PYN007 Professional Studies 3

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

This unit provides an experiential introduction to the process of providing supervision to counsellors. Supervision processes, roles, responsibilities, content, approaches and theories are reviewed.
Building on PYN006 where you learned how to participate in professional supervision as a supervised, PYN007 teaches you how to take on the role of the supervisor where you learn how to conduct a supervision session, an essential component to all counselling practice.

This unit helps you to gain an in-depth and practical understanding of how to provide professional supervision from a variety of approaches to ensure Interdisciplinary and interprofessional learning and employability while contributing to sustainable futures within organisations, industries and local and global communities.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Apply effective professional supervision skills from a range of perspectives;
2. Identify and articulate the relevant supervision techniques including the professional and ethical frameworks associated with the supervision approach;
3. Articulate and report on a personal practice framework for guiding supervision drawing on career development and employability;
4. Synthesize and critique the research and theory on counselling supervision and associated professional and ethical issues.

Content

Learning Approaches

The teaching program consists of one full-day workshop (on a weekend) and ten 3-hour evening classes. The classes consist of a combination of lectures, small group discussions, supervision demonstrations and debriefing.  The classes will also engage you through peer to peer case based learning. You are expected to be active participants in weekly readings, journaling, small group discussions, and as a supervisor in collaborative/social constructionist as well as four contrasting models of live supervision and debriefing.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

You will receive continual formative feedback during classes, structured exercises and reflections. Summative feedback will occur through the two formal assessment items.

Assessment

Overview

The assessment items in this unit integrate research, journaling, practice and reflective practice. You will experientially explore what supervision is and how it enhances your practice. You will also be asked to provide written reflections and critiques of your experiences of the different approaches to supervision.

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: Demonstration & Critique

Demonstration & Critique
Demonstrate a sequence of supervision skills on TWO separate occasions during a 45 to 50 minute professional supervision session and submit a paper analysing one of your supervision sessions. You are required to demonstrate your awareness of career development and employability in the counselling field.

Grading on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis

Only the submission of documentation (written critique) is an assignment for the purposes of an extension. 

Threshold Assessment:

Because of the experiential nature of the unit, you must complete all pieces of assessment. Resubmissions of unsatisfactory assignments may be negotiated with the unit coordinator.

Assessment: Essay

In this essay you are required to:

1. Situate the supervision approach you prefer and synthesize and critique the research and theory on contrasting supervision models that resonate with your approach.
2. Examine the associated professional and ethical issues in your current or future practice.
3. Investigate the relevant supervision techniques including the professional and ethical frameworks associated with your supervision approach.

The goal of this essay is to discuss the impact of contrasting models on you as a supervisor.

Graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Threshold Assessment:

Because of the experiential nature of the unit, you must complete all pieces of assessment.  Resubmissions of unsatisfactory assignments may be negotiated with the unit coordinator.

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

Prescribed text(s)

Carroll, M. (2014). Effective Supervision for the Helping Professions (2nd ed.). London: Sage

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: Demonstration & Critique, Essay
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: Demonstration & Critique, Essay
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: Essay
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: Essay
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: Demonstration & Critique, Essay