Credit Points 10

Legacy Code 101247

Coordinator Martin Daly Opens in new window

Description This unit introduces students to the basic skills underlying professional helping, providing a foundation for further training in counselling or psychological therapy. Students explore the professional helping relationship, the counselling process, common counselling and therapeutic frameworks, and learn key counselling micro-skills. There is a strong focus on applied skill development through in-class skills practice and assessment. Professional ethics and responsiveness to client characteristics including age, gender and cultural background are also emphasised. The unit provides structured opportunities to reflect on personal and professional development and readiness for further training in professional helping.

School Psychology

Discipline Counselling

Student Contribution Band HECS Band 4 10cp

Check your HECS Band contribution amount via the Fees page.

Level Undergraduate Level 4 subject

Equivalent Subjects LGYA 0475 - Counselling and Collaborative Consultation 1

Restrictions

Students must be enrolled in one of the following programs: 1796 Graduate Diploma in Psychology, 1860 Bachelor of Psychological Studies (Honours), 1905 Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours), 1504 Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) Honours, 1500 Bachelor of Psychology students who have successfully completed 240 credit points including the 160 credit point core sequence in Psychology, 1834 Bachelor of Psychology/1865 Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) students who have successfully completed 240 credit points including the 120 credit point core sequence in Psychology and the 40 credit point Psychology Extension sub-major prior to 2022 or for students who commenced 1865 Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) from 2022, students must have successfully completed 240 credit points including the 140 credit point core sequence in Psychology. All students must have met the minimum requirements for entry into fourth year of the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (2010; Section 4.1.1): The entry requirement for a fourth year program is previous successful completion within the last 10 years, of an accredited three year sequence in psychology or the first three years of an integrated accredited four year program.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate a working knowledge of the nature of the professional helping relationship, including the role of empathy and active listening
2. Build and maintain rapport in a simulated professional helping relationship
3. Demonstrate, apply and evaluate appropriate interpersonal communication and interview skills relevant to psychological practice, including active listening skills, clarifying and reflecting, paraphrasing and summarising, questioning, empathic responding, motivational interviewing, normalising, reframing, and challenging
4. Explain the basic components of common counselling and psychological therapy frameworks, and their application across different client types and presenting problems
5. Demonstrate a working knowledge of key ethical, professional and interprofessional considerations
6. Explain the principles of cultural responsiveness in professional helping
7. Apply self-reflection to evaluate professional strengths and limitations, fitness for practice, and avenues for professional development.

Subject Content

1. The nature of the professional helping relationship.
2. Developing and maintaining rapport.
3. The counselling process.
4. Basic counselling micro-skills, including verbal and non-verbal active listening skills, clarifying and reflecting, paraphrasing and summarising, questioning, empathic responding, motivational interviewing, normalising, reframing, and challenging.
5. Cultural and minority group sensitivity and responsiveness.
6. Introduction to ethical frameworks and responsibilities in psychological therapy.
7. Introduction to risk management.
8. Overview of intervention strategies in counselling and psychological therapy.
9. Adaptation of basic skills to varied professional helping contexts and formats.
10. Challenges and rewards as a professional helper.
11. Readiness for a career in professional helping.