Meet Sameena, a student on ‘Foundations of psychodynamic psychotherapy (BD58, evening)’

“I decided to study at the Tavistock and Portman as the reputation was excellent and when I investigated comparative courses, I felt that the Tavistock had a broader syllabus. During my time studying the Psychodynamic reflective practice in mental health (D65) course I knew that I had started a stimulating journey that had allowed me to think about my work as a counsellor in a deeper way and I was keen to continue this path by enrolling on the Foundations of psychodynamic psychotherapy (BD58 Evening) course in 2021.

have chosen to do the evening course as it allows me to manage my work and caring commitments. I’m in my first term so am still to establish my clinical placement but feel I have made a routine where I set aside time to study and attend teaching. Even at this early stage on the course I am keeping in mind concepts we are studying and what this may mean in my work. I’m looking forward to starting my placement to work more on the unconscious processes of patients.

I really enjoy the seminars as it provides an opportunity to discuss psychoanalytic concepts from the reading material. All the tutors are very knowledgeable and bring a wealth of clinical experience to share and use as examples to strengthen understanding.

Seminars are attended by mixed year groups which works well, providing a rich discussion with a mixture of experiences. I’m also learning to ‘sit with the anxiety’ around the process of obtaining placements, which is made easier by the support and advice received by the course team.

I have enjoyed the challenging and thought-provoking reading backed up by discussions with experienced clinicians and am looking forward to putting what I am learning in to practice through placement work.”