PSY40450 Basic counselling and clinical skills

Academic Year 2023/2024

The focus of this model is on the acquisition of a theoretical and practical understanding of the major approaches to counselling and psychotherapy practice. Students will have the opportunity to develop basic listening skills, grounding skills and self-regulatory skills and evolve an awareness of their own interactive style. Students will be introduced to the professional issues that impact on the practice of counselling and psychotherapy. Skills in self-reflective practice are also introduced with a focus on personal and professional development and one's growing edge in these areas.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this module, student will have:
a) A solid theoretical and practical understanding of the the main agents of change within counseling and psychotherapy practice
b) Developed basic listening and attending skills
c) Developed self-reflective and self-regulatory skills that will support them in future professional practice
d) Developed an awareness of their own interactive style and the theoretical approaches that best fit that style

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24
Small Group

6
Specified Learning Activities

35
Autonomous Student Learning

185
Total

250
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
active/task-based learning
peer and group work
reflective learning
student presentations 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Presentation: Formative assignment: group presentation on counselling/clinical skill of choice Varies over the Trimester n/a Pass/Fail Grade Scale No

30
Assignment: Essay: A personal reflection on how your own personal experiences, personality traits, and communication style will impact your ability to effectively engage with clients therapeutically (Words=2500) Week 12 n/a Graded Yes

70

Carry forward of passed components
No
 
Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Group feedback to students over the course of the semester on performance in the module

Clinical & Counselling Skills Suggesting Reading
Barnett, J. E., & Cooper, N. (2009). Creating a culture of self‐care. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 16 (1), 16-20.

McMahon, A. (2014) Four guiding principles for the supervisory relationship, Reflective Practice, 15:3,333-346, DOI: 10.1080/14623943.2014.900010

Miller, W. R. Listening Well. The Art of Empathic Understanding. A keynote address delivered at the European Congress of Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies, London (Vol. 24).

Nemec PB, Spagnolo AC, Soydan AS. Can you hear me now? Teaching listening skills. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal. 2017 Dec;40(4):415-417. DOI: 10.1037/prj0000287.

Anjanette Ryan, Jeremy D. Safran, Jennifer M. Doran & J. Christopher Muran (2012) Therapist mindfulness, alliance and treatment outcome, Psychotherapy Research, 22:3, 289-297, DOI: 10.1080/10503307.2011.650653

Rogers, C. R.&. Farson. R. E. ACTIVE LISTENING. Excerpt from Communicating in Business Today R.G. Newman, M.A. Danzinger, M. Cohen (eds) D.C. Heath & Company, 1987 – freely available on google. Journal of consulting psychology, 21

Rogers, C. R. (1957). The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change.

Totsuka, Y. (2014), SG exercise to promote self‐reflexivity. J. Fam. Ther., 36: 86-
106.

Tschuschke, Volker PhD∗; Koemeda-Lutz, Margit PhD†; von Wyl, Agnes PhD‡; Crameri, Aureliano PhD‡; Schulthess, Peter Lic. Phil. I† The Impact of Patients' and Therapists' Views of the Therapeutic Alliance on Treatment Outcome in Psychotherapy, The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease: January 2020 - Volume 208 - Issue 1 - p 56-64 doi: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000001111

Treasure, J. (2004). Motivational interviewing. (5), 331-337. doi:10.1192/apt.10.5.331Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 10, https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6427.12026

Yalom, I. (2003). The Gift of Therapy: An Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists.
Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
 
Autumn
      
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 9, 10, 11, 12 Fri 09:00 - 16:50