PYN001 Ethics and Reflective Practice

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2025, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

In order to respond effectively and ethically to the needs of their clients, counsellors must have a clear understanding of the social and relational processes that occur in counselling. Verbal, nonverbal, psychological and sociocultural dimensions are all present in the counselling process. Consideration of these dimensions enables counsellors to develop effective, ethical and client-focused relationships, and to control biases, personal needs and possible exploitative practices.

This unit will consider these dimensions of the therapeutic relationship and introduce models of reflective practice that can be utilised by Counsellors to enhance self-awareness, relational reflexivity and ethical decision making. 

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Promote and practise effective written, oral and digital communication to apply and convey complex information that builds productive professional relationships across diverse stakeholders including those from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups.
2. Access, evaluate and utilise relevant concepts and models used to explain and understand the interpersonal and intra- and interprofessional relationship dimension of diverse counselling practice.
3. Formulate a plan of action for working within culturally safe and ethical practice, that embodies an autonomous and collaborative evidence-based orientation to counselling, integral to the standards of professional counselling practice.
4. Synthesise and critically evaluate learning experiences, applying theoretical and experiential understanding of reflective practice.

Content

Learning Approaches

This unit utilises a combination of lectures, and an interactive experiential mode of learning in order to develop the learning group and to enable a personal appreciation of the relationship and interactive issues present in Counselling. During the semester you will facilitate interactive activities which stimulate personal responses to issues in counselling. Your topic area can be chosen in consultation with the lecturer.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Formative feedback will be provided by lecturer and peers following the facilitation of student led  workshops. 

Students will also receive formative feedback on their initial written reflections to support the development of critical reflection skills. 

Summative feedback will take the form of a written critique based on your experience of facilitating a workshop and a reflective journal mapping your experience of the unit and its impact on your practice. 

Assessment

Overview

This unit has two summative assessment tasks that include practical and written components. In addition to these summative assessments, formative assessment occurs throughout the unit based on weekly activities (assessment 2), and you are required to participate fully in weekly group discussions.

Threshold assessment conditions

Due to the experiential nature of the unit, you must complete all pieces of assessment. Summative assessment items will be criterion-referenced on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Each of the summative assessment items must be satisfactorily completed to pass this unit and ALL criteria within each assessment must be deemed satisfactory.  Therefore any students not reaching a satisfactory grade for any of the individual criteria will be asked to resubmit that particular criteria.  Only one resubmission will be afforded and if any criteria is not deemed satisfactory the student will receive an overall unsatisfactory grade.

The final result for this unit will not contribute to your overall course GPA.

Unit Grading Scheme

S (Satisfactory) / U (Unsatisfactory)

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Oral Presentation

In pairs or triads you will draw on your group facilitation and counselling skills to co-facilitate a 70 minute workshop focusing on a professional issue in counselling. You will draw on the Inductive Learning Cycle to facilitate learning and ensure students engage in a meaningful dialogue of a highly relevant practice topic. 

At the completion of the workshop a class debrief will be facilitated by the lecturer. 

One week later, you will submit an individual reflective report on the presentation content and your experience of the facilitation process.

Graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis

Only the submission of documentation (written critique) is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Threshold Assessment:

You must achieve a satisfactory grade on both assessment items to pass this unit. Failure to meet all assessment requirements will result in unsatisfactory performance.

All criteria must be deemed satisfactory and therefore any students not reaching a satisfactory grade for any of the criteria will be asked to resubmit that particular criteria.  Only one resubmission will be afforded and If any criteria is not deemed satisfactory the student will receive an overall unsatisfactory grade.

Assessment: Reflective Journal

You will maintain a reflective journal of personal learnings to be uploaded on Canvas during the progress of this unit. This will be a detailed record of your learnings from the presentations, from your readings and from the class discussions. Class discussions will also utilise the inductive learning cycle and will provide opportunities for feedback and reflection on content and process issues.

Graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Threshold Assessment:

You must achieve a satisfactory grade on both assessment items to pass this unit.

All criteria must be deemed satisfactory and therefore any students not reaching a satisfactory grade for any of the criteria will be asked to resubmit that particular criteria.  Only one resubmission will be afforded and If any criteria is not deemed satisfactory the student will receive an overall unsatisfactory grade.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Resource Materials

Recommended text(s)

Corey, G., Corey, M.S., & Callanan, P. (2014). Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Duncan, B.L., Miller, S. D., Wampold B.E., & Hubble, M.A. (Eds.). (2010). The Heart and Soul of Change (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit.

Course Learning Outcomes

PY12 Master of Counselling

1. Critique and employ coherent therapeutic, practical and contextually relevant counselling knowledge, skills and values that embody a collaborative professional discourse that honours multiple perspectives across culturally diverse lifespans.
   Relates to: Oral Presentation, Reflective Journal
2. Critically evaluate and apply intentional practice processes, engaging advanced critical thinking and decision-making skills, underpinned by ethical and professional values and critical reflexivity to ensure culturally safe collaborative counselling.
   Relates to: Oral Presentation, Reflective Journal
3. Critically evaluate and apply theoretical and philosophical underpinnings of counselling research and practice, drawing upon digital capabilities and the qualities of ethical conduct, social inclusivity, reflexivity and reflection in sustainable ways.
   Relates to: Oral Presentation, Reflective Journal
4. Scrutinise counselling research literature, reflected in autoethnographic professional practice experience, to develop new knowledge integral to the standards of professional counselling practice and practice innovation.
   Relates to: Reflective Journal
5. Promote and practice effective written, oral and digital communication processes including advanced listening and dialogue skills, congruent with a collaborative counselling approach, in a range of contexts.
   Relates to: Oral Presentation, Reflective Journal