Pre-requisites

CN9100 Counselling Frameworks and Evidence in Practice

Co-requisites

CN9500 Practices in Narrative Therapy

Learning Outcomes

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

• Theoretically and theologically evaluate the influence of dominant social-historical contexts and assumptions underlying approaches to counselling, psychology and mental health issues as well as their own theory and practices

• Analyse the values, principles and conceptual lenses that have given rise to diverse conceptions of liberation and wellbeing and evaluate cultural and therapeutic responses to these perspectives

• Critically reflect on own responses to oppression and diverse conceptions of liberation and wellbeing from the perspective of Christian theology

• Identify and defend responses to imminent issues of oppression and wellbeing in own community context especially issues relating to indigenous people and minorities

Unit Description

Oppression, Liberation and Wellbeing is an elective unit designed as part of a stream for second year students who want to go deeper with Narrative Therapy in particular and a socially just approach to counselling more generally. It commences with an investigation into the philosophical and cultural assumptions that support traditional views of individual mental health and counselling and critiques these approaches theologically and philosophically. In order to provide adequate foundations for thinking more deeply about the psychological and social contexts of counselling, the unit explores the language of oppression and liberation including the psychological, political and theological.

The values, conceptual lenses and assumptions of liberation and wellbeing are developed as being appropriate for an emerging Narrative counselling model. Fundamental to the theory and practice of Narrative Therapy is the recognition of significant social injustice. The meaning of a range of concepts such as power, solidarity, collaboration, accountability and partnering are explored and evaluated in the context of personal, relational and social wellbeing with a focus on eco-systemic thinking. Specific counselling issues or “problems” are investigated at different levels of conceptualisation and the unit unpacks assumptions that inform understanding, theory and practice in counselling. These include:

1. Collective wellbeing, social justice, colonialism, liberation, ecological change, transformation and advocacy (liberation theology; liberation psychology),
2. Appreciating cultural diversity (multiculturalism, community empowerment and postmodern thinking),
3. Organisational wellbeing, organisational culture and partnerships,
4. Relational wellbeing, groups, support networks and collaboration, partnerships,
5. Personal wellbeing, the role of Narrative Therapy and other approaches in promoting wellness, mental health and wellbeing.

Topics

1. Historical contexts and personal values
2. Challenges to defining, conceptualising and understanding well-being
3. Indigenous people’s cultures
4. Refugees seeking asylum facing trauma
5. Personal and theological challenges
6. Personal challenges to be the change
7. Collaboration with client challenges in mental health
8. Well-being perspectives
9. Personal, organisational and collective well-being and interpersonal communication
10. Working with community organisations
11. Community responsibility challenges
12. Evaluation

Assessment and Indicative Load

Assessment types include Book Review, Major Essay, Journal, and Attendance. Indicative study load is 320 hours.

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Unit offerings

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.