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  2. Theories and Techniques in Counselling [COU6502]

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

    Theories and Techniques in Counselling

  • Unit Code

    COU6502

  • Year

    2020

  • Enrolment Period

    2

  • Version

    1

  • Credit Points

    20

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    Online

  • Unit Coordinator

    Ms Georgina Mary AKERS

Description

This unit investigates the diverse fundamentals of counselling theory and explores practical skills for implementation. Students will learn how to engage with clients and consider effective interventions from a range of theoretical backgrounds including; psychodynamic, behavioural, cognitive behavioural, and humanistic. Students will be introduced to a case-conceptualisation framework and will learn how to consider cases, make assessments, plan treatments and implement a range of evidence-based interventions. Students will also become familiar with the ethical practices set by the counselling profession and begin to formulate their own personal theory of counselling.

Non Standard Timetable Requirements

Students undertake this unit in an accelerated delivery mode over 6 weeks.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Analyse, design and evaluate a range of evidence-based counselling interventions.
  2. Apply the characteristics and practical skills associated with a person-centred approach to counselling.
  3. Engage in self-reflection and evaluation to develop awareness of emotional processes and the impact this has on the counselling environment.
  4. Effectively communicate using professional writing standards of counselling.

Unit Content

  1. The philosophy of the helping relationship.
  2. Counselling interventions, including; psychodynamic; humanistic; behavioural; and cognitive-behavioural theories and techniques.
  3. Counselling skills and techniques, including; attending; building rapport; problem identification and goal setting; reflecting and paraphrasing; clarifying and the use of questions; working with silence; summarising; immediacy; termination; and record keeping.
  4. Ethical considerations in counselling.
  5. Reflective practice and self-evaluation.

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.

ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
ExerciseReflection on application of skills and techniques20%
AssignmentInvestigation on intervention practices 40%
Case StudyCase analysis and treatment plan40%

Core Reading(s)

  • Cognella. (2016). Counseling theory and practice (pp. 1–612). ProQuest Ebook Central. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ecu/reader.action?docID=6177584&ppg=39
  • Corey, G. (2018). The art of integrative counseling. ProQuest. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ecu/reader.action?docID=5491630

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 Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

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