PYB359 Working with Families and Groups

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

In the current health setting, counsellors and psychologists are regularly required to work with families, couples and groups. The complexity of working therapeutically with more than one person, requires specialist knowledge and skillsets. In PYB359, you will build on your existing understanding of different counselling paradigms to consider how these will be generalised to work with groups of people.  

The history and philosophy that underpins Systemic Family Therapy and Indigenous practice will also be explored providing students with alternate perspectives on how to support change for individuals and groups.

Experiential tutorials will support you to develop practical skills and techniques to build competence and confidence in hosting family members, negotiating multiple concerns and requests and evoking change for all involved in a culturally safe manner.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Analyse the history, models and principles of family therapy and contrast this with models that stem from alternate paradigms.
2. Articulate a critical application of your knowledge and understanding of family therapy theories within simulated case scenarios.
3. Implement a range of interpersonal skills required to work effectively with families, couples and groups.
4. Critically examine your understanding of contemporary issues facing families and consider the range of interventions offered by different theoretical approaches.

Content

Learning Approaches

As well as preparing you for a career in psychology and counselling, the unit offers an interdisciplinary approach that encourages development of relational skills translatable to any setting. Emphasis will be placed on embedded experiential learning, skill development and conceptual analysis.

Weekly lectures and a tutorial program will offer practical opportunities of the application and development of a range of skills and techniques.

Lectures will be supported by additional learning materials, including pre-recorded therapy sessions, set readings, questions for reflection, and practice exercises. Lectures will be recorded and made available via Canvas.

Please note: because of the highly participatory and experiential nature of the learning and teaching process, attendance is highly recommended and attendance will be required at some tutorials in order to complete assessments. 

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

You will receive feedback in this unit through formative and summative feedback. General formative feedback will be provided via in class discussions and role plays. Summative feedback will be provided through the assessment tasks detailed below.

Assessment

Overview

All assessment in this unit will be submitted electronically. This includes an exam and submission of your assessment via Turnitin content-matching software. Assessment will be marked online and your feedback will be supplied via Canvas.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Reflective Journal

You will be required to write two short reflective essays on two different approaches to Family Therapy. The reflections will be based on experiences offered in tutorials. You may only submit reflections for tutorials that you attend. 

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

Assessment: Multiple Choice Online Quiz

This multiple choice exam quiz will be based on lecture material and specified readings.

Assessment: Practice Plan

You will be provided with a case scenario about a family experiencing one of the issues considered in the course.  In the role of a family counsellor, you will provide a report, outlining your plans regarding working with this family, to your supervisor.  You will specify how you would work with this family.  This will include; outlining your evolving practice framework, including the skills and techniques that you developed in tutorials that would be appropriate with this family, and highlighting the theories and models you will draw on. 

This assessment is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

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

Risk Assessment Statement

You should be aware that some content in this unit may be confronting to certain audiences. Please exercise your own discretion when participating in classroom activities or discussions and, if appropriate, advise teaching staff if you do not wish to participate. The QUT Student Counselling service is also available and free of charge to all QUT students.

Course Learning Outcomes

PY45 Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Psychology)

1. Describe and evaluate the core scientific perspectives of psychology with reference to theories, methods and research, from diverse perspectives, including first-nations perspectives.
   Relates to: Reflective Journal, Multiple Choice Online Quiz
2. Critically examine the scientific discipline of psychological research and theories using oral, written and digital communication to address psychological issues in a respectful, ethical and professional manner.
   Relates to: Reflective Journal, Multiple Choice Online Quiz, Practice Plan
3. Employ strategies for self-reflection, with regards to your conduct, values and impact on others and the profession in a culturally sensitive, inclusive, ethical and sustainable way.
   Relates to: Reflective Journal, Practice Plan
4. Develop interpersonal process skills that contribute to effective outcomes in collaboration with others, including developing innovative opportunities.
   Relates to: Reflective Journal, Practice Plan
5. Implement a range of digital capabilities to access, examine and utilise evidence-based information in the context of effectively responding to, and communicating, real world problems.
   Relates to: Reflective Journal, Practice Plan