Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE COU5135

 
TITLE Introducing Counselling Skills

 
UM LEVEL 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course

 
MQF LEVEL 7

 
ECTS CREDITS 5

 
DEPARTMENT Counselling

 
DESCRIPTION This study-unit aims to provide trainee counsellors with an understanding of the counselling process by helping them to develop essential interviewing and counselling skills, intervention skills, conceptualisation skills, and cultural awareness.

At the conclusion of this study-unit trainee counsellors will have developed a repertoire of essential counselling skills necessary to commence specialised supervised training placements (practica) in counselling settings. This study-unit will include 50 hours of practicum.

Part 1:

The first part of the study-unit fosters the introduction of counselling skills through a combination of didactic instruction and role-plays (including required videotaped role-plays). Focus is mainly be on establishing maintaining and evaluating a therapeutic relationship. Students will also be able to learn how to conceptualise and assess client needs. Specific skills include assessment, listening, and formulation of questions, empathic responses, immediacy challenging, advanced empathy moving the interview forward, goal setting and planning for change. Individual attention on skills acquisition is given. Contracting will also be addressed.

Part 2:

Students will observe practical virtual and/or real situations (50 hours) so as to familiarise themselves with the various services and gain hands-on experiences. Students will also have sessions in small groups to discuss, process and analyse the diverse issues that might impinge on their work as counsellors. This practical part of the study unit also includes supervision. Students’ observation and reflective skills will be assessed. These 50 hours form part of the mandatory 600 hours of practice.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Identify personal values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviours that can impact the counselling process, especially in diverse contexts, with clients from diverse cultural backgrounds, and in relation to various counselling concerns;
- Conceptualise the counselling process;

2. Skills:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Demonstrate essential counselling skills to initiate the counselling process;
- Apply the three-step process of counselling;
- Use counselling skills to assess client needs;
- Evaluate personal strengths, areas of growth, values, and biases that have an impact on the counselling process;
- Conduct their first counselling sessions through role play;
- Utilise supervision in preparation for Practicum.

Required Text:

- Cormier, S., Nurius, P. S., & Osborn, C. J. (2013). Interviewing and Change Strategies for Helpers, (7th ed.) Brooks/Cole, Belmont, CA, USA.

Recommended Texts:

- Teyber, E., & McClure, F. H. (2011). Interpersonal Process in Therapy: An Integrative Model. (6th Ed.) Brooks/Cole Belmont, CA, USA.
- Teyber, E., & McClure, F. H. (2011). Interpersonal Process in Therapy: An Integrative Model – Student Workbook (6th Ed.) Brooks/Cole Belmont, CA, USA.
- Kottler, J. A. (2010). On Being a Therapist. (4th Ed.) Jossey-Bass, San Francisci, CA, USA.
- Germer, C. K.. Siegel, R. D., & Fulton, P. R. (2005). Mindfulness and Psychotherapy. The Guilford Press, New York, NY, USA.
- Boylan, J. C., & Scott, J. (2009). Practicum and Internship: Textbook and Resource Guide for Counseling and Psychotherapy, Taylor & Francis, New York, NY, USA.

Additional readings will be assigned at the discretion of the lecturer.

 
ADDITIONAL NOTES Students are expected to attend all the lectures and prepare themselves by completing assigned readings prior to the respective lecture.

Due to the nature of this study-unit and the profile of a counsellor, students must obtain a pass in each assessment component for an overall pass mark to be awarded.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture and Placement

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Logbook [See Add. Notes] No 25%
Assignment [See Add. Notes] Yes 35%
Oral Examination [See Add. Notes] (30 Minutes) Yes 40%

 
LECTURER/S Jessica Bertolani
Niamh Donoghue

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit