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Overview

Curriculum for this module is divided into Research and Professional Practice.

Professional Practice: You will complete 50hrs of professional practice. This could include counselling, mentoring, support work, administrative work, producing resources, organizing a conference, etc. This work must be completed within the context of a helping organization (e.g., mental health support service, counselling service, guidance service, etc). You do not need to be signed off for counselling practice to complete this work, as it will not involve counselling with vulnerable clients. You also do not need to complete a specific contract for this work. However, you must confirm the suitability of the practice with your tutor before starting the work. Your tutor will then advise you on whether further contracts or risk assessments are needed. As part of your 50hrs of professional practice, you will complete training in coaching and mentoring to work for 10-20hrs as a mentor for a first-year counselling student in the second semester. You must also assume the role of client for at least two sessions with trainee. To support your professional practice, you will attend regular PPD groups throughout the semesters and you will need to show active engagement in all these sessions over the year.

Research: You will complete a research project addressing a therapeutic question. This project may be conducted in your research group, but the final dissertation and presentation must be written independently. Your research will consist of an experimental study, systematic review, or systematic case study. To support your research, you will attend regular research workshops, and these will provide guidance through the dissertation writing process.

Please note the following indicative content for the 2023-2024 syllabus (subject to change depending on situational factors and assessed student need):

Professional Coaching and Mentoring in Counselling Employability Workshop

PPD+: Reflection and Storytime

Practice Review: Mid-Placement Practice Assessment 3 Professional Competencies Reflective Journal Administration and File Management Supervision and Self-Care Progress Report End of Placement Practice Assessment 4 Work-Based Learning Practice Evidence Portfolio Professional Competencies Assessment Reflective Journal Assessment Progress Update Extension Request Process Practice Evidence Portfolio

Research Workshop: Testing Review Testing Update Dissertation Review Introduction Review Draft Introduction Method Review Draft Method Research Conference Data Analysis Results Review Draft Results Discussion Review Draft Discussion Dissertation Overview Dissertation Final Review Presentations Future Planning

Research Conference

In addition to the above classes, please note the following open office drop-in sessions for research and practice support: • Weeks 1-5 and 7-12 each semester Mondays 5-6 Wheldon Counselling Office • Weeks 1-14 each semester Wednesdays 9-12 TEAMS

Assessment Strategy

The assessment criteria for this module are as follows:

Excellent (A*, A+, A, A-) • Engagement with professional practice demonstrating competency, profesionalism, team-work, and initiative • Insightful empirical research into counselling and psychotherapy practice • Safe reflective practice to enhance and develop skills • Comprehensive knowledge of counselling • Detailed understanding with no factual errors • Critical analysis showing evaluation and synthesis of ideas • Novel and innovative originality in approach, interpretation, and voice • Extensive and comprehensive independent research • Logically defended arguments with evidence for all claims • Highly focused and well structured • Excellent presentation with accurate and appropriate expression • Correct format in appropriate referencing style

Good (B+, B, B-) • Engagement with professional practice demonstrating competency, profesionalism, team-work, and initiative • Considered empirical research into counselling and psychotherapy practice • Safe reflective practice to develop skills • Strong knowledge of counselling • Clear understanding and mostly free of factual errors • Some analysis showing critical evaluation and links between ideas • Novel originality in approach, interpretation, and/or voice • Comprehensive independent research from appropriate sources • Coherent arguments with evidence for most claims • Focused and well structured • Good presentation with accurate and appropriate expression • Mostly correct format in appropriate referencing style

Threshold (C+, C, C-) • Engagement with professional practice demonstrating competency, profesionalism, team-work, and initiative • Basic empirical research into counselling and psychotherapy practice • Safe reflective practice identifying skills • Some knowledge of counselling • Understanding of the main concepts with no major factual errors • Basic analysis showing obvious points of evaluation and links between ideas • Some originality in approach, interpretation, and/or voice for part of the work • Some evidence of independent research from appropriate sources • Arguments presented with evidence for the most important claims • Readable structure showing focus at times • Acceptable presentation with appropriate expression • Attempt at correct format in appropriate referencing style with no major errors

If you do not meet the threshold then your work will be graded as a Fail. Fail grades vary from Poor (D+, D, D-, E+, E, E-) to Very Poor (F).

Learning Outcomes

• Critically self-reflect drawing on current research in counselling to understand the applications of own skills in professional practice within a helping profession.

• Demonstrate competency, professionalism, team-work, and initiative through professional practice in a helping profession.

• Disseminate the findings of a substantial empirical research project, systematic review, or systematic case study to provide a general audience with applied knowledge.

• Hold a systematic understanding and critical awareness of current research in counselling/psychotherapy to critically discuss and analyse complex concepts independently and with originality.

• Successfully conduct and report a substantial empirical research project, systematic review, or systematic case study using appropriate methodology and informed by wide current understandings in the discipline.