A structured four-year continuum of psychotherapy training with classes, clinical experiences, and individual supervision is provided.  The psychotherapy curriculum is a longitudinal series of educational activities that occur throughout the residency, beginning in the first postgraduate year.  The curriculum emphasizes theoretical and practical applications of major psychotherapeutic modalities.  Various formats are used including didactic instruction, clinical experiences, individual and group supervisory experiences, structured time with a psychotherapist and a cognitive behavioralist, simulated exercises, and recorded material.

The psychotherapy program is designed for residents to achieve competency in brief therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, combined psychotherapy and psychopharmacology, understanding family systems and couples therapy, with additional psychotherapy training opportunities available on the resident's personal interests.

PGY-1:

Courses:  Introduction to Psychotherapy, Introductory Interviewing, Supportive Psychotherapy, Crisis Interventions and Brief Techniques

Simulated 30-minute Exercise:  therapeutic rapport and the doctor/patient relationship.

Clinical Emphasis:  developing supportive therapeutic relationships in adult inpatient and crisis-oriented settings. 

PGY-2:

Courses:  Introduction to Psychotherapy,  Introduction to Outpatient Practice, Advanced Interviewing, Supportive Psychotherapy, Crisis Interventions and Brief Techniques

Simulated 30-minute Excercise:  therapeutic rapport and identifying opportunities for psychotherapeutic inteventions.

Clinical Emphasis:  supportive psychotherapeutic interventions and understanding family systems in various clinical settings, including geriatric, child & adolescent and chronically mentally ill patients; elementary concepts of psychodynamic formulation of patients with serious mental illness.

PGY-3:

Courses:  Introduction to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Disorders, Psychotherapy Case Conference, Introductory Psychoanalysis, Introduction to Clinical Practice, Family and Couples Therapy, Supportive Psychotherapy for the Patient with Chronic Illness, Advanced Interviewing, Combined Psychopharmacology and Psychotherapy

Simulated Exercise:  residents complete patient interviews, critiqued by resident and faculty colleagues.

Clinical Emphasis:  continuation of the outpatient experience, with participation in various psychotherapeutic modalities; exposure to diverse clinical, cultural, and demographic population (including children and adolescents); added emphasis on treating patients with psychiatric complications of HIV, dual diagnosis, cardiac illness, and PTSD.

Supervision:  in addition to faculty outpatient supervisors, residents work 1:1 with a faculty psychodynamic psychotherapy supervisor and a cognitive behavioralist longitudinally.

This third year is dedicated to exclusively to clinical outpatient experiences.

PGY-4:

Courses:  Innovations in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy,  Supportive Psychotherapy for the Patient with Chronic Illness, Psychotherapy Case Conference, Introductory Psychoanalysis, Brief Psychotherapeutic Interventions, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Major Depression, Family & Couples Therapy, Combined Psychopharmacology and Psychotherapy

Simulated Exercise:  residents complete patient interviews, critiqued by resident and faculty colleagues.

Clinical Emphasis:  continuation of the outpatient experience with patient participation in various psychotherapeutic modalities; family and couples therapeutic experiences.

Supervision:  in addition to faculty outpatient supervisors, residents continue to work 1:1 with a faculty psychodynamic psychotherapy supervisor, participate in group psychotherapeutic supervision, and utilize process notes.

Electives:  additional psychotherapy training opportunities, including advanced cognitive behavior certification are available, based on the individual resident's educational goals.

The resident outpatient experience continues one-half day weekly throughout the fourth year.

 Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Residents in our program receive extensive training in CBT.  Throughout their PGY-3 and PGY-4 years, residents participate in a variety of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy courses including:  Introduction to CBT (Lawrence Needleman, Ph.D., ABPP), CBT for Anxiety Disorders (Joseph DeCola, Ph.D.),  Cognitive Therapy for Major Depressive Disorder (Andrew Solovey, LISW), and Innovations in CBT (Lawrence Needleman, Ph.D., ABPP).  For 7-10 months in their PGY-3 year, residents are individually supervised in CBT.  In addition, each PGY-4 resident is required to do a 1-month rotation in the Partial Hospital Program where residents have hands on experience condicuting CBT group sessions.  Interested PGY-4s can arrange CBT independent studies for up to 6 months.  Each resident who completes our program will have fulfilled most (or all) requirements for applying for CT certification with the Academy of Cognitive Therapy (http://www.academyofct.org/).

For more information about the CBT program, contact: 
Lawrence Needleman, Ph.D., ABPP 
Ohio State University
1670 Upham Dr., 5th Floor
Columbus, OH 43210
Phone:  614-293-7100  Fax 614-293-3820 
larry.needleman@osumc.edu