The master’s degree in “Clinical Psychology for Individuals, Families and Organizations” aims to train professional psychologists capable of addressing personal difficulties of individuals, couples, and families, as well as work-related challenges within enterprises, institutions, and non-profit organizations.

The program pursues the following specific learning objectives:

• an advanced grounding in the theories, methods, and techniques of clinical and dynamic psychology, including their epistemological assumptions and biological foundations;
• a foundational understanding of human brain development, with emphasis on attachment processes and the neuroscientific bases of relational development;
• mastery of the operational tools—particularly diagnostic and treatment techniques—central to major forms of clinical intervention;
• the ability to independently design and implement preventive interventions for individuals, couples, families, companies, institutions, and non-profit organizations, including diagnostic assessments with prognostic indications for treatment;
• the capacity to conduct preliminary diagnosis and intervention in trauma-related conditions—especially trauma linked to human agency—which may evolve into personality disorders or other forms of psychopathology;
• a preliminary ability to diagnose and structure therapeutic plans for personality disorders and non-neurotic psychopathology;
• the capacity to evaluate and clarify the developmental consequences of secure, insecure, and disorganized attachment;
• a background in research methods that enables the comprehension of clinical research and the basic skills required to design and conduct clinical studies;
• the ability to operate within macro-social contexts, promoting a balance between individual empowerment and organizational goals, with attention to sustainable business development in national and international settings;
• adequate preparation for personnel selection, team and one-to-one coaching in companies, institutions, and non-profit organizations, and for addressing decision-making, communication, and relational dynamics within organizational contexts;
• the ability to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of clinical interventions, both one’s own and those of others;
• knowledge of professional ethics and responsibility, and the ability to take responsibility for interventions involving individuals, families, groups, and organizations.

The two-year program includes lectures, individual study, and highly specialized workshops conducted in small groups. These workshops employ active learning methods such as exercises, role-playing, group work, and real or simulated clinical experiences aimed at developing diagnostic and intervention skills. Attendance at workshops is mandatory.

At the end of the program, the preparation and discussion of a thesis—either empirical or theoretically based—offer the opportunity to demonstrate advanced learning on a specific topic. Access to the final master’s degree examination requires successful completion of the in-course Tirocinio Pratico-Valutativo (TPV; practical-assessment traineeship) and the Prova Pratica Valutativa (PPV; practical-assessment test), which, as mandated by national regulations, must be taken and passed in Italian. Graduation qualifying for the practice of psychology in Italy is not possible without passing the oral PPV in Italian. At present, no exceptions are permitted under Italian Ministry of Education regulations, which all universities must enforce.