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Course Outline

COU304 Counselling Placement and Development 2

Course Coordinator:Kelly Thomson (kthomson1@usc.edu.au) School:School of Law and Society

2026Trimester 2

UniSC Sunshine Coast

UniSC 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.

What is this course about?

Description

This course extends on the personal exploration of counselling values, theories, knowledge and skills and their integration into further practice in a safe, supportive and supervised setting, which will include clinical practice supervision. In preparation for practice, you will identify and develop further skills appropriate to core theoretical approaches in counselling and supervision to enable you to describe, analyse and utilise these skills on placement. Counselling methods continue to be experienced, knowledge and theories continue to be applied, and further skills developed. This course has a focus on assuring your skills as a reflective practitioner.

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Blended learning
Tutorial/Workshop 2 – Mandatory pre-placement workshop to attend prior to trimester commencing 3hrs Pre-trimester/session Once Only
Placement – Accumulate 250 hours, including 20 client contact hours supported by clinical supervision 250hrs Throughout teaching period (refer to Format) Once Only
Learning materials – 1 hour online asynchronous learning activities design to delivery curricula for the week, including recorded lectures, videos, websites, interactive activities', and online discussions. 1hr Week 1 11 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – weekly 2 hour on campus tutorial designed to consolidate learning and provide opportunity for group to critically discuss ethical dilemmas they are having to consider in current placement. 2hrs Week 1 11 times

Course Topics

Counselling topics relevant to direct clinical practice and for incorporation into counselling placement agency settings to enhance development as an emerging counsellor, demonstrating cultural competence, awareness of common counselling client presentations, application of evidence-based practice, risk assessment competency and development of a professional practice framework.

What level is this course?

300 Level (Graduate)

Demonstrating coherence and breadth or depth of knowledge and skills. Independent application of knowledge and skills in unfamiliar contexts. Meeting professional requirements and AQF descriptors for the degree. May require pre-requisites where discipline specific introductory or developing knowledge or skills is necessary. Normally undertaken in the third or fourth full-time study year of an undergraduate program.

What is the unit value of this course?

24 units

How does this course contribute to my learning?

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 Extend on beginning skills in developing a critically reflective practice by reflecting on skills learnt as a result of the 2 x practicums that were outside of the curriculum Knowledgeable
Creative and critical thinker
2 Recognise principles and competencies required in supervision practices. Assess and identify ways of building a strong supervisee/supervisor relationship in a second setting, as well as building strong relationships with existing and new colleagues in the second agency as well as on campus. Empowered
Sustainability-focussed
3 Describe the professional, ethical and legal issues in practice and of your own ethical behaviour, within the setting of your second agency, including the continuing importance of self care Ethical
4 Continue to apply the values and ethical principles of counselling according to UniSC Student Code of Conduct, Student Placement Agreement and ACA and PACFA Codes of Ethics, always acting in a professional manner. Ethical
5 Demonstrate respect and valuing others with an advanced understanding of and sensitivity towards the issue of cultural diversity, gender and disability. Ethical
Sustainability-focussed
6 Demonstrate graduate level academic reflective skills in oral and written format, and compliance with accepted APA 7th ed. conventions Sustainability-focussed

Am I eligible to enrol in this course?

Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.

Pre-requisites

COU303 OR (COU361 and COU363)

Co-requisites

Not applicable

Anti-requisites

COU362 and COU364

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

Not applicable

Microcredential Information

Not applicable

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Limited Grading (PNP)

Pass (PU), Fail (UF). All assessment tasks are required to be passed for successful completion of the course.

Details of early feedback on progress

Timely and detailed feedback is provided for each assessment. Feedback is provided both within text and general comments to build scholarly skills. Students are able to seek feedback through face-to-face discussion with the course coordinator. Tutorials will include extended discussion and review of the assessment task requirements and scope.

