Program Overview
Advanced Module Structure
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Module 1 — Complex Case Formulation
Biopsychosocial model in depth. Layered formulation templates with annotated clinical examples.
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Module 2 — Psychometric Tools for Somatic Presentations
Selection, administration, and interpretation of validated instruments. Limitations of each tool in Ukrainian clinical contexts.
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Module 3 — Medically Unexplained Symptoms
Diagnostic uncertainty and how to work clinically without a confirmed organic diagnosis.
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Module 4 — Interdisciplinary Communication Protocols
Writing referral letters. Structuring case consultations with medical specialists. Handling disagreement professionally.
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Module 5 — Specific Disorder Groups
Functional neurological disorder, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, psychogenic non-epileptic seizures — clinical profiles and treatment considerations.
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Module 6 — Ethics, Documentation, and Scope of Practice
What to record, what to avoid claiming, and how to protect both patient and practitioner in ambiguous clinical situations.
What separates this from introductory content
This course assumes familiarity with psychosomatic basics. It focuses on the harder clinical questions: how to formulate a case when somatic and psychological factors are intertwined, how to communicate findings to medical colleagues, and where evidence-based treatment ends.
Assessment frameworks covered
Participants work with standardized tools including the PHQ-15, PHQ, and structured clinical interviews adapted for psychosomatic presentations. We compare their validity across different symptom profiles.
Interdisciplinary coordination
A significant portion of the course deals with the practical challenge of working alongside neurologists, gastroenterologists, and cardiologists who may not share a psychosomatic framework. How do you present psychological formulations to colleagues who are skeptical or unfamiliar with the field?
Ethical boundaries
The course addresses what psychologists can and cannot claim when working with somatic symptoms. This includes documentation practices, scope of practice questions, and informed consent specifics.
Iryna Bondarenko, clinical psychologist, Dnipro — The section on interdisciplinary communication alone was worth the enrollment. I had been struggling with exactly those conversations for two years.
Participants receive a certificate of professional development recognized by several Ukrainian psychological associations. Continuing education credits apply toward license renewal requirements.