Please note the availability of these courses varies.  Many of these courses are offered in alternating years.

Psychopathology Courses

PSYC 510 (3), Descriptive Psychopathology (Hewitt)
This course provides a critical overview of psychological disorders as conceptualized in several diagnostic systems. The focus is on the signs, symptoms, and syndromes of psychopathology and the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for psychiatric disorders.  The course goal is to provide students with the foundation to competently make differential diagnoses of mental disorders in clinical and research contexts, and think critically about approaches to conceptualizing psychopathology.

PSYC 535 (3), Psychopathology of the Adult (Brenner)
This is a seminar on experimental psychopathology.  It focuses on current theories of etiology and phenomenology for the major psychiatric disorders, as well as empirical research testing the validity of these conceptualizations.  This is a research-oriented course (no practicum element), and students will be expected to apply what they learn to the design and analysis of research projects in experimental psychopathology.  It presupposes some knowledge of abnormal psychology and familiarity with the DSM-IV.

PSYC 536 (3), Psychopathology of the Child (Johnston - not offered in 2012-2013)
This course presents an overview of childhood disorders, with an emphasis on descriptive information, theoretical formulations, and empirical findings. The course includes coverage of the history, issues and methodologies of developmental psychopathology research. The course goal is to familiarize students with current research findings and issues in child psychopathology research.

Assessment Courses

PSYC 530 (3), Assessment: A Critical Survey (Brenner)
This course provides an overview of basic psychometric issues, issues in clinical judgment and prediction, intellectual assessment, and achievement assessment of children, adolescents, and adults. The goal is coverage of fundamental issues in evidence-based assessment and the development of competent administration and interpretation skills by using common assessment devices (e.g, WAIS-IV, WISC-IV, WIAT) as examples.

PSYC 531 (3), Assessment: Clinical Implications (Mikami)
The focus of this course is an overview of issues in the evidence-based assessment of child, adolescent and adult psychopathology and personality. A practical, hands-on approach to fostering the development of competent administration and interpretation skills is taken by using common assessment devices (e.g, MMPI-2, SCID, SCID-II, CBCL, KSADS) as examples. Students complete a comprehensive assessment of a test case.

PSYC 532 (3), Child Assessment (BCCH staff psychologists - not offered in 2012-2013)
This course is intended to provide students with a basic introduction to the administration, scoring and interpretation of those intelligence tests most widely used with children (WISC-IV, WPPSI-III, Stanford-Binet-5). Clinical and psychometric uses of these tools are discussed and critiqued, and there are demonstrations.

PSYC 533c (3), Medical-Legal Assessment (Koch)
This course provides an overview of psychological injuries (PI) assessment within torts litigation and other disability claims settings.  Psychological injuries are emotional conditions and stress-related mental disorders that may occur secondary to physical or mental trauma and are associated with work and personal disability, excessive medical care utilization, and emotional suffering.  The course will cover the legal and psychological developments of these constructs, empirical background of PI, common legal questions, empirical assessment methods, gaps between empirical assessment methods and necessary legal questions, and common pitfalls that plague psychologists and psychiatrists practicing in this area.  Case materials will be regularly used to stimulate discussion, students will be asked to write reports based on case data, cross-examine other students' with respect to their reports, and write a literature review within a relevant sub-area.

Therapy Courses

PSYC 537 (3) Ethics and Professional Issues in Clinical Psychology (McGee)
This course provides an overview of Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists, and other documents related to ethical practice, as well as exposure to various professional issues one will encounter as a clinical psychologist.  Clinical case reviews are included, along with weekly meetings with some pre-assigned reading to be done before class.  In class, discussion of ethical dilemmas (vignettes) is used as a means to learn the CPA Code of Ethics.  The course includes a series of speakers from UBC and the community who will speak on ethical and professional issues in clinical psychology.

PSYC 534 (3) Clinical Psychology Practicum (various clinical faculty)
This course focuses on clinical skills.  Students work in the Psychology Clinic under the supervision of a clinical faculty member.  Training contracts are agreed upon by student and supervisor at the beginning of the term.

PSYC 541 (2),  Introduction to Psychotherapy (McGee)
This course is an introduction to processes and procedures involved in psychotherapy and intake interviewing.  It is specifically designed to prepare students for clinical practicum in the second year of the M.A. program.  Topics covered include therapeutic relationship building, psychotherapy microskills, intake interviewing, assessment of suicide, record keeping, etc.  There is also a significant practical component to the course (e.g., in-class role plays and practice of microskills, two video taped assignments to demonstrate skills learned in class).  Students should expect to spend three hours/week attending class and engaging in between class practice of microskills, written homework assignments and readings.

PSYC 542 (3), Introduction to Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy (Alden)
This course is devoted to understanding the history and conceptual framework, research, and practice of cognitive-behavioural treatment strategies. Activities include readings, seminar discussion, skill training, and simulation exercises in empirically-supported therapeutic techniques. A tentative schedule of topics includes the following: historical and theoretical bases of cognitive-behavioral therapy, treatment strategies for the anxiety and mood disorders, tailoring CBT strategies to different socio-cultural contexts, and current controversies in treatment.

PSYC 533a (3), Motivational Interviewing (Klonsky - not offered in 2012-2013)
Motivatonal interviewing (MI) is a "directive, client-centered counseling style for eliciting behavior change by helping clients to explore and resolve ambivalence" (Rollnick & Miller, 1995).  MI is a stellar example of science-based clinical practice applicable to a wide range of maladaptive behaviors, psychological problems, and clinical contexts.  In this course students will be introduced to both the science and practice of MI through articles, treatment manuals, class discussions, videotapes, and roleplays.

PSYC 556 (3), Treatment of Childhood Disorders (Johnston)
The course addresses the treatment of childhood disorders. Topics include an historical overview of psychological treatments for child disorders, coverage of general issues in working with children and families, and an introduction to specific empirically supported treatments (e.g., behavioural parent training, cognitive-behavioural interventions for depression). The course goal is to orient students to current empirically supported treatments for childhood disorders.

PSYC 533a (3), Introduction to Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (Wagner)
This one semester course is designed to provide students with an introduction to Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) for treating complex multi-systemic disorders. Topics to be covered include: What is borderline personality disorder?, research on DBT, using validation to facilitate change, mindfulness-based treatment strategies, and other change-based strategies.  The course involves didactics, tape review, role plays, and discussion.

PSYC 560 (3), Clinical Research Design (Klonsky)
The focus of the course is on research design and procedures in clinical psychology.  Special attention is given to treatment outcome research and to research conducted in applied settings.  Students will be able to use the course to develop their Master's thesis research proposal.