Neuroscience and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
The Joseph Palombo Center 24‑Week Certificate Program integrating neuroscience, attachment, affect regulation, trauma, and psychodynamic formulation.
Program Overview
Clinical Practice / Hero Image Placeholder
A clinically useful integration of neuroscience and psychodynamic psychotherapy designed to help clinicians translate observation into formulation, timing, and intervention without reducing psychotherapy to biology.
What Participants Gain
Clinical Clarity
A repeatable framework for moving from observation to formulation to intervention.
Deeper Integration
Connect neuroscience with psychodynamic listening without losing complexity or meaning.
Immediate Relevance
Apply concepts directly to trauma, dysregulation, attachment, enactment, rupture, and repair.
Distinctive Educational Method
| Program Pillar | Clinical Function |
|---|---|
| Palombo's Levels of Analysis | Objective data, developmental context, and subjective experience remain distinct yet integrated. |
| Complex Adaptive Self | The self is taught as embodied, relational, nonlinear, and adaptive. |
| Clinical Translation Sequence | Observation → Empirical Model → Psychodynamic Inference → Intervention. |
| Two‑Person Neuro‑Relational Field | Treatment is approached as a living dyadic system shaped by rupture and repair. |
Recurring Formulation Sequence
| Step | Faculty Question | Student Competency |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Observation | What is visible before interpretation? | Distinguishes data from inference. |
| 2. Empirical Model | Which processes organize the moment? | Uses neuroscience cautiously and specifically. |
| 3. Psychodynamic Inference | What may this mean? | Links empirical models to subjectivity and development. |
| 4. Intervention | What can this dyad metabolize now? | Selects timing and intervention level. |
24‑Week Curriculum Overview
Curriculum Roadmap Placeholder
| Phase | Weeks | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations | 1‑6 | Neuroanatomy, autonomic regulation, affect systems, attachment. |
| Self‑System Organization | 7‑8 | Implicit relational knowing and complex adaptive self. |
| Memory & Networks | 9‑12 | Implicit and explicit memory, major neural networks. |
| Therapeutic Dyad | 13‑16 | Co‑regulation, predictive processing, affective communication. |
| Trauma & Enactment | 17‑20 | Trauma, dissociation, defensive organization. |
| Repair & Integration | 21‑24 | Clinical decision‑making and integrated formulation. |
Participant Learning Outcomes
Formulate clinical material across Levels of Analysis.
Use neuroscience concepts to clarify formulation and timing.
Differentiate implicit process, memory, and identity.
Recognize regulation and repair opportunities.
Formulate trauma and dissociation patterns.
Apply intervention timing more effectively.
Write integrated case formulations.
Teaching Format & Program Components
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| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Weekly Seminars | Faculty-led learning and discussion. |
| Assigned Readings | Core, bridge, and advanced readings. |
| Clinical Vignettes | Applied formulation exercises. |
| Assessment | Quizzes, written work, and capstone. |
Admissions & Program Details
Admissions Placeholder Image
| Program Dates | August 2026 – May 2027 (Tentative) |
| Format | Virtual Online |
| Schedule | Fridays, 1 PM–4 PM Central Time |
| Tuition | $3,100 |
| CE Status | 72 CEU hours approved pending completion. |
| Application Process | Personal statement and $50 non-refundable fee. Deadline July 30, 2026. |
| Program Contact | William D. Gieseke, Ph.D. • wgieseke@icsw.edu • 847.446.0240 |
| Website | https://www.icsw.edu/jpc-center |
Certificate Requirements
| Attendance | 80–85% attendance standard. |
| Preparation | Completion of weekly readings and preparation. |
| Assessment | Unit quizzes and competency review. |
| Clinical Formulation | Written application of program frameworks. |
| Capstone | Faculty-reviewed final case formulation. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a neuroscience course or a psychotherapy course?
It is an integrative clinical certificate.
Do I need advanced neuroanatomy?
No advanced neuroanatomy is assumed.
What makes the program distinctive?
Its clinically integrated and non-reductionistic approach.
What will I be able to do clinically?
Formulate regulation, trauma, attachment, and repair with greater precision.
Does the program reduce psychotherapy to the brain?
No. Subjective experience remains central.
How do I apply?
Submit registration materials, resume, statement, and fee.
How much time should I expect to spend weekly?
Expect seminar time plus reading and reflection.
Will there be opportunities to discuss cases?
Yes, clinical examples and vignettes are integrated throughout.
Is this appropriate for early-career clinicians?
Yes, though it is designed as a rigorous professional certificate.
Faculty & Leadership
Faculty Portrait Placeholder
William D. Gieseke, Ph.D.
Director, Joseph Palombo Center for Neuroscience and Psychoanalytic Clinical Social Work.
Additional faculty biographies will be announced.