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Unit Synopsis
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, self-care and peer feedback. The unit will provide you with diverse opportunities to fully engage in content through role plays 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 considerations related to conducting ethical therapy with diverse populations, including First Nations peoples.
Details
| Level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Unit Level | 2 |
| Credit Points | 6 |
| Student Contribution Band | SCA Band 4 |
| Fraction of Full-Time Student Load | 0.125 |
| Pre-requisites or Co-requisites |
24 credit points including PSYC11010 or PSYC11008 or PSYC11009. 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 1 - 2027
Term 1 - 2027 Profile
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.
Assessment Tasks
To see assessment details from an earlier availability, please search via a previous term.
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%).
Past Exams
All University policies are available on the Policy web site, however you may wish to directly view the following policies below.
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of policies are available on the Policy web site.
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 evaluation, verbal student feedback
Students enjoyed the variety of lecturers presenting during the term.
Consider continuing to include a range of lecturers in the unit.
A range of lecturers delivered content in T1 2025.
Source: SUTE evaluation
Students enjoyed the practical application of material and workshop-style approach to lectures. However, some students indicated that having pre-recorded lectures and live tutorials would be less intensive than having live lectures and live tutorials.
Consider adjusting the delivery of lectures to include pre-recorded elements during weeks that are heavy in both content and practical application.
The 3 hour live (lecture and tutorial) workshop was already scheduled in the timetable prior to the unit coordinator entering this role. Therefore, all content was delivered live again to allow the unit coordinator to explore the length of the lecture content and engagement activities, in order to establish which content may be best pre-recorded in subsequent years.
Source: In class comments from students
Students found the opportunity to develop practical skills beneficial in this unit.
Continue providing opportunities for students to practice and develop their micro-counselling skills through this unit.
In Progress
Source: Unit evaluations (SUTE)
Some of the material in the prescribed textbook was UK based and less relevant to the Australian context.
Explore if an Australasian focused textbook is available and if not look at providing alternate materials in place of a textbook.
In Progress
Source: Unit evaluations (SUTE)
Improve clarity of assessment requirements
Develop some additional materials and instructions for assessments 2 and 4, so students can have clearer understanding of requirements and marking criteria.
In Progress
To see Learning Outcomes from an earlier availability, please search via a previous term.