Handbook : Unit informationEdith Cowan University

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.

Please note that given the circumstances of COVID-19, there may be some modifications to the assessment schedule promoted in Handbook for Semester 1 2020 Units. Students will be notified of all approved modifications by Unit Coordinators via email and Unit Blackboard sites. Where changes have been made, these are designed to ensure that you still meet the unit learning outcomes in the context of our adjusted teaching and learning arrangements.

• Unit Title

  Couples and Family Therapy Practice 2

• Unit Code

  COU6429

• Year

  2020

• Enrolment Period

  1

• Version

  3

• Credit Points

  15

• Full Year Unit

  N

• Mode of Delivery

  On Campus
  

• Unit Coordinator

  Ms Karen J Janine ANDERSON

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Description

Within an agency context, this unit aims to develop advanced clinical skills relating to the assessment of presenting dynamics and relational processes, choice of appropriate interventions, and evaluation of the outcome of the session. There will be an emphasis on the application of psychodynamic and attachment informed theoretical approaches to couple and family therapy. Principles of practice relating to infant mental health and working with children in families will also be addressed. 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.

Non Standard Timetable Requirements

Taught in an agency context.

Prerequisite Rule

Students must pass 5 units from COU5210, COU5303, COU6113, COU6403, COU6324

Co-Requisite Rule

Students must be concurrently enrolled in COU6428

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

1. Compose and present clinical observations outlining relational dynamics and unconscious processes, based on the process of the therapy session.
2. Critically appraise the structure of the therapeutic process with couples and families from first contact to termination.
3. Formulate intervention approaches in relation to a range of commonly presenting couple and family relationship issues taking into account social-contextual, cross cultural, international and gender variables.
4. Generate possible interventions, drawn from recent clinical and theoretical developments.
5. Illustrate via demonstration a focus on the goals and perspectives of each client within the system, while operating from psychodynamic and systemic frameworks.
6. Plan and complete specialist couple and family assessments utilising perspectives from psychoanalytically and attachment informed theoretical frameworks.

Unit Content

1. Recent theoretical developments in psychoanalytically and attachment informed clinical applications within the field of couple and family therapy.
2. Current approaches, methods and frameworks for clinical practice specific to the theoretical approaches taught in the course.
3. Advanced clinical skills development; focus on therapeutic practice and process in relation to a range of couple and family relationship presenting issues.
4. Client perspectives and the therapeutic process in systemic practice, across a range of contexts.
5. Develop practice in relation to working with children in families, and to the principles of specialist clinical practice in infant mental health.

Learning Experience

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU Blackboard.

For more information see the Semester Timetable

Additional Learning Experience Information

The emphasis of the unit will be on clinical supervision rather than didactic content. Students will work with video and the one-way screen in conducting simulated interviews, including both role play and (where possible) use of actors, to develop both their clinical skills and their capacity to critically evaluate the process of intervention.

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 Board of Examiners.

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 plan 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.

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