Unit Outline

This unit provides an overview of foundational counselling concepts, theories, and skills. In this unit you will be introduced to the main theoretical perspectives and values that underlie counselling practices. You will learn to apply counselling microskills that underpin effective communication in counselling practice. The importance of ethics, critical thinking, and evaluating evidence in counselling are also a key focus in this unit. Completion of this unit does not qualify you to practice counselling, however, it will provide you with a foundation for further study in this area.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

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


1.	Explain the major theoretical perspectives, principles, and ethical considerations which underlie counselling practice.
2.	Apply basic counselling microskills to a variety of counselling contexts.
3.	Describe how values, culture, and individual factors can influence counselling practice.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Anti-requisite (mutual excl)	KHA335 OR KHA235

Alterations as a result of student feedback

The assessment pieces and content are reviewed annually to develop more ‘hands on’ knowledge of specific counselling areas, skills, and theories. In 2024 the content has been updated and topics covered presented in a more integrative manner.

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Online Quizzes	Week 3	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 2:	Role Play Journal	Week 5	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 3:	Counselling Critique	Week 13	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Online Quizzes

Task Description:

Online Quizzes (6 quizzes, 5% per quiz). Online quizzes to be completed at the end of every second week. Each quiz is worth 5% and will consist of 10 questions (multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, and/or short answer style questions). Quizzes will be open for a two week period, they will become open at 9am on the Monday of the relevant week and will close at 11:59pm on the Sunday of the following week.
Your task is to:
Read and consider the online material in each week’s content folder and any required readings on MyLO, (this includes required readings, videos, learning activities, and recorded lectures) and complete the Quiz relevant to each week’s content by the due date. In your answers, demonstrate your understanding of the key principles, skills, ethical considerations, theories, and concepts that are used in counselling practice
Due every second week commencing week 3

Task Length:

10 questions per Quiz, 30 minutes to complete each quiz.

Due Date:

Week 3

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Correctness of answer	LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment Task 2: Role Play Journal

Task Description:

Over the course of the unit you will participate in 4 counselling role plays where you will practice applying counselling microskills and reflect on these in 4 journal entries. For each of the 4 role plays you will take a turn at being the counsellor, the client, and an observer.
Each journal entry will have two components:
1. You will need to provide constructive feedback to your peers on their use of counselling microskills.
2. You will need to reflect on your experience and respond to your peers’ feedback on your use of counselling microskills.

Further details about this assessment are available on MyLO along with an assessment rubric.

Task Length:

Four journal entries of up to a maximum of 400 words each (minimum of 150 words) and completed peer feedback rubrics.

Due Date:

Week 5

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Provide feedback to peers on their application of counselling microskills	LO2
2	Critically reflect on your personal experience and the factors influencing your role play experience.	LO1, LO2, LO3
3	Address peer feedback on counselling practice within your self-reflection	LO2
4	Support your entry with evidence	LO1

Assessment Task 3: Counselling Critique

Task Description:

Counselling Critique:
Your task has 2 parts.
Part A:
Watch the clip in the Assessment Information folder called “Counselling Critique Clip”. This is a short clip of a counsellor who needs further practice with her counselling skills. Then write a critique of the counselling skills the counsellor demonstrated in the video. Make sure you:
• Identify and discuss the key counselling skills the counsellor is demonstrating well.
• Identify and discuss the key skills in the demonstration that could be improved or were missing.
• Refer to the literature regarding counselling skills to justify your answer.

PART B:
Now imagine the client in the counselling demonstration video is from a different cultural background (The specific cultural group you need to focus on can be found in the assessment information folder on MyLO). Write a short discussion on what would need to be considered by the counsellor in working with this culturally diverse client group. Make sure you:
• Discuss the main cultural considerations that might be important when working with people from this cultural group.
• Based on the above mentioned considerations discuss what, if any, changes would the counsellor in the demonstration video need to make to their counselling practice. Consider their practice as a whole, not just their use of microskills.
• Refer to the literature regarding counselling people from this cultural group to justify your answer.

Further details about this assessment are available on MyLO along with an assessment rubric.

Task Length:

1500 words

Due Date:

Week 13

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Demonstrate ability to identify and describe counselling skills.	LO1, LO2
2	Apply knowledge to evaluate the use of counselling skills and produce sound arguments to justify evaluation	LO2
3	Demonstrate and apply knowledge of cultural considerations, and their influence on counselling practice	LO3
4	Use of appropriate and relevant academic sources and demonstrate sound academic integrity standards.	LO1
5	Communicate effectively by using professional writing styles and integrating information in a logical manner.	LO1

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.

Required Resources

Required reading materials

Required readings will be clearly identified in the relevant module content on MyLO and be available through the unit’s Reading List. The below mentioned text book is also available electronically through the Reading List function. However, the library only has access to 4 copies of the electronic version of the textbook. This means that only 4 people at a time can view the text through the Reading List. This may limit your ability to access the textbook if multiple students are trying to view it simultaneously. If you wish to purchase your own copy of the below textbook it is available through Booktopia.

Egan, G., & Reese, J. R. (2018). The Skilled Helper: A Problem-Management and Opportunity-Development Approach to Helping. (11th Ed). USA: Cengage Learning In