Download PDF

Course Outline

COU706 Counselling Children and Young People

Course Coordinator:Trudi Flynn (tflynn@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 course provides knowledge, skills and experience in child and adolescent counselling. You will develop your practice framework for counselling children based on an integrative model that incorporates cognitive-behavioural, emotion-focused and creative arts-based approaches. You will develop experiential skills needed to engage children and adolescents in therapy, using the five-stage model. The course weaves the use of problem-solving strategies, cognitive and emotion-focused activities, art-making, music-based and language-based modes of self-reflection, and use of movement and games.

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

Introduction to Child-Friendly Counselling: Goals of counselling children and adolescents; Differences to working with adults; Multiple intelligences in child counselling; Use of appropriate media: art, music, movement.

Foundations for Success: Building Rapport and Somatic Awareness: Beginning counselling process with a young client; Child/Counsellor relationship and counsellor qualities; Helping the child tell their story; Introduction to the 5-Stage Session Model.

Visual Art in Counselling: Art-based strategies for enabling a child to tell their story; Processing emotion through art; Reflecting on family dynamics through art; Using art for integration.

Emotion: The heart of change: Helping the child tell their story; Emotional literacy; Emotional processing.

Child-Friendly Cognitive Behavioural Activities: Principals of CBT; Functional analysis; Surveying beliefs about self; Problem solving; Mindfulness vs rumination.

Supporting Adolescent Clients: Developmental stages; Dealing with resistance and transference; Working with adolescents through experiential engagement; Use of skills and strategies to deal with anger.

Music and Movement: Musical strategies for enabling a young client to reflect on their experiences; Use of music and movement; Music and emotional literacy.

Parent Liaison; The child-friendly therapy setting: Research on consulting rooms; Liaising with parents and carers; Integration activities; Future-focused visualisation; Termination of counselling.

 

 

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 Identify, analyse and apply the principles and practices of child and adolescent counselling. Knowledgeable
Empowered
2 Develop a practice framework for counselling children based on an integrative model for children and adolescents. Knowledgeable
Empowered
3 Develop and demonstrate skills in counselling children and adolescents (forming a therapeutic relationship, and supporting change). Knowledgeable
Empowered
Ethical
4 Understand and apply ethical responsibilities and professional requirements underpinning counselling children and adolescents. Knowledgeable
Ethical
Engaged
5 Demonstrate academic scholarship Knowledgeable
Empowered

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

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 Oral Individual 0% 
10 minutes
 Week 4 In Class
All 2 Written Piece Group 40% 
2250 words
 Week 6 Online Submission
All 3 Plan Individual 35% 
2000 Words
 Week 9 Online Submission
All 4 Journal Individual 25% 
1500 words
 Week 12 Online Submission
All - Assessment Task 1:Review of Video Session
Goal: 
To apply theory presented in the course to critique a recorded counselling session with a child or adolescent.
Product: Oral
Authorship Statement:
Format: 
A brief oral critique of a recorded counselling session with a child or adult, accessed via the USC library. Reflection questions for critique will be supplied in class.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Demonstrate early understanding of child counselling theory
 1 4
2 
Provide evidence of reflective process in critique of recorded session
 2
3 
Provide clear and concise feedback on reflections
 5
Generic Skills: 
Communication, Applying technologies, Information literacy
All - Assessment Task 2:Literature review of a child-friendly therapy modality
Goal: 
In pairs, you will review the research, outcome and descriptive literature on a modality for counselling children and / or adolescents providing a summary of implications for counsellors from the literature.
Product: Written Piece
Authorship Statement:
Format: 
Working in pairs - with another student from COU706 - you will review the literature on counselling children and / or adolescents. The literature review  will include research outcomes, commentary on the significance of the types of research available, implications of the outcomes reported, and descriptions of the variety of applications.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Content - Evidence of wide reading of up-to-date (within the last ten years) literature (minimum of 20 references. Analysis of the research, including research methods used and implications for practice from research outcomes.
 2 4
2 
Originality - Ability to analyse, synthesise and apply research findings.
 1 2 5
3 
Quality of academic writing - Clear and succinct introduction and conclusion, logical and coherent argument, correct grammar and spelling, accurate use of APA6 style and referencing.
 5
Generic Skills: 
Communication, Collaboration, Information literacy
All - Assessment Task 3:Application of a child or adolescent-friendly therapy approaches to a case study
Goal: 
You will develop a counselling session framework for working with a case study of a young client, noting therapeutic activities and potential outcomes.
Product: Plan
Authorship Statement:
Format: 
A 2000 (approx.) word written report on planning a counselling session for a child or adolescent, choosing from a range of case stories. The report will be completed within a pre-formatted session report framework, where stages of the session, possible therapeutic activities (from among those presented in the course) and rationales for their choice, and possible outcomes are noted.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Content: Suitability of the therapeutic approaches and modalities described to the case story and developmental stage of the client. Choice of activities (from among those presented within the course).
 1 2 3
2 
Argument: Relevant rationale(s) for the modalities and therapeutic actions selected.
 1 4
3 
Originality: evidence of an integrative selection of therapeutic methods.
 1 2 3
4 
Evidence of careful planning and understanding of the therapeutic stages in working with young clients.
 1 3
5 
Clarity and expression: Quality of expression. Accuracy of grammar, punctuation, spelling, referencing and word limit.
 5
Generic Skills: 
Problem solving, Organisation, Applying technologies
All - Assessment Task 4:Reflective journal summary
Goal: 
You will reflect on the basic principles and practices of child and adolescent counselling.
Product: Journal
Authorship Statement:
Format: 
A written summary of your reflections on outcomes from participating in the experiential activities of the course. The essay will be presented in a diary style, using the first person, and needs to be reflective and analytical rather than descriptive of the activities.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Evidence of regular reflection on the impact of participating in the modality experiences within the course.
 2 4
2 
Ability to conceive ways young clients might respond – whether in a similar or different way to you.
 1 2
3 
Ability to analyse outcomes and deduce implications for practice, based on personal learning.
 1 2
4 
Knowledge of the basic principles and practices of child and adolescent counselling.
 1 2
Generic Skills: 
Communication, Problem solving, Applying technologies

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
Required Mark Pearson,Helen Wilson 2009 Using Expressive Arts to Work with the Mind, Body and Emotions n/a Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Specific requirements

Bring A3 Art Pad and Crayons

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: 

Download PDF