Counselling Psychology
Overview
This unit extends students’ knowledge of counselling theory and practice; familiarising students with counselling micro-skills, assessment, problem formulation and treatment. The unit also aims to develop students’ awareness of the impact of attitudes, beliefs, and values on client treatment, as well as ethical, professional, and cultural issues that arise in counselling and intervention. The unit provides opportunities for students to practice counselling micro-skills that can be applied to help people experiencing personal issues, and equips students to begin working under the supervision of appropriately qualified senior psychologist.
Requisites
Rules
Pre-requisite
300 Credit Points and Admission into BH-PSY Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) Standard Entry
OR
Admission into BH-PSYSC Bachelor of Psychological Sciences (Honours)
OR
Admission into BH-PSY1 Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) Graduate Entry
Equivalent
HAY458 - Counselling Psychology; PSC40001 - Counselling Psychology
01-June-2025
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Undertake and evaluate a client-centred counselling interview
- Apply basic counselling micro-skills
- Critically evaluate major therapeutic perspectives: cognitive; behavioural; affective; and, systemic
- Clearly articulate the issues in managing clients through their counselling program
- Analyse client case material through the application of the major counselling perspectives
- Explain the application of psychological interventions to different clients and situations
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Face to Face Contact (Phasing out) Lecture | 1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| Face to Face Contact (Phasing out) Tutorial | 2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| Specified Learning Activities (Phasing out) Various | 2.50 | 12 weeks | 30 |
| Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out) Independent Learning | 7.00 | 12 weeks | 84 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Individual | 40% | 1,2,3 |
| Examination | Individual | 60% | 3,4,5,6 |
Content
- Introduction to the history and development of counselling psychology
- Counselling microskills and their application e.g.; attending; listening; questioning; empathy, cultural responsiveness
- Major perspectives in counselling and intervention: affective; behavioural; cognitive; and systemic
- Intervention planning
- Managing clients through treatment
- Risk assessment and client crisis management
- Working with other health professionals
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.