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Course Outline

COU702 Professional Development 1: Clinical Practice

Course Coordinator:Catherine Creamer (ccreamer@usc.edu.au) School:School of Law and Society

2026Trimester 1

UniSC Sunshine Coast

 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 is an experiential course that facilitates your clinical knowledge and skills with a focus on counselling. The course prepares and enhances your competency for working in counselling workplaces and practice settings. The dimensions of clinical competency will be addressed within the context of your internship, professional practice framework and personal self-reflection activities. Appreciation of the use of self and self-care within counselling will be examined, drawing on holistic perspectives in order to further personal and professional development.

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Blended learning
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – On campus workshop - 3 hours 3hrs Week 1 11 times

Course Topics

  • Case conceptualisation; 
  • Therapeutic Planning;
  • Record keeping;
  • Becoming a Skilled Supervisee;
  • Therapeutic Presence and Self Care;
  • Attachment Theory;
  • Cross cultural patterns of attachment;
  • Counselling for diversity;
  • Counselling the older adult;
  • Domestic violence and intimate partner violence;
  • Suicidal ideation, suicidality, NSSI;
  • Online counselling;
  • Benefits of Professional Association Membership

Mature Content

Adult themes

What level is this course?

700 Level (Specialised)

Demonstrating a specialised body of knowledge and set of skills for professional practice or further learning. Advanced application of knowledge and skills in unfamiliar contexts.

What is the unit value of this course?

12 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 Acquire a body of knowledge and skills that will extend your understanding of the counselling profession and in particular the recent developments in counselling practice both nationally and internationally/ Knowledgeable
Creative and critical thinker
2 Apply communication skills to present a clear and coherent and independent exposition of counselling knowledge and skills to groups within the community. Knowledgeable
Engaged
3 Continue to be committed to on-going personal and professional development enriched by diverse cultural knowledge. Creative and critical thinker
Ethical
Engaged
4 Acquire technical knowledge and professional skills to discern and evaluate your counselling practice with clients and to innovatively develop creative initiatives that match the needs of clients. Knowledgeable
Creative and critical thinker
Empowered
Ethical
Engaged
5 Apply the values and ethical principles of Counselling according to the USC Student Code of Conduct, ACA and PACFA Code of Ethics and acting in a professional manner. Ethical
6 Evidence of ability to reflect on experience of practice and provide a descriptive evaluation of professional skills acquired, tested and practiced. Creative and critical thinker
Ethical
Engaged

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

COU701 and COU750 and COU781 and enrolled in Program AR708

Co-requisites

Not applicable

Anti-requisites

Not applicable

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

Not applicable

Microcredential Information

Not applicable

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Standard Grading (GRD)

High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL).

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 Weighting % What is the duration / length? When should I submit? Where should I submit it?
All 1 Case Study Individual 0% 
300 - 500 words
 Week 4 Online Submission
All 2 Oral and Written Piece Individual 30% 
20 minutes plus 10 minute class discussion
 Week 7 In Class
All 3 Practical / Laboratory Skills Group 30% 
20-30 minute session, plus 10 minutes reflecting team feedback
 Week 10 In Class
All 4 Essay Individual 40% 
1500 words
 Week 12 Online Submission
All - Assessment Task 1:CASE CONCEPTUALISATION
Goal: 
This task requires you to use a case study to prepare a brief case conceptualisation and records that could be used in an agency setting to record the salient points of a counselling case.
Product: Case Study
Authorship Statement:
Format: 
Case Study report
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Using the presented case study, you are required to write up a case conceptualisation and accompanying clinical notes in a way that is consistent with ethical practice in the field of counselling.
 2 4 5
Generic Skills: 
Communication, Problem solving, Organisation, Applying technologies
All - Assessment Task 2:Presentation to Class
Goal: 
A presentation to classmates on a topic relevant to counselling
Product: Oral and Written Piece
Authorship Statement:
Format: 
Submit: Weeks 7-12. 

Choose a topic that is covered in the course and present your understanding of its implication for your practice or professional development. Design a PowerPoint presentation which you can talk to for 20 minutes allowing a further 10 minutes for class discussion.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Ability to apply communication skills
 1 2 3
2 
Application of learning to practice
 1 2 5
3 
Present clear coherent exposition of your knowledge
 1 4
4 
Clarity of presentation that demonstrates capacity to communicate clearly, indicates understanding and acquisition of knowledge of contemporary application and development of counselling.
 1 3 4
Generic Skills: 
Communication, Collaboration, Organisation, Information literacy
All - Assessment Task 3:Live Therapeutic Skills Demonstration
Goal: 
You will demonstrate counselling skills using a client scenario based on case related issues in your internship or other agreed case scenario and receive formative feedback
Product: Practical / Laboratory Skills
Authorship Statement:
Format: 
Submit: Weeks 10-12. 

In class dyad demonstration, followed by a reflecting team feedback from class members
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Addressing interpersonal skills checklist provided by Course Coordinator utilised in therapeutic skills demonstration.
 1 3 4 5
2 
Demonstrate capacity and ability to engage a 'client' in a therapeutic process with observable demonstration of skills and techniques of counselling.
 4 5
Generic Skills: 
Communication, Collaboration, Problem solving, Organisation, Applying technologies
All - Assessment Task 4:Reflective Essay
Goal: 
An essay that reflects on aspects of your self-care and awareness of professional boundaries in relation to your counselling practice during the Internship.
Product: Essay
Authorship Statement:
Format: 
This essay is an overall personal reflection on your self-care and awareness of professional boundaries during your Internship experience. You will highlight the skills and knowledge you have learned and how this will impinge on your counselling practice and your on-going evaluation of you work with clients. Use references where appropriate and note any areas you feel you may need to further develop in your future professional and personal development in order to enhance your counselling practice.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Commitment to on-going personal and professional development.
 3 4 5
2 
Depth of reflection and insights gained.
 1 3 4 5 6
3 
Demonstrate academic scholarship
 2 5
Generic Skills: 
Communication, Organisation, Information literacy

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

There are no required/recommended resources for this course.

Specific requirements

Nil

How are risks managed in this course?

Health and safety risks for this course have been assessed as low. 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

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

Assessment: Submission penalties

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

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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