Overview

This unit raises students’ awareness of a range of systemic and interpersonal dynamics that can interfere with therapeutic relationships in forensic contexts and increase the likelihood of ethical dilemmas arising. The unit will allow students to develop knowledge and skills to both understand their clients’ actions more effectively, and be conscious of their own roles and power as practitioners in a forensic setting.

Requisites

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
04-August-2025
02-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-August-2025
Census date
31-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
19-September-2025
Results released date
09-December-2025
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
02-March-2026
31-May-2026
Last self-enrolment date
15-March-2026
Census date
31-March-2026
Last withdraw without fail date
21-April-2026
Results released date
07-July-2026
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-August-2026
01-November-2026
Last self-enrolment date
16-August-2026
Census date
01-September-2026
Last withdraw without fail date
22-September-2026
Results released date
08-December-2026

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Demonstrate a critical understanding of the key theories explaining the ‘change’ process
  • Define the therapeutic alliance (working alliance) and analyse its significance to forensic work
  • Appraise the different forms of boundary violation common in the forensic context
  • Identify heuristic biases and evaluate how these influence clinical reasoning processes
  • Critically discuss common ethical dilemmas in the forensic context and how these can be managed

Teaching methods

Hawthorn Online

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Workshop		12.00 1 week 12
Online
Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning		11.50 12 weeks 138
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
AssessmentIndividual 30% 2,4,5 
Case ReviewIndividual 35% 3,5 
Case ReviewIndividual 35% 1 

Content

  • Introduction to the forensic paradigm
  • Understanding behaviour
  • How people make change
  • Working alliance
  • Boundaries and challenges in the forensic context
  • Assumptions in thinking and self-awareness
  • Record keeping
  • Ethics

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.