Course Outline
PSY700 Advanced and Transcultural Counselling
Course Coordinator:Kathryn Esparza (kesparza@usc.edu.au) School:School of Health - Psychology
2026Trimester 2
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 employs a skills-training approach to extend your previous learning in psychology, with an emphasis on developing advanced counselling techniques, and the development of an effective working alliance. You are introduced to the importance of understanding cultural factors in therapy, and how to work safely and effectively with various transcultural populations.
How will this course be delivered?
| Activity | Hours | Beginning Week | Frequency |
| Blended learning | |||
| Tutorial/Workshop 1 – On campus tutorial/workshop - 3 hours | 3hrs | Week 1 | 12 times |
Course Topics
- Advanced theories of clinical disorders and evidence-based treatment techniques
- Working therapeutically with transcultural populations, people experiencing vulnerability, and at-risk populations.
- Developing skills in delivering culturally competent and individualised care including culturally sensitive and aware formulation and culturally adapted intervention.
- Developing an understanding of working therapeutically with clients who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
- Developing skills in delivering trauma-informed practice.
What level is this course?
700 Level (Specialised)
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 Mapping Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming... | Professional Standard Mapping * Australian Psychology Accreditation Council | |
| 1 | Demonstrate knowledge and use of advanced counselling skills. |
Knowledgeable Empowered |
3.2, 3.3, 3.5, 3.7, 3.8, 3.10, 3.16, 4.2.1, 4.2.1.1, 4.2.2, 4.2.2.1, 4.2.2.2, 4.2.2.3, 4.2 |
| 2 | Show knowledge and understanding of the key role of the working alliance in effective psychological consultations of all types and skills for developing an effective working alliance. |
Knowledgeable Ethical Engaged |
3.2, 3.3, 3.5, 3.8, 3.10, 3.16, 4.2.1, 4.2.1.1, 4.2.1.2, 4.2.1.3, 4.2.2, 4.2.2.1, 4.2.2.2, 4.2.2.3, 4.2 |
| 3 | Show knowledge and understanding of the difficulties inherent in psychological consultations involving attention to cultural issues, and skills for delivering effective transcultural psychological interventions, particularly with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island People and refugees. |
Knowledgeable Ethical Engaged Sustainability-focussed |
3.2, 3.3, 3.5, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.16, 4.2.1, 4.2.1.1, 4.2.1.2, 4.2.1.3, 4.2.1.4, 4.2.2, 4.2.2.1, 4.2.2.2, 4.2.2.3, 4.2.2.4, 4.2.3, 4.2.3.1, 4.2.3.2, 4.2.3.3, 4.2 |
| 4 | Show awareness of potential ethical issues in psychological practice and an understanding of how to align practice with the AHPRA Code of Conduct, particularly in transcultural consultations. |
Creative and critical thinker Ethical |
3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11, 3.14, 3.16, 4.2.1, 4.2.2, 4.2.3, 4.2 |
* Competencies by Professional Body
| CODE | COMPETENCY |
| Australian Psychology Accreditation Council | |
| 3.2 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, and consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings and codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically apply evidence-based and scientific methods to professional practice across the lifespan in empirically valid and culturally responsive ways. |
| 3.3 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, and consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings and codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically employ professional communication skills, in a culturally responsive manner, with a range of socially and culturally diverse clients. |
| 3.4 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, and consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings and codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically perform appropriate standardised psychological testing, as part of broader assessment, to assess and interpret aspects of functioning. |
| 3.5 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, and consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings and codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically identify psychological disorders using a recognised taxonomy. |
| 3.6 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, and consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings and codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically conduct professional interviews and assessments and synthesise information from multiple sources, including assessment of risk, to formulate a conceptualisation of the presenting issues to determine the most appropriate interventions. |
| 3.7 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, & consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings & codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically monitor outcomes/modifications based on evolving case formulation, including health concerns, family/support networks, & organisational/cultural/community contexts, with care given to the appropriateness of interventions for the client. |
| 3.8 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, & consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings & codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically interpret and communicate findings in oral and written formats, including formal psychological reports, using culturally appropriate language. |
| 3.9 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, & consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings & codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically implement appropriate, empirically supported interventions, and monitor clients’ progress and intervention outcomes. |
| 3.10 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, & consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings & codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically demonstrate respect for the skills and contribution of other professionals. |
| 3.11 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, & consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings & codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically work effectively with a range of professional and support staff in the workplace and communicate and collaborate effectively, within the bounds of ethical and legal requirements. |
| 3.14 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, & consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings & codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically engage in self-reflective professional practice, taking account of the impact of their own values and beliefs, and taking appropriate actions as a result. |
| 3.16 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, & consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings & codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically critically evaluate contemporary scientific literature to inform practice. |
| 4.2.1 | Apply advanced psychological knowledge of the following to their practice in clinical psychology: |
| 4.2.1.1 | Graduates apply advanced psychological knowledge of the following to their practice in clinical psychology: psychological theories of the aetiology, progression and/or recovery, precursors and sequelae of psychological disorders, including incidence, prevalence and predisposing, risk, protective and maintenance factors |
