Posted on Aug. 7: Psychotherapy program wins award from international organization

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/priyanthy_weerasekera.jpg” caption=”Priyanthy Weerasekera”]A creative, multi-faceted mix of approaches to psychotherapy training has garnered an award for the postgraduate psychotherapy program at McMaster University.

The Psychiatric Education Award is given by the Association for Academic Psychiatry (AAP) to an outstanding specific project or program. The AAP receives submissions internationally for the award, which recognizes programs at both medical school and residency levels.

The McMaster postgraduate psychotherapy program was developed in 1995 to train psychiatric residents to practice a variety of psychotherapies.

The program is innovative in that most psychotherapy programs only teach the psychodynamic approach, said Priyanthy Weerasekera, the program's co-ordinator. The psychodynamic approach to therapy is one method that psychiatrists use to help patients gain insight into their feelings.

But at McMaster, medical residents also gain skills in client-centred, cognitive-behavioral, interpersonal, couple, family and group therapies. Training manuals that make use of current research-based literature are another unique aspect of the program.

“In our program residents learn a variety of empirically-based psychotherapies that benefit patients with psychiatric disorders.”

Weerasekera's progressive attitude toward psychotherapy training comes from a background in psychology, an area in which she learned the importance of evidence that is the result of research developed with strict guidelines.

The program also takes a new approach to the evaluation of residents. Instead of the traditional method of residents reviewing their session notes with supervisors, sessions with patients are audio taped and reviewed.

“We've worked very hard to develop and maintain the program and we feel very proud that we can represent the department and McMaster internationally,” said Weerasekera.

She will give a presentation at the AAP annual meeting and receive the award in October.