Entry requirements
Only open to master’s students Psychology with specialisation Clinical Neuropsychology having completed the master course Intervention Strategies in Clinical Neuropsychology: Theory.
Description
Neuropsychological intervention is an important aspect of the rehabilitation of patients, with cognitive and emotional dysfunctions due to brain injury resulting from stroke, traffic accidents, genetic dysfunctions and long term occupational exposure to neurotoxic solvents. This master course provides the practical training in communication skills with neurological patients as well as several compensation or strategy skills for problems in distinctive cognitive domains such as memory, attention or executive functioning, both in adults and children. Also psychosocial interventions based on motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioural principles are trained. The focus lies on treatment programmes that are theoretically sound and empirically supported (evidence-based). The students learn how to design, evaluate and implement a treatment programme.
This course consists of 6 seminars, which are all mandatory. In these seminars, the interventions are discussed and elements will be practiced. In between seminars students will have to practice together in subgroups with diagnostic material, and a treatment protocol. They will perform an actual treatment process (the empirical cycle), write a report on this and discuss the results in class. The seminars address the content domains: communication skills, practical aspects of treatment, basics of motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioural therapy, cognitive training protocols, treatment design and intervision, and treatment strategies in children.
Course objectives
By the end of this course, students will:
1. Know main neuropsychology strategy and compensatory interventions;
2. Be familiar with some common psychosocial interventions related to brain injury; and
3. Have practiced with the practical aspects of designing and/or implementing a treatment program and evaluating this treatment as well as the treatment process.
Timetable
For the timetables of your lectures, work groups and exams, please select your study programme in:
Psychology timetables
Registration
Course
Students need to enroll for lectures and work group sessions.
Master’s course registration
Examination
Students are not automatically enrolled for an examination. They can register via uSis from 100 to 10 calendar days before the date. Students who are not registered will not be permitted to take the examination.
Registering for exams
Mode of instruction
The course consists of 6 mandatory 3-hour work group sessions, 1 half-hour supervision, and 6 unsupervised subgroup sessions. In the unsupervised subgroup sessions students will take the history of a participant, do a short assessment, and perform a minitherapy.
- the strategies are discussed during the mandatory workgroups and students are encouraged to search for literature regarding treatments for their their own participant. Their chosen treatment is then discussed during the workgroup and in the supervision session
- the common psychosocial intervention strategies are (1) discussed during the workgroups. (2) through roleplaying and feedback students learn to apply these intervention strategies in the workgroups. (3) students discuss these in their supervision meeting where they receive individual feedback
- in the workgroups students discuss and practice with the design and evaluation of a treatment program. They then design and implement a small treatment program and evaluate this as well as the treatment process.
Assessment method
The assessment is based on:
written group-reports and 2 rated oral group presentations (60%);
written individual assignments (30%); and
individual input during class and during the assignments (10%)
- Students write a treatment proposal based on the problems of their own individual patient. Furthermore they need to adapt this treatment with known strategies if it does not work. Students are asked to think about this and reflect upon this. This is assessed with the oral presentations, the following discussion, and the final treatment report.
- Students write a treatment proposal based on the problems of their own individual patient. Furthermore they need to adapt this treatment with known strategies if it does not work. Students are asked to think about this and reflect upon this. This is assessed with the oral presentations, the following discussion, and the final treatment report.
- Students give graded presentations on their treatment process, they follow a grade supervision session, and in the final (graded) report they are asked to write about the treatment plan, the treatment process, the evaluation of the treatment, and their own personal reflection upon this process.
The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences has instituted that instructors use a software programme for the systematic detection of plagiarism in students’ written work. In case of fraud disciplinary actions will be taken. Please see the information concerning fraud.
Reading list
Goldstein, L.H. and McNeil, J.E. (Edt). Clinical Neuropsychology. A practical guide to assessment and management for clinicians (2nd Edition). Wiley Blackwell 2013. ISBN: 978-0-470-68371-2.
Several articles
Contact information
Dr. Aglaia Zedlitz
a.m.e.e.zedlitz@fsw.leidenuniv.nlDr. Dominique van den Heuvel
DMHeuvel@fsw.leidenuniv.nl