Course Information

Bachelor of Arts (Psychology and Counselling)

Effective from 01-JAN-2018 : Code K82

This course provides students with basic counselling skills to complement their knowledge of psychology. It prepares students for working in a counselling role, or for further postgraduate studies in psychology and counselling.

Disclaimer

This course information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester. In particular please check the course requirements and the unit and unit set offerings, as these differ according to course delivery location.

Course Learning Outcomes

  1. Apply and evaluate sustainability principles in problem solving relating to the psychology of human behaviour.
  2. Communicate ethically both inter-personally and in group contexts to a range of diverse audiences through a variety of formats including expression in research reports and proposals, online and through portfolio, interviewing, written, oral and listening skills.
  3. Communicate knowledge and ideas demonstrating interpersonal skills and essential counselling skills relevant to an entry level professional helping role.
  4. Critically evaluate the rigour of theoretical and methodological approaches when deciding on, initiating, planning, designing and conducting research that address psychological research problems in professional contexts.
  5. Demonstrate a broad and coherent knowledge of the history and philosophy of psychology as a scientific pursuit of topics and theories for understanding personal, social, cultural including indigenous, organisational, and global human behaviours.
  6. Demonstrate a capacity for independent learning to sustain personal and professional development in the changing world of psychology.
  7. Demonstrate a capacity to self-reflect and assume responsibility for self-awareness in preparation for working professionally in the field of counselling.
  8. Demonstrate an awareness of counselling practice that is astute to human diversity in all its forms including issues of power differences.
  9. Demonstrate broad and coherent knowledge and skills in the foundations of Counselling.
  10. Demonstrate clear understanding of the importance of a developmental focus and its application to understanding individuals, couples, families and groups at a local and global level.
  11. Demonstrate initiative and judgment in planning, problem solving, and decision-making appropriate to engaging professionally with others in a supportive counselling role.
  12. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of sustainability issues and principles and their application to engaging with, maintaining and terminating a professional relationship within an entry level counselling context.
  13. Develop counselling transliteracy including an appreciation of the distinctness of the consulting room context.
  14. Exercise critical thinking and judgment to identify and solve problems as applied to understanding the dynamics and process of individual counselling and psychotherapy.
  15. Generate, apply and evaluate basic research methods to address psychological problems, including research design, data analysis and interpretation, including the appropriate use of technologies.
  16. Integrate entry level counselling knowledge and skills into diverse contexts.
  17. Integrate theoretical and technical knowledge of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings and historical trends in the core topics of psychology to delineate psychology as a scientific discipline and describe its major objectives.
  18. Recognise how prejudicial attitudes that exist in the reasoning of oneself and others can lead to discrimination and inequity.
  19. Reflect on the complexity of sociocultural and international diversity and other values that are the underpinning of psychology as a discipline.
  20. Review, analyse and synthesise psychological knowledge by engaging in both critical thinking and sceptical inquiry to solve problems related to human behaviour at a personal, social, cultural, organisational, and global level.
  21. Review, analyse, synthesise and critically evaluate foundation psychodynamic, humanistic and systemic counselling theoretical frameworks.
  22. Use creativity, innovation and the ability to generate ideas to work constructively in a supportive professional role.
  23. Work collaboratively in groups producing quality counselling knowledge.

Professional Recognition

Course

This course has been Accredited by: Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC).

Admission requirements

Academic standard for the following admission pathways:

  • ATAR
  • Certificate IV, Diploma and Advanced Diploma
  • Experienced Based Entry (where accepted)
  • Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)
  • Aboriginal Student Intake Test
  • University Preparation Course
  • Indigenous University Orientation Course

Course Duration

  • Full Time: 3 Years
  • Part Time: 6 Years

Course Delivery

  • Joondalup: Full Time, Part Time
  • Online: Full Time, Part Time

Course Coordinator

A/Prof Paul CHANG

Course Structure

Year 1 - Semester 1
Unit Code Unit Title Credit Points
PSY1101Introduction to Psychology15
PSY1111Psychology: History and Perspectives15
COU1101 *Dynamic Models of Counselling15
COU1201Therapeutic Practice with Families and Couples15
Year 1 - Semester 2
Unit Code Unit Title Credit Points
PSY1102Research Methods in Psychology 115
PSY1204Social Determinants of Behaviour15
COU1102Self Development 115
COU1212Culture and Diversity in Therapeutic Practice15
Year 2 - Semester 1
Unit Code Unit Title Credit Points
PSY2301Learning and Motivation15
PSY2202Research Methods in Psychology 215
COU3101 *Humanistic Models of Counselling15
COU2102Therapeutic Practice with Children and Adolescents15
Year 2 - Semester 2
Unit Code Unit Title Credit Points
PSY2231Developmental Psychology15
PSY2305Individual Differences15
COU3106Skills Training in Humanistic Counselling15
COU2101Therapeutic Practice with Older Adults15
Year 3 - Semester 1
Unit Code Unit Title Credit Points
PSY3303Research Applications and Ethical Issues15
PSY3343Abnormal Psychology15
COU3102Self Development 215
COU3201Contemporary Challenges in Therapeutic Practice15
Year 3 - Semester 2
Unit Code Unit Title Credit Points
PSY3350Biological Psychology, Sensation and Perception15
PSY3304Cognition15
COU3105Psychodynamic Concepts into Practice15
COU3202Sexuality and Therapeutic Practice15

* Students will be assessed to see if they have achieved the ECU minimum standard of English language proficiency in this unit. Students who don't meet the minimum standard will be provided with appropriate English language support and development.


Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

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