I hope that you all have had a wonderful weekend and ready to move onto week seven.

Unit Introduction and What You Will Learn

Week seven is synchronous class week, with an in-person session on Saturday (10/05/27). Having spent time in class looking at the theoretical basis of an integrated approach to clinical practice, the assessment process, biopsychosocial assessments, the DSM-5-TR, and multicultural practice, we will focus more on specific practice implementations within the integrated approach. This week’s readings include two chapters of the Cooper and Granucci Lesser (2022) with two relational psychodynamic models, object relations theory and self-psychology.

The learning objectives this week include

• Develop an appreciation of the evolution of relational psychodynamic models
• Understand the concepts of object relations and self-object
• Discuss the concept of trauma bonding
• Apply self-psychology to a brief group intervention
• Develop the context of attachment theory
• Learn a simple model for sharing about the functions of the brain

Agenda

I’ll share the agenda for class as we get closer.

Unit Assignments

Content

• Read Cooper and Granucci Lesser (2022) Chapter 4 Object Relations Theory: A Relational Psychodynamic Model
• Read Cooper and Granucci Lesser (2022) Chapter 5 Self-Psychology: A Relational Psychodynamic Model
• Listen to Kelly (2023) Nerd-ing Out on Secure Attachments: Eli Harwood
• Watch Siegel’s (2017) YouTube video, Dr. Dan Siegel’s Hand Model of the Brain

Weekly Online Discussion Forums

This week, there are four discussion forums for you to engage in. I want you to make a total of three replies across any of the forums. I want at least two of the replies related to any of the prompts. The other reply can be answering prompts or replying to your peers. The following is a brief overview of the forums for this week:

• The chapters five and six reflections questions forum explores the readings and asks you to make connections to the vignettes and the content presented in these chapters.
• Self-psychology can be useful in developing group interventions, and the textbook provided an example of going through the beginning, middle, and end phases of a group using it. In the forum planning a group intervention using self-psychology, you can share some ideas for how you could do some pre-planning for such a group.
• Further engagement with object relation theory forum asks you to increase your connection to and understanding of object relation theory by connecting it with the cyclical maladaptive pattern, trauma bonding, or splitting behaviors.
• Finally, the forum reflection on additional materials for week seven is a space to share findings and insight gained from the extra materials I shared.

You are expected to read all the posts across all the forums. Your forums are due before Monday (10/07 at 8 AM).

Reading Quizzes

Complete W-07 Reading Quiz for Cooper and Granucci Lesser (2022) Chapters 05 and 06 by 8 AM on Saturday 10/05.

Unit Resources

Attachment theory is briefly discussed in both chapters you read this week. It is a deep and broad subject that can provide significant insight into our clinical practice. The Knowledge Center has an entire podcast looking at different viewpoints related to attachment. Kelly’s (2023) episode interviewing Eli Harwood is excellent and provides some good background and thoughts about understanding attachment in action. I especially appreciated her relating attachment styles to animals. You can find the episode in the Apple Podcast App, Overcast¹, Spotify, or the podcast’s website. The episode is about an hour long. I often listen to podcasts when doing other things (washing dishes, going for a walk, driving, etc.); they are a great way to continue learning.

Both textbook chapters cite Dan Siegel in their discussion of these theories. While they cite a book he wrote, The Developing Mind, I really like Siegal and have consumed a lot of his material. Chapter six asks you to consider self-psychology from a neuroscientific perspective. While Siegel’s hand model of the brain does not explicitly talk about this, it is a tool I have often used in my conversations with clients to help them understand what is happening when they are “flipping their lid.” I’d like you to watch his video Dr. Dan Siegel’s Hand Model of the Brain. It is only about eight minutes.

I am still working on the slides and agenda for our class session on Saturday, but I will share it before class. You can find all of the videos for this course in [Lecture Videos](https://myheritage.heritage.edu/ICS/Academics/SOWK/SOWK_581/2425_FA-SOWK_581-0/Lecture_Videos.jnz). You can find [Fall 2024 SOWK 581 (0) - Week 07]().

To-Do Lists

• Read chapters five and six in the textbook, listen to the podcast episode and watch a short video
• Complete three replies across any of the four forums
• Complete the reading quiz