The UBC Department of Psychiatry Psychotherapy Program is dedicated to developing highly skilled psychiatrists who are able to practice a variety of psychotherapies with patients who suffer from a multitude of mental illnesses. The program emphasizes the provision of a broad-based, empirically oriented learning experience. The focus in training is to teach residents important general therapeutic skills, as well as specific skills associated with different psychotherapeutic modalities. Furthermore, specific skills that are required in the treatment of particular disorders are taught. Psychiatry residents who graduate from our program will have developed a broad range of competencies that will enable them to effectively meet the challenges faced by psychiatrists in everyday clinical practice.

General Description of Our Program

Our Program has developed a comprehensive curriculum for teaching psychotherapy.
Through didactic seminars and case supervision, six mandatory psychotherapy modules are completed over a three-year period (PGY-2 – PGY-4):

• General Skills/Supportive Psychotherapy
• Long-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
• Brief Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
• Group Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
• Cognitive-Behavioural Psychotherapy (CBT)
• Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)

Seminars cover basic principles and research in each module. Seminar leaders evaluate residents’ preparation, participation, and professional behaviour in each seminar.

Residents also conduct therapy cases associated with each modality, with ongoing supervision from expert therapists. Case supervision may or may not coincide with the didactic seminar. Supervisors use standardized rating scales to assess residents’ competency in each modality.

There are two additional modules that are taught in our residency program, which do not have case supervision associated with it. These are:

• Introduction to Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
• Psychotherapy Review Course for Royal College Examination

The PGY-1 year is a rotating general internship year, thus no formal psychotherapy teaching occurs during this year. Residents in their PGY-5 year pursue electives (e.g., couples or family therapy) in psychotherapy training, developing expertise in specific areas of interest.

links (under construction)

• Psychotherapy Training Objectives
• Psychotherapy Portfolio
• Psychotherapy Modules
• Psychotherapy Seminar Schedule
• Psychotherapy Seminar Reading Lists and Downloads
• List of Psychotherapy Supervisors
• Site Training Opportunities
• Forms for Faculty
• Forms for Residents