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  2. Couples and Family Therapy [COU5303]

School: Arts and Humanities

This unit 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.

Your unit may be subject to government or third party COVID-19 vaccination requirements. Please consider this before enrolling in this unit, and speak with the unit coordinator if this raises any concerns.

  • Unit Title

    Couples and Family Therapy

  • Unit Code

    COU5303

  • Year

    2022

  • Enrolment Period

    1

  • Version

    2

  • Credit Points

    15

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus

  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Sonam PELDEN

Description

This unit will establish principles of systemic theory, provide a framework for observing and conceptualising different dimensions of family functioning, and a critical appraisal of the major approaches to couples and family therapy. This unit has a compulsory attendance requirement. In keeping with the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) stipulations, students need to have practiced necessary skills/competencies in the classroom to a satisfactory level before going out into the field. A minimum of 80% class attendance is therefore required.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Outline key principles of systemic theory to understanding couples and family functioning.
  2. Critically analyse the characteristics of a "functional" family.
  3. Describe and synthesise five dimensions of a framework for assessing family functioning.
  4. Give a critical account of how gender, ethnicity and other contextual variables impact on the process of therapy in work with couples and families.
  5. Analyse and critically evaluate a number of approaches to family therapy.
  6. Distinguish common factors across approaches and evaluate the integration of approaches in contemporary practice.

Unit Content

  1. The concept of family functioning; the characteristics of a "functional" family.
  2. A five-dimensional framework for assessing family functioning including; - the historical dimension and the stages of the family life cycle - the cross-generational dimension and the use of the genogram as a tool for exploration, the contribution of object relations theory - the communication dimension - the organisational dimension and the contribution of systems theory - the ecological dimension.
  3. The context of family and couple counselling including the importance of ethnicity and gender, the concept of "gender sensitive" therapy, and gender implications of the therapeutic triangle in conjoint couples work.
  4. An overview of key family therapy approaches and underpinning theories which conceptualise family functioning and the therapeutic process including: - Bowenian and cross-generational family therapy - Structural family therapy. - The Milan systemic approach. - Post modern constructivist and narrative approaches - Psychoanalytically informed family therapy. The integration of approaches in contemporary practice with specific populations.

Learning Experience

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 113 x 3 hour seminarNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

Additional Learning Experience Information

Workshops involving theoretical presentations and experiential exercises. Required self-directed reading using the text and eReserve readings.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Due to the professional competency skill development associated with this Unit, student attendance/participation within listed in-class activities and/or online activities including discussion boards is compulsory. Students failing to meet participation standards as outlined in the unit information may be awarded an I Grade (Fail - incomplete). Students who are unable to meet this requirement for medical or other reasons must seek the approval of the unit coordinator.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
ParticipationClass attendance 10%
AssignmentEssay40%
ReviewTheoretical review50%

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.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

COU5303|2|1

School: Arts and Humanities

This unit 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.

Your unit may be subject to government or third party COVID-19 vaccination requirements. Please consider this before enrolling in this unit, and speak with the unit coordinator if this raises any concerns.

  • Unit Title

    Couples and Family Therapy

  • Unit Code

    COU5303

  • Year

    2022

  • Enrolment Period

    2

  • Version

    2

  • Credit Points

    15

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus

  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Sonam PELDEN

Description

This unit will establish principles of systemic theory, provide a framework for observing and conceptualising different dimensions of family functioning, and a critical appraisal of the major approaches to couples and family therapy. This unit has a compulsory attendance requirement. In keeping with the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) stipulations, students need to have practiced necessary skills/competencies in the classroom to a satisfactory level before going out into the field. A minimum of 80% class attendance is therefore required.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Outline key principles of systemic theory to understanding couples and family functioning.
  2. Critically analyse the characteristics of a "functional" family.
  3. Describe and synthesise five dimensions of a framework for assessing family functioning.
  4. Give a critical account of how gender, ethnicity and other contextual variables impact on the process of therapy in work with couples and families.
  5. Analyse and critically evaluate a number of approaches to family therapy.
  6. Distinguish common factors across approaches and evaluate the integration of approaches in contemporary practice.

Unit Content

  1. The concept of family functioning; the characteristics of a "functional" family.
  2. A five-dimensional framework for assessing family functioning including; - the historical dimension and the stages of the family life cycle - the cross-generational dimension and the use of the genogram as a tool for exploration, the contribution of object relations theory - the communication dimension - the organisational dimension and the contribution of systems theory - the ecological dimension.
  3. The context of family and couple counselling including the importance of ethnicity and gender, the concept of "gender sensitive" therapy, and gender implications of the therapeutic triangle in conjoint couples work.
  4. An overview of key family therapy approaches and underpinning theories which conceptualise family functioning and the therapeutic process including: - Bowenian and cross-generational family therapy - Structural family therapy. - The Milan systemic approach. - Post modern constructivist and narrative approaches - Psychoanalytically informed family therapy. The integration of approaches in contemporary practice with specific populations.

Learning Experience

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 113 x 3 hour seminarNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

Additional Learning Experience Information

Workshops involving theoretical presentations and experiential exercises. Required self-directed reading using the text and eReserve readings.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Due to the professional competency skill development associated with this Unit, student attendance/participation within listed in-class activities and/or online activities including discussion boards is compulsory. Students failing to meet participation standards as outlined in the unit information may be awarded an I Grade (Fail - incomplete). Students who are unable to meet this requirement for medical or other reasons must seek the approval of the unit coordinator.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
ParticipationClass attendance 10%
AssignmentEssay40%
ReviewTheoretical review50%

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.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

COU5303|2|2