Course Coordinator:Catherine Creamer (ccreamer@usc.edu.au) School:School of Law and Society
UniSC Sunshine CoastUniSC Moreton Bay |
Blended learning | Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online. |
Please go to unisc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.
This course provides theoretical and skills-based competency with Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (CBT). You will study the history, theory, characteristics, and contemporary developments in this field. While introducing the research basis for CBT, this course focuses on the practical application of CBT skills in counselling, including assessment, case formulation, therapeutic techniques, and enhancing the therapeutic alliance. The recent inclusion of mindfulness-based strategies, values focus, and Positive Psychology will be introduced, within a pluralistic therapy practice.
| Activity | Hours | Beginning Week | Frequency |
| Blended learning | |||
| Learning materials – One hour-long engagement including formative quizzes, podcasts/webinars, screen casts, interviews, simulations, videos and recorded discussions. | 1hr | Week 1 | 10 times |
| Tutorial/Workshop 1 – On campus tutorial- 2 hours to encourage the application of skills and knowledge introduced in the online learning materials for the week, via class activities. | 2hrs | Week 1 | 10 times |
| Information session – Online Learning Activity, facilitated by tutor | 1hr | Refer to Format | 3 times |
The Therapeutic Relationship in CBT
Assessment and Case Formulation
Measurement in CBT
Cognitive Techniques
Working with Behavioural Experiments
Responding to Depression and Anxiety (adult themes)
200 Level (Developing)
12 units
| Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... | Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming... | |
| 1 | Explain and describe the theoretical background and evidence base to CBT. | Knowledgeable |
| 2 | Understand the background to mental health disorders and issues that may be ethically treated with CBT for the promotion of health and wellbeing for populations served by counsellors |
Knowledgeable Creative and critical thinker Ethical |
| 3 | Compare and contrast techniques and research related to the clinical application of CBT, and critically appraise the indications and contraindications for use of CBT in practice. |
Knowledgeable Creative and critical thinker Empowered |
| 4 | Implement client psychoeducation regarding the nature of CBT and ways to minimise symptoms. | Engaged |
| 5 | Examine the evidence base of CBT in treating different presenting issues, as well as its strengths and limitations in practice. |
Knowledgeable Creative and critical thinker Empowered |
| 6 | Demonstrate effective communication through written reports and oral presentations, complying with accepted APA 7th ed. guidelines. |
Knowledgeable Creative and critical thinker |
Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.
COU180 or SCS180
Not applicable
Not applicable
Not applicable
Not applicable
Standard Grading (GRD)
| High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL). |
Students will complete sample case conceptualisation forms and treatment plans in Week 4 to determine understanding of constructs.
| Delivery mode | Task No. | Assessment Product | Individual or Group | Weighting % | What is the duration / length? | When should I submit? | Where should I submit it? |
| All | 1 | Activity Participation | Individual | 10% | Course duration |
Throughout teaching period (refer to Format) | In Class |
| All | 2 | Quiz/zes | Individual | 10% | 1 hour |
Week 4 | Online Submission |
| All | 3 | Literature Review (or component) | Individual | 40% | 1800 words |
Week 6 | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
| All | 4 | Journal | Individual | 40% | 1500 words |
Week 12 | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
| All - Assessment Task 1:Participation | |||||||
| Goal: | For students to demonstrate their emerging professional disposition for ethical practice. |
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| Product: | Activity Participation | ||||||
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| Format: | Student participation and engagement will be assessed across course tutorials. |
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| All - Assessment Task 2:Pre-Assessment Modules | ||||||||||
| Goal: | All students are required to complete the Pre-Assessment module by Week 4. Completing your modules before your first assessment will help you better understand CBT terms and constructs, and set you up for success in your studies so you can apply the learnings throughout the trimester. |
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| Product: | Quiz/zes | |||||||||
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| Format: | Online learning module and quiz |
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| All - Assessment Task 3:Literature Review | ||||||||||||||||
| Goal: | Through development of literature research skills, you will become familiar with the evidence base for current use of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy |
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| Product: | Literature Review (or component) | |||||||||||||||
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| Format: | You will submit a typed response of approximately 1,800 words, in APA format, using academic writing skills. The assignment will be a summary of the literature on research and outcomes for certain client populations for whom CBT is, or is not, indicated as an effective therapeutic tool. (Further details will be provided on Canvas) |
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| All - Assessment Task 4:Critical Reflective Journal Entries | ||||||||||
| Goal: | Using accepted reflective models, students critically reflect on their role play practice that occured during weeks 9-12, examining own strengths and areas for needed improvement. Students critically reflect on their role play practice using supplied templates modelling a known experiential learning model. |
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| Product: | Journal | |||||||||
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| Format: | See online class space |
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A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.
Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.
You need regular access to the resource(s) below. Many texts are available as ebooks through the Library at no additional cost.
| Required? | Author | Year | Title | Edition | Publisher |
| Required | Helen Kennerley,Joan Kirk,David Westbrook | 2016 | An Introduction to Cognitive Behaviour Therapy | 3 | Sage Publications Limited |
Not applicable
Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.
Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.
In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.
Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment
Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:
(a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%; and
(b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale
Late submissions may be penalised up to and including the following maximum percentage of the assessment task’s identified value, with weekdays and weekends included in the calculation of days late:
(a) One day: deduct 5%;
(b) Two days: deduct 10%;
(c) Three days: deduct 20%;
(d) Four days: deduct 40%;
(e) Five days: deduct 60%;
(f) Six days: deduct 80%;
(g) Seven days: A result of zero is awarded for the assessment task.
The following penalties will apply for a late submission for an online examination:
Less than 15 minutes: No penalty
From 15 minutes to 30 minutes: 20% penalty
More than 30 minutes: 100% penalty
For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:
For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching
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