Future Students - Courses

Counselling Theory and Skills

Unit Code: HAY630

Duration	Contact Hours	Campus	Prerequisite	Corequisite
1 semester / teaching period	3 Hours per Week	Hawthorn	Admission to either the Doctor of Psychology (Counselling Psychology) or Doctor of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) program.	Nil

Credit Points: 12.5 Credit Points

Related Course/s:

A unit of study in the Doctor of Psychology (Counselling Psychology) and Doctor of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) programs.

Aims & Objectives:

Aims:

* To develop students' understanding of key theories and concepts in the provision of psychological help, and to develop high levels of counselling and core intervention skills.
* To provide knowledge/theory and skill‐training that forms the foundation of an evidence‐based approach to individual client work.
Objectives:

* To provide students with theory and applied training in basic counselling skills, case conceptualisation and time limited interventions.
* To train students in the application of the basic skills to work with clients and to be able to effectively self‐evaluate their performance.

Teaching Methods:

Lectures; role plays; experiential learning.

Assessment:

Students are required to complete two assessment tasks (more details provided in class):
(1) Present a videotape and written evaluation of a 30‐minute counselling interview demonstrating an acceptable level of facilitative skills (detailed guidelines for this task will be presented in class). The assignment will be graded on a pass/fail basis.

(2) Submit a 2000 word essay on a case study provided. Students provide a provisional conceptualisation of the client’s difficulties and a tentative treatment approach. The essay will be graded on a pass/fail basis (detailed guidelines for the task will be presented in class).

Generic Skills Outcomes:

Graduates are capable in their chosen professional areas:

Able to gather information systematically from a wide range of sources.
Have a highly developed ability in both verbal and written communication skills.

Graduates are entrepreneurial

Have the ability to deal with success and failure through informed critique and self-reflection.

Graduates operate effectively in work and community situations:
Planning skills
Time management skills
Attention to detail
Capacity to evaluate theoretical positions.

Graduates are adaptable and manage change:

Have the general capacity for flexibility and are open to new and different ways of doing things
Are able to work across a variety of situations and with a variety of people
Recognise the need for lifelong learning.

Graduates are aware of environments:

Cultural sensitivity, a respect for multiple points of view.

Content:

The following topics are covered:
* Evidence‐based practice in psychology
* Counselling microskills (attending, questioning and empathic responding)
* Solution‐focussed approach to counselling/psychotherapy (paying attention to what the client wants, amplifying, exploring for exceptions, formulating feedback, tracking progress, coping questions in crisis situations)
* Interpersonal psychodynamic approach to psychotherapy (establishing a working alliance, resistance, internal focus for change, responding to conflicted emotions, familial and developmental factors, inflexible coping strategies, current interpersonal factors, termination).
* The Egan problem‐solving framework
* Developing an individual case formulation

References:

Texts and References:
De Jong, P. & Berg, I. K. (2002) (2nd ed.). Interviewing for Solutions. Pacific grove, CA: Brooks/Cole

Egan, G. (2006) Essentials of skilled helping. Belmont, CA: Thomson

Teyber, E. (2005) Interpersonal Process in Psychotherapy (5th Ed). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole