| Effective Term: | 2026/20 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Health and Wellbeing |
| Unit Title: | Skills for Practice |
| Unit ID: | PSYCP6012 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | Nil |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | (PSYCP4105) |
| ASCED: | 090701 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
Students will consider the importance of the therapeutic relationship and will gain a thorough understanding of techniques designed to build trust between client and helper. Students will learn and demonstrate counselling and interviewing skills. Students will reflect on the impact of their own culture, values, beliefs, and biases and develop skills in reflective and reflexive practice. Consideration will also be given to psychological intervention strategies that support change in clients, and that can be applied across diverse client groups. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: | |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | | | | | Intermediate | | | | | | | | Advanced | | | | | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Critically evaluate key factors influencing the helping and change processes |
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| K2. | Explain how the therapeutic relationship facilitates progress and outcomes |
|
| Skills: |
| S1. | Identify interpersonal communication skills including interviewing and foundational counselling skills for psychological practice |
|
| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Demonstrate proficiency in interpersonal communication and interviewing skills (e.g., active listening, summarising) to build rapport and respond empathetically and responsibly to clients |
|
| A2. | Demonstrate well-developed reflective practice skills and sound judgement to evaluate and enhance competency |
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| Other outcomes: |
| Unit Content: |
Topics may include:
1. The therapeutic relationship
2. Reflective practice techniques
3. Psychological intervention strategies
4. Strategies to support clients
5. Basic interpersonal and counselling skills |
| Graduate Attributes: |
| Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.
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| FED TASK and descriptor | Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit | | Level | FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal | Students at this level will demonstrate an advanced ability in a range of contexts to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display high level skills in-person and/or online in: • Using and demonstrating a high level of verbal and non-verbal communication • Demonstrating a mastery of listening for meaning and influencing via active listening • Demonstrating and showing empathy for others • High order skills in negotiating and conflict resolution skills\\ • Demonstrating mastery of working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams. | Y - Present | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery in professional skills and behaviours in leading others. • Creating and sustaining a collegial environment • Demonstrating a high level of self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect and justify decisions • Inspiring and initiating opportunities to lead others • Making informed professional decisions • Demonstrating initiative in new professional situations. | Y - Present | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students at this level will demonstrate high level skills in working in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically to generate and consider complex ideas and concepts at an abstract level • Analysing complex and abstract ideas, concepts and information • Communicate alternative perspectives to justify complex ideas • Demonstrate a mastery of challenging conventional thinking to clarify complex concepts • Forming creative solutions in problem solving to new situations for further learning. | Y - Present | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students at this level will demonstrate the ability to work competently across a wide range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in: • Mastering, exploring, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information professionally • Collating, managing complex data, accessing and using digital data securely • Receiving and responding professionally to messages in a range of professional digital media • Contributing competently and professionally to digital teams and working groups • Participating at a high level in digital learning opportunities. | Y - Present | FEDTASK 5
sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery of considering and assessing the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting professional ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in: • Demonstrate informed judgment making that considers the impact of devising complex solutions in ambiguous global economic environmental and societal contexts • Professionally committing to the promulgation of social responsibility • Demonstrate the ability to evaluate ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses • Communicating lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to the diverse professional others • Generating, leading and implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life | Y - Present |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | Professional Standards |
| 1. |
K1, K2, S1, A1, A2 |
Demonstration of knowledge of interviewing and counselling skills applied to a specific client situation. |
Video analysis |
10 - 30% |
|
| 2. |
K1, K2, A2 |
Demonstration of the ability to reflect on own practice, actions, preferences, motivations, strengths, and weaknesses. |
Reflective journal |
5 - 15% |
|
| 3. |
S1, A1, A2 |
Demonstration of basic counselling and interviewing skills |
Skill demonstration |
30 - 50% |
|
| 4. |
K1, K2, S1 |
Mastery of unit content: Demonstrate knowledge of basic psychological intervention strategies across a range of contexts. |
Test(s) |
20 - 40% |
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