Assessment tasks

Delivery mode Task No. Assessment Product Individual or Group What is the duration / length? When should I submit? Where should I submit it?
All 1 Activity Participation Individual 
250 placement hours
 Refer to Format SONIA
All 2 Activity Participation Individual 
Recorded narrated PowerPoint - 15 minutes
PowerPoint presentation slides - 1,200 words, not including references
 Week 10 Online Submission
All 3 Essay Individual 
1800 words
 Refer to Format Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All - Assessment Task 1:Placement Portfolio
Goal: 
Undertake 250 verifiable hours of professional practice in a human services agency, including stated hours of direct client contact, complying with codes of ethics and conduct, articulate a typical client case using accepted case conceptualisation model (e.g 5Ps) with Clinical Supervisor. A breach of Code of Conduct will result in a fail grade for this Course.
Product: Activity Participation
Authorship Statement:
Format: 
Your 250 hours to be recorded on the Activities Log in SONIA and approved by your agency Supervisor. 
Your MID trimester Learning Agreement (Week 4-6) 
Your FINAL trimester Learning Agreement week 10-12). 
Internship Assessment Report (week 10-12). Written copy of case conceptualisation presented to Clinical Supervisor.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Behaviour that is in accordance with the professional associations code of ethics and conduct; UniSC Student code of conduct; and the agency's own code of conduct
 4 5
2 
MID trimester learning agreement is signed off by agency supervisor and field education officer
 4 5
3 
END trimester learning agreement is signed off by agency supervisor and field education officer
 4 5
4 
Internship Assessment Report completed and indicates competencies and values have been acceptable.
 4 5
5 
Written copy of the case conceptualisation, presented to clinical supervisor, is included.
 1 5
6 
A minimum of 250 hours has been logged in Sonia, and signed off by the agency supervisor
 2
Generic Skills: 
Communication, Collaboration
All - Assessment Task 2:Recorded Narrated PowerPoint Presentation
Goal: 
Choose 1 counselling modality you are applying in your direct client work during placement. Identify the theoretical philosophy and how this aligns with your counselling values and beliefs.
Create a narrated PowerPoint Slide Show (recommendation approximately 12 slides) focusing on one preferred counselling modality. Discuss the following:
- Why you are drawn to this approach;
- What positioning is it connected to and how does that connect to your values and beliefs;
- Demonstrate intervention/session planning through presenting issue and counselling approach techniques supported by research;
- How would you adjust this approach to ensure its application responds to client diversity and cultural considerations;
- What does literature say that supports your viewpoint.
Product: Activity Participation
Authorship Statement:
Format: 
Recorded narrated PowerPoint will be submitted online via Canvas. The narrated powerpoint will include the cameo feature so the student can be seen and heard within this assessment.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Competently demonstrate knowledge and understanding of counselling theory and approaches to inform direct client practice.
 1 5
2 
Demonstrate clarity of the relationship of ethics, diversity and cultural competence to the practice setting.
 2 3 5
3 
Apply counselling values and ethics in accordance with relevant policies and procedures and the principles and role of supervision
 2 4
4 
Demonstrate graduate level presentation skills, evidencing critical reflection skills in written and oral format.
 1 6
Generic Skills: 
Communication, Collaboration, Information literacy
All - Assessment Task 3:Professional Practice Framework Essay
Goal: 
Describe your emerging professional practice framework.
As an emerging counsellor you will be able to describe your professional practice framework in relation to your aligned counselling attributes, skills and theoretical approaches in your direct client work.
You will also be able to articulate how your described professional practice framework meets client diversity, applied across cultures, disability, and individualised client needs.
Product: Essay
Authorship Statement:
Format: 
Submit week 16

Write a 1800-word reflective essay describing your professional practice framework and considerations for its application. Acknowledgement of the emerging practice framework, and further professional development and growth, and development explored for future practice.

Part A: A statement describing your professional practice framework.
Part B: How it meets cultural and diverse needs and responds to ethical considerations.
Part C: Ongoing professional development and emerging practice framework and scope of practice with client cohort/presenting issue of choice.

Assessment will be prepared within Cadmus, and submitted online via plagiarism checkers.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Apply the values and ethical principles of counselling according to ACA and PACFA Codes of Ethics, always practicing in a professional and culturally competent manner
 4 5
2 
Describe the professional, ethical and legal issues in practice applied to your chosen client cohort and service delivery
 3
3 
Apply relevant ethical principles and legislation affecting the conduct and behaviour of professional counsellors and service delivery
 4
4 
Demonstrate a broad knowledge of your client cohort and appropriately plan for service design to meet client requirements
 3 5
Generic Skills: 
Communication, Problem solving

Directed study hours

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.

What resources do I need to undertake this course?

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.

Prescribed text(s) or course reader

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
Recommended Nathan Beel 2025 The Australian Counselling Placement Companion n/a Edge Publishing

Specific requirements

You will accumulate 30 hours of direct client contact and 9 hours of clinical supervision, within 250 agency placement relevant hours, as per the professional association training standards.

How are risks managed in this course?

Risk assessments have been performed for all field activities and a low level of health and safety risk exists. Some risks concerns may include working in an unknown environment as well as slip and trip hazards. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the health and safety risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.

What administrative information is relevant to this course?

Assessment: Academic Integrity

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.

Assessment: Additional Requirements

This course will be graded as Pass in a Limited Grade Course (PU) or Fail in a Limited Grade Course (UF) as per clause 5.1.1.3 and 5.1.1.4 of the Grades and Grade Point Average (GPA) - Academic Policy.

In a course eligible to use Limited Grades, all assessment items in that course are marked on a Pass/Fail basis and all assessment tasks are required to be passed for a student to successfully complete the course. Supplementary assessment is not available in courses using Limited Grades.

Assessment: Submission penalties

You must contact your Course Coordinator and provide the required documentation if you require an extension or alternate assessment.

Refer to the Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs – Procedures.

Links to relevant University policy and procedures

For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:

  • Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
  • Review of Assessment and Final Grades
  • Supplementary Assessment
  • Central Examinations
  • Deferred Examinations
  • Student Conduct
  • Students with a Disability

For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching

Student Charter

UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.

General Enquiries

For course-specific questions, contact your teaching staff or Course Coordinator.  

For other enquiries or to access support, please contact Student Central: 

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