Overview
In this unit you will be given a practical and research-based introduction to the major psychotherapies and counselling approaches used within the professional practice of psychology. The unit will develop your knowledge of the important theoretical and empirical basis of psychotherapy. You will develop awareness of common therapeutic and counselling strategies and the different reactions they may provoke from clients as part of the behaviour change process. The unit will also build practical and interpersonal skills that form the foundation of effective psychology practice, including micro-counselling skills, reflective practice and peer feedback and supervision. The unit will provide you with diverse opportunities to fully engage in content through group work in small teams to practice these skills using case-based scenarios, and personal reflection on practice drawing on research evidence regarding effective counselling and therapeutic practice. Key elements of content covered in the unit include: psychotherapy theories, therapeutic intervention techniques, research in support of the various theories and techniques, and issues related to conducting ethical, culturally-sensitive and productive therapy.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
24 credit points.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2022
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
- Explain the basic theoretical and empirical underpinning of several major theories of psychotherapy, including their historical development and modern practice
- Demonstrate fundamental counselling and psychotherapy skills and processes, including micro-counselling techniques, the ability to develop a therapeutic alliance and engage in reflective practice
- Evaluate the efficacy of psychotherapeutic approaches using current empirical research
- Articulate ethical and cross-cultural issues in the practice of psychotherapy.
There are no formal requirements by the accrediting body (Australian Psychological Accreditation Council or APAC). However, this unit will help achieve several of the graduate competencies required. Namely:
- Competency 1.1: Comprehend and apply a broad and coherent body of knowledge of psychology, with depth of understanding of underlying principles, theories and concepts in the discipline, using a scientific approach covering the specific topics of (i) the history and philosophy underpinning the science of psychology and the social, cultural, historical and professional influences on the practice of psychology; (iii) psychological health and well-being; and (iv) psychological disorders and evidence-based interventions.
- Competency 1.2: Apply knowledge and skills of psychology in a manner that is reflexive, culturally appropriate and sensitive to the diversity of individuals.
- Competency 1.3: Analyse and critique theory and research in the discipline of psychology and communicate these in written and oral formats.
- Competency 1.4: Demonstrate an understanding of appropriate values and ethics in psychology.
- Competency 1.5: Demonstrate interpersonal skills and teamwork.
In addition, feedback from the APAC accreditation round in 2020 strongly encouraged the inclusion of work-ready skills, including teamwork and interpersonal skills.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 40% | ||||
| 2 - Group Work - 30% | ||||
| 3 - Essay - 30% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Textbooks
An introduction to Counselling and Psychotherapy: From Theory to Practice
Edition: 2nd (2018)
Authors: Reeves, A.
Sage Publishing
London London , England
ISBN: 1526423855
Binding: Paperback
Additional Textbook Information
A Kindle version is also available.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- CQUniversity Library
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
j.hodges@cqu.edu.au
c.dittman@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction to psychotherapies and counselling
Unit overview and assessment tasks
Chapter
Chapter 1 & Chapter 8
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Micro-counselling skills 1
Stages of therapy
Chapter
Chapter 9
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Micro-counselling skills 2
Process issues in therapy
Chapter
Chapter 9 and Chapter 10 (p. 230-243)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Psychodynamic Therapy
Chapter
Chapter 3
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 1 Due: Monday at 9.00am (AEST)
Module/Topic
Person-centred therapies
Chapter
Chapter 8 (p. 98-110)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
No scheduled classes or activities
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Behaviour Therapy
Chapter
Chapter 4
Events and Submissions/Topic
Group Work Due: Tuesday at 9.00AM (AEST)
Module/Topic
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
Chapter
Chapter 4
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Third Wave Therapies: ACT and Mindfulness
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Working with special populations: parents; CYP; CALD and gender diversity
Chapter
Chapter 11
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 2 Due: Monday at 9.00am (AEST)
Module/Topic
Transdiagnostic and Process-based Therapy
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
DBT, Schema Therapy and Positive Psychology
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Unit Overview and Wrap-Up
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Self-practice Task Due: Monday at 9.00AM (AEST)
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 3 Due: Monday at 9.00am (AEST)
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Online Quiz(zes)
This assessment task comprises three (3) quizzes to be completed and submitted online via the PSYC12049 Moodle site. The first and the third quiz each contain 20 multiple-choice questions. The second quiz contains contains 40 multiple-choice questions. You will have 2 minutes per question in each quiz i.e., you will have 40 minutes for quizzes 1 & 3, and 80 minutes for quiz 2. Only one attempt per quiz is permitted.
