Diploma in Addiction Studies

Course Modules

Week 1: Meaning and Nature. Multiple conceptions of addiction in current practice, reflecting more than substance-related issues. Addiction and Psychiatry

Week 2: Current neuro-biological, psychological, sociological and cultural understanding of the causes of addiction. Overview of different theoretical positions in conceptualising addiction (i.e. Medical, Religious, Psychological etc.)

Week 3: Focus on disease models of addiction

Week 4: Understanding addiction from a psychoanalytic perspective

Week 5: The bio-psycho-social model

Week 6: Overview of treatments of addiction: Psychotherapeutic, Pharmacological, etc

Week 7: Focus on conditioning models of treatment: Behaviourism, contingency management; cognitive-behavioural models of treatment: Self –regulation, relapse prevention; Emotion-regulation and mindfulness-based models of treatment

Week 8: Stages of change in the treatment of Addiction

Week 9: Addictive behaviours from the perspective of family systems theory

Week 10: Impact of addictive behaviours on society: health, culture and criminality – the Irish context

The details given above are the latest example of the curriculum available on this programme. Please note that programme structures and individual modules are subject to change from time to time for reasons which include curriculum enhancement, staff changes, student numbers, improvements in technology, changes to placements or regulatory or external body requirements.

Course Award

City Colleges Diploma

Assessments/Examinations

A pass grade on the written assignment will be required for awarding of the Diploma.

The assignment/project must be handed in on the due date unless a sound reason for lateness is provided. In such instances, an extension may be awarded at the discretion of the lecturer.

Lecturer

Dr Aoife Quinn

Dr Aoife Quinn completed a BA in Psychology at National University of Maynooth followed by a PhD at the School of Psychology, University College Dublin.

In 2014, Aoife was awarded an Enterprise Partnership Scholarship by the Irish Research Council.

As a member of the City Colleges faculty, Aoife teaches the Sport and Exercise Psychology, Counselling Psychology and Addiction Studies diplomas.

Alongside her lecturing work, Aoife runs a private psychology practice in South Dublin and sees clients from a range of settings including sport and the corporate world. She is passionate about the benefits of psychology for changing lives and is particularly interested in mental wellbeing, motivation, and performance.

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