PSYC21004 - Therapy II: Theory, Research, Practice

Showing: 2026 HE Term 1
General Information

Unit Synopsis

This unit is part of the sequence of units that culminates in the degree of Master in Clinical Psychology. This unit is intended to provide advanced knowledge and skills in therapy research, theory and practice necessary for working as a Clinical Psychologist.

Details

Level Postgraduate
Unit Level 9
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 4
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

PSYC21003 Therapy I: Theory, Research, Practice

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).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 2 - 2019

Term 2 - 2019 Profile
Rockhampton
Term 2 - 2020 Profile
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Term 2 - 2021 Profile
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Term 2 - 2022 Profile
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Term 1 - 2024 Profile
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Term 1 - 2025 Profile
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Term 1 - 2026 Profile
Rockhampton

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).

Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Postgraduate 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.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Written Assessment 40%
2. Practical and Written Assessment 60%

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

Past Exams

Previous Feedback

No previous feedback available

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Source: SUTE unit comments, verbal feedback from students
Feedback:
The lecturer's feedback on skills practice in class was useful

Recommendation:
Continue to provide real-time feedback on skills practice in class.

Action Taken:
The lecturer provided real-time feedback on skills practice in class.
Source: SUTE unit comments
Feedback:
More case studies and practice examples will assist students in preparing for assessments

Recommendation:
More case studies and practice examples will be provided in class

Action Taken:
The lecturer provided relevant examples from practice to illustrate the required skills.
Source: SUTE unit comments, verbal feedback from students
Feedback:
More detailed marking criteria for assessments would be helpful

Recommendation:
Provide more detailed marking criteria for assessments.

Action Taken:
A more detailed marking criteria was provided for some assessments.
Source: SUTE unit comments
Feedback:
Between-class practice, while useful, could be shorter in duration

Recommendation:
Decrease the duration of required between-class skills practice.

Action Taken:
The required duration of between-class skills practice was reduced.
Source: SUTE unit comments
Feedback:
Request that the participant feedback not be included in the marking criteria for in-class presentations and DOPs activities.

Recommendation:
While seeking participant feedback will continue to be included in the marking criteria, the participant ratings will not be part of the marking criteria.

Action Taken:
Participant ratings were removed from the marking criteria.
Source: SUTE unit comments
Feedback:
Too many assessments

Recommendation:
Assessments are to be reduced from four to three, so students have more time to focus on skill acquisition and have time for class discussions about interventions.

Action Taken:
The number of tasks within assessments was reduced, rather than the number of assessments in total.
Source: SUTE Unit Comments
Feedback:
The lecturer's clinical experience and knowledge allowed for some productive discussions which really facilitated learning

Recommendation:
Continue to provide opportunities in class for the lecturer to share their knowledge of the topics, to help facilitate student learning.

Action Taken:
In Progress
Source: SUTE Unit Comments
Feedback:
It may be better for the lecturer to allocate topics, rather than letting students choose topics, so that weekly the presentations were consistent with learning one set of intervention skills at a time.

Recommendation:
Lecturer to consider allocating the student presentations to match the topic being taught in class.

Action Taken:
In Progress
Source: SUTE Unit Comments, and Teaching Team Reflections
Feedback:
The assessment criteria may be better suited to a non-graded unit, so the focus can be on learning practice-based skills.

Recommendation:
Consider moving to a non-graded unit.

Action Taken:
In Progress
Unit Learning Outcomes

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

  1. Conceptualise complex client presentations, such as PTSD, OCD and eating disorders and establish appropriate formulations to guide treatment planning.
  2. Apply aetiological understandings of psychological presentations to the selection and implementation of therapeutic practices.
  3. Integrate knowledge of evidence based normative interventions with ipsative practices.
  4. Recognise and respond appropriately to more complex ethical dilemmas in clinical practice
  5. Describe a range of prevention and intervention techniques and the relative efficacy and effectiveness of these techniques across a range of problems, people and groups. This includes different cultural groups and across the lifespan.

The Learning Outcomes link directly to external accreditation criteria around core capability development.

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Written Assessment
2 - Practical and Written Assessment
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
Professional Level
Advanced Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Knowledge
2 - Communication
3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills
4 - Research
5 - Self-management
6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility
7 - Leadership
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
Professional Level
Advanced Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8
1 - Written Assessment
2 - Practical and Written Assessment