Certification in Depression Psychotherapy

Course details

Depression psychotherapy is considered by most psychologists to be the essential form of psychotherapy in mental health treatment as depression is the most common form of mental illness. WHO estimated that at least one quarter of the population will get depression sometime in their lives making it the second most common disease after the common flu.

Depression psychotherapy can be used to help clients overcome depression, stress and explore different aspects of their own issues. In depression psychotherapy, the use of different techniques of psychotherapy to treat depression and related psychological disorders and enhance mental health are integrated.

The Malaysian Association of Psychotherapy (MAP) describes Depression psychotherapy as "a mental health profession that uses the latest and most effecctive processes of psychotherapy to reverse and prevent depression of individuals of all ages. It is based on the psychological researches that the depression psychotherapy process helps people to resolve emotional, cognitive and behavioural conflicts and problems, develop effective interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-awareness, and achieve valuable insight which are the best ways to treat and prevent depression."

Couple Therapy couples at different stages of their relationshipWhile people have been using individual psychotherapy as a way to express, communicate and heal for the past few decades, family therapy only began to formalize during the middle of the 20th-century. PSychologists and psychiatrists noted that individuals suffering from mental illness were also often depressed, which led many pioneers of Depression Psychotherapy, such as Andy Clarke from the UK and David Barlow from the US, to develop models of therapy for depression as the core part of their psychotherapy practices and researches. Since then, Depression Psychotherapy has become an important part of the psychotherapeutic field and is used in most assessment and treatment techniques of psychotherapy.

Clinical Application of Depression Psychotherapy

• Depression Psychotherapy can be used to treat a wide range of mental disorders and psychological distress as depression often is the underlying cause or the comorbidity for many these disorders and distress. In many cases, the treatment of the depression may resolve many of the other presenting symptoms.

Clinical situations in which Depression Psychotherapy might be utilized in the course include:

• Individuals, couples or families having depression
• Individuals, couples or families in distress
• Individuals, couples or families having anxieties
• Individuals, couples or families not having the desire to communicate
• Couples loosing the desire to relate with each other
• Individuals loosing their spiritual or religious faith
• Children with learning disabilities
• Individual family members experiencing severe stress
• Children suffering from behavioral or social problems at school or at home
• Individuals experiencing mental health problems
• Individuals suffering from a brain injury
• Individuals who has experienced a loss

Techniques of Depression PsychoTherapy

• A family therapist may use a variety of art methods including regression to family of origins issues, emotion foccued approach, cognitive and behavioural approaches and psychodrama techniques with clients ranging from young children to the elderly. Clients who want to attain psychological and emotional growth as well as those who have experienced emotional trauma, physical violence, domestic abuse, anxiety, depression and other psychological issues can benefit from family therapy. Hospitals, private mental health offices, schools, religious and community organizations are all excellent settings where family therapy services may be available.
• You might also wonder how a depression psychotherapy session differs from the average psychotherapy session. "In most psychotherapy sessions, the focus is on your inner experience through the context of your behaviour, thinking, feelings, perceptions, expectations and selves. While basic psychotherapy course may involve learning the skills or psychotherapy techniques, the emphasis of Depression Psychotherapy is generally first on developing and expressing oneself through the experience of the depression, which colours the way you see the outside world," explains Dr. Edward Chan, Course Director of IPC's International Professional Psychotherapy certification courses.
• One of the most important skill you will learn in this course is how to help client surface their core feelings, thoughts, expectations, perceptions and selves through explorations of their depression.

How to set up a Depression Psychotherapist Clinical Practice

• In Malaysia you need to first become a licensed practitioner member of MAP in order to offer psychotherapy services. Psychology centres endorsed by MAP such as IPC offers credentialing programs allow psychotherapists to become registered, board certified or licensed Depression psychotherapists practitioner member of MAP.

According to MAP, the minimum requirements:

• A master's degree in family therapy, or
• Equivalent related MAP endorsed certifications
• Additional post-graduate supervised experience is also required. You can learn more about the training and educational requirements to become a psychotherapist and an a depression psychotherapist on the IPC (www.Psychology.com.my) and MAP website (www.MalaysianPsychotherapy.net).
• Ethical issues

This include all the skills and knowledge of how to apply yourself professionally in the practice of Depression psychotherapy for effective outcome for the clients.

Course Layout

• We use the mastery system of education. Besides lecturing, this course provides clinical experience such as: research, case study, group clinical supervision, reflections, discussions & presentation. Assessment includes case study oral and written presentations, group participation, research paper and assignments.
• The topics mentioned above are taught within 3 months. During this period, students will also be given clinical case assignments and presentations to do.
• Our course is structured as 2 intensive workshop with six group clinical supervision & oral / written case presentation for the assessment. Fulfilling the attendance and passing the criteria given will lead to towards the licensed practitioner membership of Adult Psychotherapy, Geriatric Psychotherapy, Family Therapy, Couple Therapy, Child Therapy, Art Therapy and/or Expressive Therapy Divisions of Malaysia Association of Psychotherapy.

Equipment & Venue

Below are the equipments used:

• Chairs & table
• Course Book
• White board
• Notes/ books
• Art Therapy materials
• Figurines
• SandTray
• Symbols
• Cds and Music

Venue: International Psychology Centre, Kuala Lumpur