Students

PSYC201 – Counselling Approaches and Principles

2019 – S1 Day

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Co-Ordinator
Dr Carolyn Schniering
Contact via 0412387799
4FW 711
By appointment
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
PSYC104 and PSYC105
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
The aim of this unit is to provide an introduction to contemporary approaches to counselling, and to teach basic interviewing skills for use in the workplace. There will be a balanced focus on theory, research and practice throughout the unit. Theoretical frameworks used in counselling will be reviewed, followed by a step-by-step introduction to conducting a counselling interview. Role-plays, demonstrations and case examples will be used to teach basic therapeutic skills. The unit will also involve self-reflective exercises, and will have a focus on ethical and professional practice.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

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

  • Show understanding of theories of counselling.
  • Articulate methods of interviewing in counselling settings.
  • Demonstrate basic interviewing skills around a given problem.
  • Show working knowledge around the principles of ethical and professional practice.
  • Apply critical thinking and independent learning to solve problems related to counselling in the workplace.

General Assessment Information

All tutorial material is assessable either in the assignment and/or in the final exam.

Attendance at tutorials is compulsory in order to achieve a Pass grade or higher in this unit. Tutorial participation is essential to the learning outcomes of this unit. Live demonstrations and role-modelling will be used to teach the practical application of the counselling skills covered in this unit. You can only attend the tutorial you are enrolled in and you will not be allowed to attend any other tutorial due to Occupational Health and Safety Policy Laws. Students are expected to be present for the entirety of the tutorial session.

The material covered in tutorials will not be posted on iLearn nor given to students in any form. Thus it is the student’s responsibility to attend tutorials and to take notes on the material covered.

If students miss a tutorial, it is University Policy that students MUST make a Request for Special Consideration through https://ask.mq.edu.au/ with appropriate documentation (e.g., medical certificates etc). To be eligible for Special Consideration, a student must notify the University of a serious and unavoidable disruption no later than five (5) working days of the due date (see University Policy https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/disruption-to-studies ).

 

 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Essay 40% No Week 8, Thursday 2nd May
Counselling Critique 20% No Week 10, Thursday 16th May
Final Exam 40% No During the Examination Period

Essay

Due: Week 8, Thursday 2nd May
Weighting: 40%

A 1500 word essay based on counselling material covered in class. 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Show understanding of theories of counselling.
  • Articulate methods of interviewing in counselling settings.
  • Show working knowledge around the principles of ethical and professional practice.
  • Apply critical thinking and independent learning to solve problems related to counselling in the workplace.

Counselling Critique

Due: Week 10, Thursday 16th May
Weighting: 20%

Critical evaluation of counselling skills as observed in a 10-minute video. This will be submitted in the form of a 600-word report outlining strengths and weaknesses.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Articulate methods of interviewing in counselling settings.
  • Demonstrate basic interviewing skills around a given problem.
  • Show working knowledge around the principles of ethical and professional practice.
  • Apply critical thinking and independent learning to solve problems related to counselling in the workplace.

Final Exam

Due: During the Examination Period
Weighting: 40%

During the University Examination period, students will complete a 1 hour exam, which will assess recall, understanding and application of material presented in lectures, and in tutorials, as well as any required reading associated with those lectures and tutorials. 

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Show understanding of theories of counselling.
  • Articulate methods of interviewing in counselling settings.
  • Show working knowledge around the principles of ethical and professional practice.
  • Apply critical thinking and independent learning to solve problems related to counselling in the workplace.

Delivery and Resources

Lectures

There will be one 1-hour lecture per week each week of the Session. The lecture will be held on Thursday 9-10am, at 14 Sir Christopher Ondaatje Ave - T3 Theatre.

All lecture material is examinable, including the chapters set for reading from the recommended text. 

You will get the most out of this unit by attending lectures in person. My teaching style involves live demonstrations, didactic exercises and points for self-reflection. Some of these exercises will be more difficult to capture on Echo. 

Recordings of lectures will be made available via Echo. You can download the lecture recording from the iLearn page for the unit. 

Tutorials

There are six 2-hour tutorials associated with this unit. Tutorials are run in one 6 week block from weeks 2-7 only. 

Set reading will be required prior to each tutorial. 

All tutorial material is assessable either in the assignment and/or in the final exam. 

Attendance at tutorials is compulsory and essential to the learning outcomes of this unit. Live demonstrations and role-modelling will be used to teach the practical application of the counselling skills covered in this unit. You can only attend the tutorial you are enrolled in and you will not be allowed to attend any other tutorial due to Occupational Health and Safety Policy Laws. Students are expected to be present for the entirety of the tutorial session.

The material covered in tutorials will not be posted on iLearn nor given to students in any form. Thus it is the student’s responsibility to attend tutorials and to take notes on the material covered. All tutorial material is examinable. 

Recommended Text

The recommended text for this unit is:

Ivey, A.E., Ivey, M.B, & Zalaquett, C.P. (2014). Intentional Interviewing and Counseling: Facilitating Client Development in a Multicultural Society. (9th Ed.). Boston, USA: Cengage Learning. 

Earlier editions of this text are also acceptable. It is recommended that you purchase this text book if you intend on pursuing a career working with people in a counselling or other workplace setting. This is a core textbook which covers foundational counselling and interviewing skills. It is relevant for a range of further psychology units offered at the University, and is a good book to have in your "library". 

Unit Web Page

You can access the online materials for this unit via iLearn. Announcements will be available once you have logged in. You can link to lecture recordings from the web page as well as download the overheads for each lecture. There will be an active student Forum. 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Show working knowledge around the principles of ethical and professional practice.

Assessment task

  • Final Exam

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Show understanding of theories of counselling.
  • Articulate methods of interviewing in counselling settings.
  • Demonstrate basic interviewing skills around a given problem.
  • Show working knowledge around the principles of ethical and professional practice.

Assessment tasks

  • Essay
  • Counselling Critique
  • Final Exam

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Show understanding of theories of counselling.
  • Apply critical thinking and independent learning to solve problems related to counselling in the workplace.

Assessment tasks

  • Counselling Critique
  • Final Exam

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Articulate methods of interviewing in counselling settings.
  • Demonstrate basic interviewing skills around a given problem.

Assessment tasks

  • Essay
  • Counselling Critique
  • Final Exam