| 4.2.2 | Graduates apply advanced psychological knowledge to culturally responsive assessment in the area of clinical psychology, including: |
| 4.2.2.1 | Graduates apply advanced psychological knowledge to culturally responsive assessment in the area of clinical psychology, including: evaluation of psychological disorders with reference to relevant international taxonomies of classification, including disorders of moderate to severe level and complexity |
| 4.2.2.2 | Graduates apply advanced psychological knowledge to culturally responsive assessment in the area of clinical psychology, including: use of assessment tools and processes related to a wide range of psychological disorders, and including psychometric tests, structured or semi-structured interviews, behavioural observations, measures of functionality and processes that enable collection of collateral information from multiple sources, including groups and systems relevant to the client |
| 4.2.2.3 | Graduates apply advanced psychological knowledge to culturally responsive assessment in the area of clinical psychology, including: integration, interpretation, and synthesis of clinical psychological assessment data with the knowledge of psychopathology to inform case formulation, diagnosis and intervention |
| 4.2.1.2 | Graduates apply advanced psychological knowledge of the following to their practice in clinical psychology: both developmental systems and biopsychosocial models of health as they apply to psychological disorders as well as the multiple factors that impinge on mental health across the lifespan |
| 4.2.1.3 | Graduates apply advanced psychological knowledge of the following to their practice in clinical psychology: psychopathology and relevant international taxonomies of classification of psychological disorders, including severe, complex and chronic mental illness |
| 4.2.1.4 | Graduates apply advanced psychological knowledge of the following to their practice in clinical psychology: psychopharmacology, particularly as it relates to complex psychological disorders |
| 4.2.2.4 | Graduates apply advanced psychological knowledge to culturally responsive assessment in the area of clinical psychology, including: evaluation of symptom reduction, therapeutic outcomes, the therapeutic alliance and client progress throughout therapy. |
| 4.2.3 | Graduates apply advanced psychological knowledge to culturally responsive interventions in the area of clinical psychology, including: |
| 4.2.3.1 | Graduates apply advanced psychological knowledge to culturally responsive interventions in the area of clinical psychology, including: selection, tailoring and implementation of appropriate evidence-based interventions on the basis of an initial case formulation, whether individuals, dyads or carers/dependents |
| 4.2.3.2 | Graduates apply advanced psychological knowledge to culturally responsive interventions in the area of clinical psychology, including: monitoring of outcomes and modifications based on evolving case formulation and intra- and interpersonal processes, with care given to the appropriateness of interventions for the client or clients within their wider context |
| 4.2.3.3 | Graduates apply advanced psychological knowledge to culturally responsive interventions in the area of clinical psychology, including: consultation and collaboration with other professionals regarding clinical planning and referrals, particularly in the context of complex case presentations |
| 4.2 | CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY: Taking into account the broad diversity of clients and development across the lifespan, and consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings and codes of ethical practice, graduates apply advanced psychological knowledge to competently and ethically: |
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 AR507, AR702 or AR703
Co-requisites
Not applicable
Anti-requisites
Not applicable
Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)
Ability to write in APA format
Microcredential Information
Not applicable
How am I going to be assessed?
Grading Scale
Limited Grading (PNP)
Details of early feedback on progress
Students will receive early feedback on formative tasks throughout the first third of the teaching period. This will include feedback following in-class activities to build clinical skills and the incorporation of self-reflective practice throughout the course.
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 | Oral and Written Piece | Group | 60 minutes |
Refer to Format | In Class |
| All | 2 | Examination - not Centrally Scheduled | Individual | 90 minutes |
Refer to Format | In Class |
| All - Assessment Task 1:Seminar Presentation | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Goal: | In small groups, prepare and deliver a PowerPoint presentation that demonstrates understanding of working therapeutically with a transcultural population. |
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| Product: | Oral and Written Piece | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Authorship Statement: | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Format: | Prepare and present a 60 minute presentation on working therapeutically with a transcultural population, based on relevant research and evidence-based therapy. Possible cultures or diverse populations to present on will be discussed in the first workshop. Presentation roles need to be evenly shared (i.e., all group members to contribute to the preparation and to present). The submission weeks are from week 5 -10. This is an oral presentation and therefore the number of weeks with presentations is determined by class size and subsequent number of groups. Please check Canvas for further information. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication, Collaboration, Problem solving, Organisation, Applying technologies, Information literacy |
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| All - Assessment Task 2:Exam | |||||||
| Goal: | Demonstrate learning and knowledge of course content. |
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| Product: | Examination - not Centrally Scheduled | ||||||
| Authorship Statement: | |||||||
| Format: | The aim of this exam is to assess your knowledge of issues relevant to advanced and transcultural counselling. The exam will be based on material covered during workshops, student seminar presentations, and required readings; including the AHPRA Code of Conduct. The exam will be a combination of short answer and multiple choice questions. Exam assessment task will be due between Weeks 11 and 12 of the teaching trimester. The final date of submission for this task will be determined once public holidays and the course timetable have been published, prior to the commencement of Trimester. Please refer to your course CANVAS site at the commencement of the teaching trimester to confirm the due date of this assessment task. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication |
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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
Specific requirements
You are expected to attend all workshops. For any workshops that are missed you will need to demonstrate to your course co-ordinator that you have covered the required material. This will usually take the form of a detailed summary and reflection of the Directed Study Activities for the missed workshop. Information regarding prescribed texts or other associated resources will be made available on the Canvas site prior to commencement of study.
How are risks managed in this course?
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: