Units / CPS5007
CPS5007 · Principles of short term therapy
2026 Handbook6 credit pointsLevel 5School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health
Last checked: 23 Aug 2026 UTCOverview
This unit provides you with an understanding of the history and development of the practice of short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy. You will explore how the theoretical principles and practices of short-term therapy can be applied to work with parents and infants, children, adolescents and families. You will analyse case studies in the readings and their own work experiences to explore the practice issues.
Offerings
| Campus | Teaching period | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Clayton | Second semester | A combination of on-campus and online teaching in a block period (FLX-BLK) |
Assessment
The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.
| # | Assessment | Type | Weight | Hurdle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Essay (2,000 words) | Written | 35% | — |
| 2 | On-campus Weekend Workshop (1,200 words) | Demonstration | 20% | — |
| 3 | Online Moodle Discussion Forum task | Demonstration | 10% | — |
| 4 | Critical analysis (2,000 words) | Written | 35% | — |
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Requisites
Learning outcomes
- Evaluate the historical and theoretical development of short-term therapy;
- Critically analyse the models and central issues of short-term therapy;
- Explain how psychoanalytic concepts and techniques are used in short-term therapy;
- Critically analyse the application of short-term therapy to the age and developmental stage and presentation of the particular child or adolescent;
- Explore the practice and application of short-term therapy in a variety of clinical contexts.
Workload
In this unit there will be 12 hours of teaching and learning activities per week comprising a mix of teacher-directed and self-directed learning, including readings, video resources, online discussions, interactive tutorials, a reflective journal, and written assessments. In addition, students in this Unit will attend and participate in the half day weekend workshop.
| Activity | Duration |
|---|---|
| Tutorials | 9 hours |
Ask about CPS5007
Answered from the Handbook fields above — no AI, no guessing. Every answer links back to the source.
Community discussions about CPS5007
CommunityStudent experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.