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 units
PSC60001 Foundations of Counselling

Equivalent
HAYC411 - Foundations of Counselling 1 (Discontinued)

Teaching Periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
26-February-2024
26-May-2024
Last self-enrolment date
10-March-2024
Census date
31-March-2024
Last withdraw without fail date
12-April-2024
Results released date
02-July-2024

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

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Face to Face Contact (Phasing out)
Seminar
3.00 12 weeks 36
Specified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Various
8.50 12 weeks 102
Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Independent Learning
1.00 12 weeks 12
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
AssessmentIndividual 20% 
AssessmentIndividual 30% 
Class ExercisesIndividual 30% 1,2,3 
Online TestsIndividual 20% 1,2,3 

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.