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

    Trauma-Informed Counselling
  • Unit Code

    COU6507
  • Year

    2022
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    2
  • Credit Points

    20
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Ms Orla Louise PEOPLES

Description

This unit introduces students to theories, models and neurobiology of trauma-informed counselling. Within the ethical and legal framework of trauma-informed practice, students will learn how to recognise a range of trauma symptoms and explore evidence-based interventions for assessment, planning, treatment and evaluation. Historical and intergenerational trauma will be introduced, highlighting the value of these concepts in understanding the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities. Emphasis is placed on developing the self-awareness of the counsellor, including the personal impact of working with trauma, and the importance of self-advocacy, professional supervision, reflective practice and self-care.

Non Standard Timetable Requirements

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

Prerequisite Rule

I90 students must have passed COU6501, COU6502 and COU6503 in order to enrol in this unit.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Critically analyse the impact of trauma and relevant evidence-based interventions, with consideration of legal and ethical codes of practice.
  2. Examine the political, cultural, social and familial contexts in which trauma occurs and how this influences the individual and their treatment interventions.
  3. Communicate appropriate skills and techniques to manage trauma presentations and crisis situations, including strategies for self-care.
  4. Reflect on the personal impact of working with trauma to monitor professional functioning and implement strategies for ongoing development as a professional.

Unit Content

  1. Theories and models of trauma-informed counselling.
  2. Ethical and legal frameworks of trauma-informed practice in Australia.
  3. Neuroscience and neurobiology of trauma including symptoms and triggers.
  4. Collective, historical and intergenerational trauma.
  5. Preventing and responding to crisis situations.
  6. The impact of working with trauma including vicarious trauma, secondary trauma and burnout.
  7. Self-care, supervision and reflective practice when working with trauma.

Learning Experience

Students will engage in learning experiences via ECU’s LMS as well as additional ECU learning technologies

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.

ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
PosterVisual presentation (neurobiology of trauma)30%
Case StudyCase study analysis30%
ExerciseTrauma interventions and reflection40%

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.

COU6507|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

    Trauma-Informed Counselling
  • Unit Code

    COU6507
  • Year

    2022
  • Enrolment Period

    2
  • Version

    2
  • Credit Points

    20
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Ms Orla Louise PEOPLES

Description

This unit introduces students to theories, models and neurobiology of trauma-informed counselling. Within the ethical and legal framework of trauma-informed practice, students will learn how to recognise a range of trauma symptoms and explore evidence-based interventions for assessment, planning, treatment and evaluation. Historical and intergenerational trauma will be introduced, highlighting the value of these concepts in understanding the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities. Emphasis is placed on developing the self-awareness of the counsellor, including the personal impact of working with trauma, and the importance of self-advocacy, professional supervision, reflective practice and self-care.

Non Standard Timetable Requirements

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

Prerequisite Rule

I90 students must have passed COU6501, COU6502 and COU6503 in order to enrol in this unit.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Critically analyse the impact of trauma and relevant evidence-based interventions, with consideration of legal and ethical codes of practice.
  2. Examine the political, cultural, social and familial contexts in which trauma occurs and how this influences the individual and their treatment interventions.
  3. Communicate appropriate skills and techniques to manage trauma presentations and crisis situations, including strategies for self-care.
  4. Reflect on the personal impact of working with trauma to monitor professional functioning and implement strategies for ongoing development as a professional.

Unit Content

  1. Theories and models of trauma-informed counselling.
  2. Ethical and legal frameworks of trauma-informed practice in Australia.
  3. Neuroscience and neurobiology of trauma including symptoms and triggers.
  4. Collective, historical and intergenerational trauma.
  5. Preventing and responding to crisis situations.
  6. The impact of working with trauma including vicarious trauma, secondary trauma and burnout.
  7. Self-care, supervision and reflective practice when working with trauma.

Learning Experience

Students will engage in learning experiences via ECU’s LMS as well as additional ECU learning technologies

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.

ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
PosterVisual presentation (neurobiology of trauma)30%
Case StudyCase study analysis30%
ExerciseTrauma interventions and reflection40%

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.

COU6507|2|2