Counselling Skills and Models PG (7743.5)

Please note these are the 2026 details for this unit
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Counselling Skills and Models PG
Available teaching periods Delivery mode Location
View teaching periods On-campus
 Bruce, Canberra
EFTSL Credit points Faculty
0.125 3 Faculty Of Health
Discipline Study level HECS Bands
Discipline Of Counselling Post 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 provides students with an opportunity to further develop their counselling skills in an interactive and supportive learning environment with feedback from staff and other students. The interrelationships between counselling theories and models and skills are explored. The unit will also focus on the research on counselling outcomes and effective change processes. Experiential exercises and use of video equipment to review practice are integrated within the unit.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate competence in a range of counselling skills, including: a. assessment, b. collaborative goal setting, c. reflective listening, d. empathy, e. range of change interventions and f. evaluation and termination of the counselling relationship; and
2. Critically appraise their own and other students' counselling practice and articulate the theory base for the use of interventions.


Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. UC graduates are professional - work collaboratively as part of a team, negotiate, and resolve conflict
2. UC graduates are global citizens - understand issues in their profession from the perspective of other cultures
2. UC graduates are global citizens - communicate effectively in diverse cultural and social settings
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

This unit is only available to students in the Graduate Diploma in Counselling, Master of Counselling or Master of Occupational Therapy.

Corequisites

None.

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 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 28 July 2025 On-campus Dr Rana Tayara
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 10 August 2026 On-campus Dr Rana Tayara
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

Prescribed Text:

Geldard, D., Geldard, K. & Yin Foo, R. (2022). Basic personal counselling: A training manual for counsellors. (9th ed.).  Cengage Learning.

 

Recommended Reading

 Crago, H., & Gardner, P. (2012). A safe place for change: Skills and capacities for counselling and therapy.  IP Communications.

Supplementary Reading

Additional readings which are required pre-reading for classes as indicated in the table above will be available on UCLearn

Additional Resources

Some of the relevant journals available online through the library catalogue are:

 

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

 

All assessments are marked on a competency basis i.e. Ungraded Pass/Fail grade. However, all assignments should meet the university's expectations of postgraduate students. To achieve  an overall pass for the unit, students must submit and pass all assignments. 
 

Special assessment requirements

 Moderation of Assignments:

Assessments will be moderated, as per the Faculties's Moderation Procedures.

There are no resubmissions available in this unit 

Supplementary assessment

 

Supplementary assessments are not available in this unit

                      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

              

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.

Participation requirements

The Graduate Diploma in Counselling has been designed to meet Psychotherapy in Australia (PACFA) accreditation requirements, which include 200 hours face to face learning. This translates to at least an 80% attendance in each unit. It is to your advantage personally, professionally and academically to attend all sessions unless prevented by illness or other     unforeseen situations. In these circumstances students should notify the lecturer in advance where possible.  It is also strongly suggested that you negotiate ways of meeting the learning objectives of missed sessions with your unit convenor and if required, submit supplementary assessments. 

Required IT skills

You must be able to word process assessments so that they are well presented, search the library data bases for relevant journal articles and access UCLearn site for this unit. It is the individual student's responsibility to access appropriate help from the University IT services or the library if  you do not have adequate skills.

Work placement, internships or practicums

N/A

Additional information

APA referencing format is required in this unit. You will find some important information about referencing on the following website: APA 7th ed. - UC Referencing Guide - UC Library Guides at University of Canberra (libguides.com)

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