Clinical Practice and Experience for Students

As clinical practice and experience in psychotherapy is not always easy, the Training-Research Sector of the O.P.C., in collaboration with the Therapeutic Sector, has created certain schemes suitable for these needs.

First: The clinical practice of the students of the four Institutes, which is also the most intensive and prolonged. It lasts as long as the training and is under continuous and systematic supervision.

Second: The participation of the members of the Introductory Seminars, as observers, in the activities of the Therapeutic Sector, which is optional, short-term and fragmentary.

Third: it is the scheme that was created to meet the needs, for practical training, of students of University Schools or other Educational Institutions (students of Psychology, Social Work, Occupational Therapy, etc.).

The fourth scheme concerns students who are attending a psychotherapy training program in another Organization and wish to acquire a broader clinical experience, beyond that of private cases.

Those interested initially have a personal interview in order to correlate their needs with the capabilities of the Therapeutic Sector. Subsequently, they are informed about the applied therapeutic regimens as well as monitoring the Case Discussions of the various Departments of the O.P.C.

Clinical experience may include:

• Observing an Initial Interview (presenting problem, taking a history)
• Observing a Psychological Assessment (taking a history, administering tests)
• Participating in Psychotherapeutic Communities (Daily, Fortnightly, Summer)
• Sociodynamic and Psychodynamic group activities for adults or children
• Observing Staff Meetings (discussion of cases, course of group activities, etc.)

For participation in therapeutic activities, such as Initial Interview, Psychological Assessments, etc., the consent of the patient as well as the corresponding therapist is necessary.

Responsible for Clinical Practice: Ioanna Pipergia and Costas Kalligiannis