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.

  • Unit Title

    Couples and Family Therapy Practice 2
  • Unit Code

    COU6429
  • Year

    2024
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    4
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
  • Unit Coordinator

    Ms Karen J ANDERSON

Description

This unit aims to develop advanced clinical skills and ethical practice relating to the assessment of presenting dynamics and relational processes, choice of appropriate interventions, and evaluation of the outcome of the counselling session. There will be an emphasis on the application of psychodynamic, systemic, developmental and attachment informed theoretical approaches to couple and family therapy. Principles of practice relating to phases across the lifespan will 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 and participation is therefore required.

Prerequisite Rule

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

Co-Requisite Rule

Students must be concurrently enrolled in or have completed 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 couple or family therapy session.
  2. Critically appraise the structure of the conscious and unconscious therapeutic process with couples and families.
  3. Formulate intervention approaches in relation to a range of commonly presenting couple and family relationship issues taking into account social-contextual, cross cultural, ethical, international, gender and other diversity variables.
  4. Illustrate via demonstration a focus on the goals and perspectives of each client within the system, while operating from psychodynamic, developmental, and systemic frameworks.
  5. Plan and complete specialist couple and family assessments utilising perspectives from psychoanalytically, psychodynamic, systemic, and attachment informed theoretical frameworks in accordance with Federal and State ethical codes of practice.

Unit Content

  1. Recent theoretical developments in psychoanalytical, psychodynamic, systemic, developmental, 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 together with current ethical practice codes as relevant to Federal and State laws.
  3. Advanced clinical skills and competency development; focus on therapeutic ethical practice and process in relation to a range of couple and family relationship presenting issues.
  4. Culturally diverse client perspectives and the therapeutic process in systemic practice, across a range of contexts.
  5. Develop practice in relation to working ethically with couples and families, presenting with diverse dilemmas and issues.

Learning Experience

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

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 124 x 1 hour workshopNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

Additional Learning Experience Information

The emphasis of the unit is on clinical supervision rather than didactic content. Students will work with technology in conducting simulated interviews, including role play, to develop their clinical skills and competencies, as well as their capacity to critically evaluate the process of intervention informed by current ethical standards. Incorporation of the Reflective Team is included.

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
EssayApplication of Unconscious Process to Couple and Family Therapy40%
Reflective Practice ^Transcript and Session Analysis60%

^ Mandatory to Pass


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.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

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 as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. 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 or generative artificial intelligence tools, 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.

COU6429|4|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.

  • Unit Title

    Couples and Family Therapy Practice 2
  • Unit Code

    COU6429
  • Year

    2024
  • Enrolment Period

    2
  • Version

    4
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
  • Unit Coordinator

    Ms Karen J ANDERSON

Description

This unit aims to develop advanced clinical skills and ethical practice relating to the assessment of presenting dynamics and relational processes, choice of appropriate interventions, and evaluation of the outcome of the counselling session. There will be an emphasis on the application of psychodynamic, systemic, developmental and attachment informed theoretical approaches to couple and family therapy. Principles of practice relating to phases across the lifespan will 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 and participation is therefore required.

Prerequisite Rule

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

Co-Requisite Rule

Students must be concurrently enrolled in or have completed 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 couple or family therapy session.
  2. Critically appraise the structure of the conscious and unconscious therapeutic process with couples and families.
  3. Formulate intervention approaches in relation to a range of commonly presenting couple and family relationship issues taking into account social-contextual, cross cultural, ethical, international, gender and other diversity variables.
  4. Illustrate via demonstration a focus on the goals and perspectives of each client within the system, while operating from psychodynamic, developmental, and systemic frameworks.
  5. Plan and complete specialist couple and family assessments utilising perspectives from psychoanalytically, psychodynamic, systemic, and attachment informed theoretical frameworks in accordance with Federal and State ethical codes of practice.

Unit Content

  1. Recent theoretical developments in psychoanalytical, psychodynamic, systemic, developmental, 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 together with current ethical practice codes as relevant to Federal and State laws.
  3. Advanced clinical skills and competency development; focus on therapeutic ethical practice and process in relation to a range of couple and family relationship presenting issues.
  4. Culturally diverse client perspectives and the therapeutic process in systemic practice, across a range of contexts.
  5. Develop practice in relation to working ethically with couples and families, presenting with diverse dilemmas and issues.

Learning Experience

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

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 124 x 1 hour workshopNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

Additional Learning Experience Information

The emphasis of the unit is on clinical supervision rather than didactic content. Students will work with technology in conducting simulated interviews, including role play, to develop their clinical skills and competencies, as well as their capacity to critically evaluate the process of intervention informed by current ethical standards. Incorporation of the Reflective Team is included.

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
EssayApplication of Unconscious Process to Couple and Family Therapy40%
Reflective Practice ^Transcript and Session Analysis60%

^ Mandatory to Pass


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.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

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 as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. 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 or generative artificial intelligence tools, 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.

COU6429|4|2