Foundations of Counselling
Overview
This unit introduces students to counselling theory and skills. Students will develop the ability to be fully present with clients, develop and maintain an effective working alliance, and assist clients to work through their issues so that there is effective change. Students will be supported to develop a basic awareness of how their own interpersonal style and beliefs affect the counselling process. Through experiential learning and feedback, students will develop an ability to reflect on their own counselling practice.
Requisites
.
Equivalent
HAYC411 - Foundations of Counselling 1 (Discontinued)
31-May-2026
Unit learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Apply knowledge of different counselling theories and communication skills to a range of counselling problems and client groups
- Identify and evaluate how their interpersonal style and beliefs affect the counselling process
- Explain and demonstrate the importance of maintaining an effective working alliance in the counselling process
- Conduct a counselling session that demonstrates an acceptable level of micro counselling skills and self-reflection
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Activity Type | Activity | Total Hours | Number of Weeks | Hours Per Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus | Class | 36 | 12 weeks | 3 |
| Specified Activities | Various | 102 | 12 weeks | 8.5 |
| Unspecified Activities | Independent Learning | 12 | 12 weeks | 1 |
| Total Hours: | 150 | Total Hours (per week): | 12.5 | |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULOs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class Exercises | Individual | 50% | 1,2,3 |
| Assessment | Individual | 20% | 4 |
| Assessment | Individual | 30% | 4 |
Content
- Personal values, counsellor values
- Empathy and empathic listening to clients
- Listening to self as counsellor and roadblocks to counselling
- Questions, probes and summaries
- Facilitating client self-challenge
- Helping clients tell their stories
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.