION

• 4 hours of recorded video lessons available on the platform.
• 2 synchronous meetings on the platform.
• Podcasts of all the above-mentioned video lessons.

INTERACTIVE DIDACTICS

• 1 course orientation forum;
• 2 thematic follow-up forums (1 per module);
• Possibility to carry out work in groups.
• 2 structured e-activities (as described in the section “in itinere assessment methods”).

SELF-LEARNING

Teaching materials are provided for each module: in-depth thematic studies, articles and slides by the lecturer, open-access readings, online resources, reference bibliography, etc.

• Tringali, Amato, Borgogni (2021) Esperienze dal lockdown: i vissuti di un gruppo di neolaureati in psicologia durante la pandemia da Covid-19, Gfpress Editore
• Lauro Grotto, Papini, Tringali (2014) I tumori cerebrali infantili: relazioni di cura Maggioli Editore
• In order to respond flexibly to the specific needs of each student, the lecturer reserves the right to recommend alternative or additional readings during the lessons and to students who ask for them.

Access to the final examination is subject to the following 2 e-activities:

• E-activity 1 – The student is invited to read the text Esperienze dal lockdown: i vissuti di un gruppo di neolaureati in psicologia durante la pandemia da Covid-19 and to draw up a 2-page report that he/she will send by e-mail to the lecturer, in which he/she will illustrate the feelings felt while reading the book.
• E-activity 2 – The student is invited to read the text I tumori cerebrali infantili: relazioni di cura and to write a 2-page report, which he/she will send by e-mail to the lecturer, in which he/she will illustrate the feelings perceived has experienced while reading the book.

The assessment of learning will take the form of an oral interview on the course contents and on the final report submitted, if any. The grade (min 18, max 30 with possible honours) is determined by the level of performance for each of the following dimensions of the oral interview: mastery of contents, appropriateness of definitions and theoretical references, clarity of argument, command of specialist language.

Italian