PYN013 Advanced Counselling Studies

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

This unit enables you to develop your practice through the utilisation of advanced counselling skills preparing you for working with clients in the Counselling and Family Therapy clinic. Building on your current learning you will be introduced to a variety of advanced approaches enabling you to work with diverse peoples including those from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population.  You will also learn processes that further draw on multiple perspectives from interdisciplinary and inter professional perspectives through the use of reflecting teams.

This unit will not only prepare you for the clinic experience but for your real world practice and for employability upon graduation.   

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Examine and reflect on how constructionist and collaborative counselling approaches can be applied to specific populations and presentations such as Aboriginal and Torres Islander peoples;
2. Critically examine advanced theoretical concepts used in Solution Focused and Narrative Therapy approaches; to counselling
3. Critically evaluate the application of advanced concepts and skills such as those to used to elicit multiple perspectives in a counselling session;
4. Synthesise counselling knowledge and advanced practitioner skills with your evolving counselling framework.

Content

Learning Approaches

PYN013 is an intensive unit consisting of three weekend intensive classes. Classes will be a combination of presentation of theory, whole class discussion, role plays and skills practice.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

You will receive continual formative feedback via class discussion in small group activities and structured exercises. Summative feedback will occur through the two formal assessment items.

Assessment

Overview

There are two assessment items in this unit. The first is a quiz consisting of short answer and multiple choice questions that will be self paced.  The open and closing dates of the quiz will be made clear at the start of the semester. The second is a recorded session of a counselling session using a reflecting team followed by a written critique of the processes and skills demonstrated throughout the session. A Case note of the session will also be included in the written paper as an appendix.

You will be required to submit your essay through content-matching software. This assignment will be marked online and your feedback will be supplied via Canvas. 

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Quiz/Test

You will complete a quiz relating to advanced counselling practice and skills drawn from social constructionist and collaborative counselling practice.  The quiz consists of both short answer and multiple choice questions.

Assessment: Video & Critique

You will participate in a 50 minute video demonstrating a role-play of a therapy session using a reflecting team. Each class member will then write a critique on their group video examining the advanced skills and processes used including how multiple perspectives were elicited through the reflecting team process. You will also include a written case note using language consistent with the principles of collaborative and social constructionist approaches to therapy as an appendix to your written paper.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: Reflective Essay

You will write and submit a paper following the lecture/workshop on Counselling practice with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations.  

Your paper will reflect specific learnings elicited as a result of your participation in this lecture/workshop and articulate relevance to your emerging practice framework.

More specifically, you will demonstrate an understanding of how your own social location and identity descriptions influence your work with diverse and marginalized populations including how your counselling practice can act as a medium for social change.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

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.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Resource Materials

Recommended text(s)

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: Quiz/Test, Video & Critique
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: Quiz/Test, Video & Critique
3. 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: Quiz/Test, Video & Critique