Details of content and opening and closing dates are detailed below:
- Quiz 1 assesses topics 1 to 3. It opens Tuesday of Week 3 at 12.00pm (AEST) and closes Monday of Week 4 at 9.00am (AEST).
- Quiz 2 assesses topics 4 to 7. It opens Tuesday of Week 8 at 12.00pm (AEST) and closes Monday of Week 9 at 9.00am (AEST).
- Quiz 3 assesses topics 8 to 12. It opens Monday of Week 12 at 9.00am (AEST) and closes Monday of the Review week at 9.00am (AEST).
3
Other
Quiz 1 Closes Monday of Week 4 at 9.00am (AEST). Quiz 2 closes Monday of Week 9 at 9.00am (AEST). Quiz 3 closes Monday of the Review week at 9.00am (AEST).
Quiz total marks will be returned to students immediately after each quiz is submitted. Feedback for each quiz question will be available after each quiz closes.
- For each quiz, one (1) mark will be awarded for each quiz question answered correctly.
- There is no negative marking penalty for incorrect answers.
- Quiz 1 & 3 are marked out of 20 and are each weighted at 10% of the final unit grade.
- Quiz 2 is marked out of 40 and weighted at 20% of the final grade.
- Explain the basic theoretical and empirical underpinning of several major theories of psychotherapy, including their historical development and modern practice
- Evaluate the efficacy of psychotherapeutic approaches using current empirical research
2 Group Work
This assessment task has two components:
- Group work (20%): This task involves submitting a 5-minute video of you in the role of the therapist in an intake session. You will work in a small group of peers to gain feedback, improve your practice, and to conduct the role play. You will then be required to submit a self-reflection of your performance (max 500 words).
- Self-practice task (10%): You will be required to choose one of the strategies presented in lectures 6-8 and to document your practice of the strategy. You will then be required to write and submit a written reflection of your experience (250 words).
Group work due Tuesday of Week 6 at 9:00am (AEST). Self-practice task due Monday of Week 12 at 9:00am (AEST).
Feedback and grades for each part of this assessment task will be available on Moodle approximately 3 weeks after the respective due date.
The Group Work task will be marked out of 20 and will be worth 20% of your final grade. Your mark will be based on your performance of the micro-counselling, interpersonal and oral communication skills covered in class, along with the quality of your self-reflective statement.
The quality of your reflection on the self-practice task will be marked out of 10 and worth 10% of your final grade.
- Demonstrate fundamental counselling and psychotherapy skills and processes, including micro-counselling techniques, the ability to develop a therapeutic alliance and engage in reflective practice
- Articulate ethical and cross-cultural issues in the practice of psychotherapy.
3 Essay
You will be provided with a case study of an individual suffering from a mental health disorder. Your task will be to choose one of the nominated psychotherapeutic approaches and provide a conceptualisation of the case from that theoretical perspective. You are also required to draw on the evidence base to provide a rationale that the chosen psychotherapeutic approach will be effective for the case study, and evaluate whether there are any considerations or adaptations required if the therapy is implemented with a special population. The case study and further information on the task will provided in class and on Moodle.
Week 10 Monday (16 May 2022) 9:00 am AEST
Review/Exam Week Monday (6 June 2022)
Feedback and grades will be made available on Moodle.
There are five (5) parts to the marking criteria for this assessment:
- Describe the presenting problems/symptoms, as well as any factors that might have caused or maintained the problems / symptoms from the perspective of the chosen psychotherapeutic approach according to the case study (8%).
- Critically appraise the research to build evidence to convince the reader that your chosen approach will help with the problems in the case study. Acknowledge any gaps or limitations in this evidence for your chosen therapeutic approach in relation to the problems in the case study (10%). [Note: no more than 10 relevant references required]
- Describe 2 techniques/strategies from the chosen approach and how they would be useful to address the problems in the case study (5%). [Note: no more than 1 reference required for each technique]
- Choose one of the special populations studied and briefly discuss how you would adjust your treatment to meet the needs of this client (5%). [Note: at least 1 additional reference required]
- Writing style, clarity of expression, and format of your case study in APA 7 style (2%).
The word length for this task is an absolute maximum of 1500 words (not including references). Please write your word count on the title page. Any words over 1500 will not be marked. Use 12-point font and double-line spacing.
- Explain the basic theoretical and empirical underpinning of several major theories of psychotherapy, including their historical development and modern practice
- Demonstrate fundamental counselling and psychotherapy skills and processes, including micro-counselling techniques, the ability to develop a therapeutic alliance and engage in reflective practice
- Evaluate the efficacy of psychotherapeutic approaches using current empirical research
- Articulate ethical and cross-cultural issues in the practice of psychotherapy.
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
