Core Counselling Skills G (11740.1)

Please note these are the 2026 details for this unit
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Core Counselling Skills G
Available teaching periods Delivery mode Location
View teaching periods Online self-paced
 UC - Canberra, Online
EFTSL Credit points Faculty
0.125 3 Faculty Of Health
Discipline Study level HECS Bands
Discipline Of Counselling Graduate Level Band 2 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021)
Band 2 2021 (Prof Pathway Social Work- After 1 Jan 2021)
Band 4 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021)
This unit introduces students to theoretical and practical elements of the helping relationship. Students will learn a model of interpersonal communication and a set of practical skills that are important in a range of professional settings, and foundational for working with clients in human service delivery, including a focus on reflective practice.

Learning outcomes

After successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate fundamental reflective counselling skills;

2. Model the essential conditions of the Rogerian framework; and
3. Analyse counselling practice and provide reflective feedback for self and peers.


Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - be self-aware
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development


Prerequisites

None.

Corequisites

Must be enrolled in SCC401 Graduate Certificate in Counselling, SCG401 Graduate Diploma in Counselling or SCM401 Master of Counselling.

Incompatible units

None.

Equivalent units

None.

Assumed knowledge

None.
Availability for enrolment in 2026 is subject to change and may not be confirmed until closer to the teaching start date.
Year Location Teaching period Teaching start date Delivery mode Unit convener
2025 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 2 17 March 2025 Online self-paced Mr Jon Nielsen
2025 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 4 07 July 2025 Online self-paced Mr Jon Nielsen
2025 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 6 27 October 2025 Online self-paced Ms Zena Clarke
2026 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 2 16 March 2026 Online self-paced Mr Jon Nielsen
2026 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 4 06 July 2026 Online self-paced Mr Jon Nielsen
2026 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 6 26 October 2026 Online self-paced Ms Zena Clarke
The information provided should be used as a guide only. Timetables may not be finalised until week 2 of the teaching period and are subject to change. Search for the unit timetable.

Required texts

Geldard, D., Geldard, K., Yin Foo, R. (2022). Basic personal counselling: A training manual for counsellors. (9th ed.). Pearson/Prentice-Hall.

Please note that if you search on the library catalogue or databases for counselling references and articles, that there are two spellings to counselling. In Australia and in the UK, it is spelled as ‘counselling" with two ‘l's, whereas in the US it is spelt ‘counseling'. Take this into account in your literature searches. 

Some of the counselling journals sources available on the library database are:
Psychotherapy in Australia 
Counseling Today
Counseling and Values
Counselling and Psychotherapy Journal
European Journal of psychotherapy, counselling and health 
Australian Journal of guidance and counselling
Counselling and Psychotherapy Research
Counseling and Human Development
Counseling Psychologist
International Journal for the advancement of Counselling
Journal of Mental Health Counselling
In Session: Psychotherapy in Practice
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy Networker
Journal of multicultural counseling and development
Journal of Professional Counselling, practice, theory and research 
Journal of Family Studies 
Australian Social Work
Australian Psychologist 

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Artificial intelligence

Students are not permitted to use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in assessments for this unit, except for Studiosity Writing Feedback Plus.

GenAI may only be used in authorised ways when completing assessments at UC. This means that GenAI can only be used for an assessment when:

  1. the Unit Convener has authorised GenAI use for that assessment
  2. the student uses GenAI in the way that the assessment instructions allow
  3. the student fully acknowledges their use of GenAI, with proper citations, references and a GenAI Acknowledgement Statement in line with the assessment instructions.

Where the assessment instructions do not specifically state that GenAI may be used and how, then its use is not permitted for that assessment. Students must still provide the required GenAI Acknowledgement Statement to indicate whether GenAI has or has not been used in the preparation of the assessment. If unsure, students should seek advice from the Unit Convener.

The GenAI for Students Library Guide provides further information, including how to reference GenAI.

Assignments are graded. In order to pass this unit, all assignments must be submitted and an overall mark of 50% or more must be reached. 

Should the unit convenor approve an extension request, it is highly unorthodox that extensions will be granted for more than 5 days (RAP students included). It is important to realise that if an extension is approved and the assessment is submitted late, this will delay the marking process. This can result in an inability to commence following units and hinder your progress through your course. 

Resubmissions are not available in this unit

It is the student's responsibility to upload the correct and corresponding draft or assessment item to the right submission section. Assignments must be submitted in a format accessible to the assessor(s), as stated on the relevant canvas site. If the unit convener and/or tutor are unable to access a submission, a standard late penalty may be applied per day until the assignment is made accessible.

Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.

Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

UC students have to complete the Academic Integrity Module annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).

UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.

Learner engagement

..

Inclusion and engagement

.

Participation requirements

Important: Attendance at tutorials is essential in this course. Students will be able to attain and demonstrate the required learning outcomes in their assessments if they attend and fully participate in the tutorials. Recordings will be made available for those who are unable to attend the tutorial sessions, however, sections of the video may be removed from the recording if sensitive information have been disclosed. Experience from past years indicates that students who do not participate in tutorials have a risk of failing the unit.

Required IT skills

In order to engage in this unit, you are expected to have a reliable computer with the latest operating system. You will also need a reliable internet connection and the latest version of Google Chrome (preferred browser) to access UCLearn. You are expected to have access to Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel and PowerPoint (or equivalent). In some units, you will be required to download specific software applications to complete the unit content and assessment successfully.

In order to complete research, you will need to be able to search the library data bases for relevant journal articles. It is the individual student's responsibility to access appropriate help from the University IT services or the library if they do not have adequate skills.

In-unit costs

For more information regarding fees, please speak to your Student Advisor.

Work placement, internships or practicums

NONE

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