Pre-requisites

None.

Co-requisites

None.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, the student will be able to:

• Analyse the philosophical assumptions underlying traditional counseling theories and practices with consideration of relevant Christian thought

• Analyse traditional theories and schools of counselling in light of development of counselling skills

• Compare and contrast different traditional approaches to counselling from theoretical and theological perspectives and evaluate each as an emerging counsellor

• Recognise and describe your personal value system

Unit Description

This introductory unit allows traditional theories of counselling and their subsequent developments to be considered both theoretically and in their application. Areas of of confluence and divergence are considered, clarified, compared and contrasted. The unit surveys and examines, compares and contrasts the major theorists from the psychodynamic and humanist traditions of psychology with special reference to philosophical and applied influences on the counselling profession. Theological worldview issues are considered with a view to preparing students to develop their own personal philosophy of an integrated perspective.

Topics

1. Brief history of psychotherapy
2. Psychoanalysis: the beginnings of therapy
3. Psychodynamic therapies
4. Behavioural therapies
5. Cognitive therapies
6. Cognitive Behavioural Therapies, including Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy
7. Humanistic client-centred therapies, including Gastalt & Existential therapy
8. Family therapy and Open Dialogue therapy
9. Relationship and couples counselling
10. Positive Psychology and building resilience in schools
11. Post-Modern therapies, including Mindfulness and Narrative Therapy
12. Brief therapies, including motivational therapy and solution-focused therapy

Teaching Strategies

Teaching strategies include: lectures and tutorials; weekend schools; class discussions; role plays and practice of skills within class; presentation of instructional material in the form of printed documentation, DVD, video and audio tape and online interaction.

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Unit offerings

Face to face: Semester 2, 2025 and Semester 2, 2026 (Every Year, Semester 2)

Please note

The Unit Offerings listed above are a guide only and the timetable for any year is the final authority. The College may vary offerings based on demand, regulatory requirements, continual improvement processes or other conditions.

This unit may be available in different modes of delivery i.e. online and face-to-face as listed above. The unit content will not differ between these modes of delivery. There will possibly be a difference in the schedule and/or the prescribed assessment tasks, however both will cover and assess the same content.