| Semester 2, 2021 External | |
| Short Description: | Counselling Issues & Contexts |
| Units : | 1 |
| Faculty or Section : | Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences |
| School or Department : | School of Psychology and Counselling |
| Student contribution band : | 2021 Grandfather Funding Cl 1 |
| ASCED code : | 090513 - Counselling |
| Grading basis : | Graded |
Staffing
Examiner:
Requisites
Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH or MNSG or GDNG or GCNG
Rationale
The knowledge and skills acquired in this course are designed to address areas of competence required for registration as a counsellor and will be relevant to similar standards in most allied health disciplines. Counsellor education at an advanced level requires a continued examination of issues introduced in previous studies and the development of clear conceptual and theoretical frameworks which underpin professional practice. Thus, this course introduces specific issues of therapeutic counselling and contains an intensive skill development and practice component which links to specific therapies within a designated transtheoretical model. This approach is then embedded in counselling practice. This course informs and provides the foundation for other courses in the counselling stream, as well as underpinning the learning outcomes for the various specialisations and advanced degrees in the counselling stream.
Synopsis
The course introduces students to transtheoretical notions of change and resistance. It introduces different client groups that require counsellors to demonstrate sensitivity to diverse experiences. It then introduces students to a range of formats and configurations whereby counselling is delivered. Its final part is surveying commonly presenting issues in counselling, their features, assessment, and treatment.
This course requires mandatory attendance in a four-day residential school and 10 hours online synchronous workshops.
Objectives
On successful completion of this course students should be able to:
- Articulate knowledge of key transtheoretical concepts that inform counselling practice
- Articulate an awareness of cultural, social and individual diversity, including recognition of past and current influences in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- Synthesise knowledge of different treatment contexts and formats
- Articulate broad knowledge of symptoms, risk factors, and other associated features linked with a range of commonly presenting client issues
- Discuss a range of specific and customised treatment philosophies and interventions currently applied to commonly presenting client issues
- Critically apply and justify selection of counselling approaches and theory
- Apply specialist knowledge to critically explain the context, prevention and treatment approaches relevant to a client group and issue.
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Counsellor effectiveness: Research, debates, and practices | 15.00 |
| 2. | Transtheoretical change principles | 10.00 |
| 3. | Counselling diverse clients: General principles and special populations | 20.00 |
| 4. | Diversity of formats of delivery: (E.g. couple, family, group, and technology assisted counselling) | 5.00 |
| 5. | Common client issues in counselling | 50.00 |
Text and Materials
ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2021&sem=02&subject1=COU8103)
Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)
Reference Materials
Student Workload Expectations
| Activity | Hours |
|---|---|
| Assessments | 40.00 |
| Directed Study | 30.00 |
| Online Tutorials | 10.00 |
| Private Study | 55.00 |
| Residential Schools | 30.00 |
Assessment Details
| Description | Marks out of | Wtg (%) | Due Date | Objectives Assessed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance Requirements | 1 | 14 Jul 2021 | (see note 1) | ||
| Essay: Client Group | 100 | 40 | 29 Aug 2021 | 3,4,5,6 | |
| Case Study: Client Issue | 100 | 45 | 10 Oct 2021 | 1,2,6,7 | |
| Online Test | 100 | 15 | 06 Nov 2021 | 1,2,3,4,6 | (see note 2) |
Notes
- Attendance is required at the scheduled residential school and online synchronous tutorials. The dates and location of the mandatory residential school are available from the Residential School Timetable (http://www.usq.edu.au/handbook/current/resschoolsched.html). The online synchronous workshops schedule is located on the Postgraduate Counselling Programs Studydesk site.
- Quiz dates will be available on the course Studydesk from the beginning of the semester.
Important assessment information
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Attendance requirements:
Students must attend the mandatory residential school and online synchronous tutorials. Students who are unable to complete the mandatory residential school because of Compassionate and Compelling Circumstances may be eligible to defer that Assessment Item in accordance with the Assessment Procedure (point 4.4). -
Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To satisfactorily complete the attendance requirements, students must attend the mandatory residential school and online synchronous tutorials to achieve a mark of 1 out of 1 for this assessment item. To achieve a mark of 1 out of 1 for the attendance requirements, students must attend at least 80% of the compulsory hours. To complete the remaining assessment items satisfactorily students must achieve at least 50% of the marks for that item. -
Penalties for late submission of required work:
Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4) -
Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must attend and achieve a mark of 1 out of 1 for the mandatory residential school and the online synchronous tutorials and achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course. -
Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative items for the course. -
Examination information:
NO EXAM: There is no exam in this course. The on-line quiz is a separate and required assessment and should not be confused with an exam. -
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
Deferred and Supplementary examinations will be held in accordance with the Assessment Procedure . -
University Student Policies:
Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene University policies and practices. These policies can be found at .
Assessment Notes
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Students must familiarise themselves with the USQ Assessment Procedures (.
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APA style is the referencing system required in this course. Students must use 6th edition APA style in their assignments to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The APA style to be used is defined by the USQ Library's referencing guide. .
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Reliable access to the internet is a requirement of this course as the course contains electronic assessment and submission elements. Students who knowingly do not have reliable access to the internet should actively seek alternative internet access (e.g., Internet cafes, local libraries, or work places) for assessment submission and electronic assessment attempts. All students are able to use the on-campus student computer laboratories once access has been enabled. To be granted access, external students need to contact ICT and ask to have a student account enabled so that they can work on-campus.
Evaluation and Benchmarking
In meeting the University’s aims to establish quality learning and teaching for all programs, this course monitors and ensures quality assurance and improvements in at least two ways. This course: conforms to the USQ Policy on Evaluation of Teaching, Courses and Programs to ensure ongoing monitoring and systematic improvement. The course forms part of the GCCO, GDCN, MCCO, Masters of Nursing, Graduate Diploma of Nursing and Graduate Certificate of Nursing and is benchmarked against the internal USQ accreditation/reaccreditation processes which include (i) stringent standards in the independent accreditation of its academic programs, (ii) close integration between business and academic planning, and (iii) regular and rigorous review.
Other Requirements
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Computer, e-mail and Internet access:
Students are required to have access to a personal computer, e-mail capabilities and Internet access to UConnect. Current details of computer requirements can be found at . -
Students can expect that questions in assessment items in this course may draw upon knowledge and skills that they can reasonably be expected to have acquired before enrolling in this course. This includes knowledge contained in pre-requisite courses and appropriate communication, information literacy, analytical, critical thinking, problem solving or numeracy skills. Students who do not possess such knowledge and skills should not expect the same grades as those students who do possess them.
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Mandatory attendance at residential schools and online synchronous tutorials supports requirements of professional counsellor training and membership standards and assists students to meet course learning objectives.