This subject is the second in the developmental sequence of study underpinning knowledge and core skills of counselling and therapeutic practice. The central activity of this subject is the students’ experiential practice of therapeutic skills in one-to-one therapeutic interactions with peers where students will share and work with their own ‘lived experience’ in sessions. Students are given the opportunity to apply interventions and processes to build and strengthen the therapeutic relationship, unpack the client’s difficulties and help the client to access and explore inner experience. Students will engage in reflection on their practice of micro-skills.

Credit Points: 6

Co-Requisites: Integrative Psychotherapy in Theory

In this subject, students will develop an understanding of the main theoretical perspectives and models that inform therapeutic practice and facilitate therapeutic change, including psychodynamic; humanistic-existential; experiential – emotion-focused therapy; cognitive behavioural and third-wave CBT; transpersonal and soul centred, constructivist; and integrative schools. Students will examine the change mechanisms common across all therapeutic models and those particular to each model. The models studied are contextualised within an integrative conceptualisation framework, and students will have the opportunity to integrate theory into practice using case scenarios.

Credit Points: 6

Pre-Requisites: None

This subject is designed to develop the student’s awareness and understanding of ethical and legal issues critical to counselling and psychotherapy practice. Students will learn about ethical principles and frameworks that can inform behaviour and decision-making, including relevant legislation, professional practice standards and codes of ethics within the Australian professional landscape. Students will examine scenarios to identify ethical and legal issues and propose solutions to dilemmas common in therapeutic practice, including those relating to mandatory reporting, dual relationships, professional boundaries and power dimensions. Students will also explore how their personal values may influence their behaviour, decision-making and developing professional identity.

Credit Points: 6

Pre-Requisites: None

This subject explores the varied experiences of consumers utilising mental health services in Australia and identifies the current strengths and weaknesses of that system. Students will learn about how the conceptions of ‘normal and abnormal behaviour’ have developed culturally over time and explore the historical emergence of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illness (DSM) system of diagnosis, its justification, and criticisms. Students will learn to identify important terms and major categories of the current classification systems in psychopathology. Students will learn skills of responding to clients presenting in mental health crisis and in suicidal states.

Credit Points: 6

Pre-Requisites: None

As therapists, there are ethical underpinnings to individual world views which often create prejudices and biases which are socialised and are on the whole, unconscious. This subject will equip students with the knowledge, skills and awareness to engage in ethical and culturally sensitive therapeutic practices. Engaging in a pedagogy centred on culture and diversity, independence, autonomy and philosophy, students will examine the versatility of embedded identities and their influence on beliefs, values and biases, both positive and negative. Students will develop cross-cultural skills important to working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, families and communities, and how to approach their therapeutic needs and healing.

Credit Points: 6

Pre-Requisites: None

In this subject, students will be introduced to the practice of case conceptualisation in clinical practice which will guide their treatment planning and interventions during their placement as part of the subject Supervised Practice A. Emphasis will be placed on short term treatment planning. Students will learn to present a clear theoretical explanation for and understanding of the client’s situation, background, difficulties, patterns, and pain from within a variety of theoretical lenses and through the integrative lens. Students will learn to form hypotheses about why the client presents to therapy in the way that they do and what ‘needs’ the client holds. The subject will focus on formulating treatment plans to facilitate change. The case conceptualisation process encourages the therapist to think about the client in an in-depth way.

Credit Points: 6

Pre-Requisites: All Year 1 subjects

Co-Requisites: Supervised Practice A

This subject is the first of two professional experience subjects designed to draw together coursework in a supervised work-based setting. Students will have their first opportunity to apply theoretical and reflective learning to counselling and psychotherapy practice as they undertake 120 placement hours at a host organisation. This placement has a focus on building therapeutic relationships, ethical and culturally sensitive practices, and working as part of a team. Students will participate in weekly group supervision and engage in case discussions and reflective review with their clinical teacher and peers as they explore their developing counselling and psychotherapy practice.

Credit Points: 6

Hours: 120

Pre-Requisites: All Year 1 subjects

Co-Requisites: Case Conceptualisation

This subject will introduce students to core concepts and principles of trauma informed practice. Single instance trauma, multiple exposure related trauma and infant attachment trauma will be examined and contrasted. The subject draws on the theoretical literature related to trauma and attachment. Students will learn to recognise causal factors, impact, emotion dysregulation and symptoms of trauma and how a variety of populations such as Indigenous peoples, children and young people, survivors of war and refugees, and survivors of violence, floods and bushfires experience and respond to trauma. Students will learn to recognise triggers to re-traumatisation, and work within the client’s window of tolerance.

Credit Points: 6

Pre-Requisites: None

This subject takes a systems lens to psychotherapy focusing on the person-environment approach. Students will be introduced to General Systems Theory as the foundation for understanding the different systems that impact an individual’s wellbeing. Learning commences with an exploration of a broad systems approach and moves through a range of systems such as eco-systems, family systems, couple systems and individual psycho-biological systems. Students will reflect on systems thinking and the impact of their own family system on their development and wellbeing.

Credit Points: 6

Pre-Requisites: Integrative Psychotherapy in Theory, Integrative Psychotherapy in Practice

This subject focuses on integrating the core skills developed in Integrative Psychotherapy Theory and Integrative Psychotherapy Skills into therapeutic practice. Students will develop the confidence to facilitate progressive stages within every single session and across time, focusing on the facilitation of early, mid, and late-phase treatment skills. Students will cover topics such as contracting and identifying treatment goals, identifying, and responding to the client narrative, themes, and patterns, changing perspectives, facilitating insight, modifying metacognitive beliefs, and understanding emotion clusters whilst working with emotional pain.

Credit Points: 6

Pre-Requisites: Case Conceptualisation

This subject explores the theory, practice, and ethics of supportive and psychoeducational group work. Students will learn to work with and lead support groups and psychoeducation groups in the mental health, wellbeing, and human services sectors. Students will learn to facilitate groups, understand issues that arise in groups and resolve conflicts and powerplays. Students will develop expertise in recognising and working with group dynamics which is behaviour in groups such as power, conflict, vulnerability, and connection and support. Consideration will be given to group processes, roles taken up by group members, stages of group development over time and implicit and explicit communication in groups.

Credit Points: 6

Pre-Requisites: None

See the ‘Electives’ tab for current elective options available.

This subject will enable students to develop both a sound understanding and familiarity with the techniques of case management concerning central issues around grief, loss and bereavement in the psychotherapeutic process. This will involve acquisition of skills, knowledge and an understanding of appropriate interventions for different grief and loss contexts and presentations. The subject will also focus on the cultural, sociological, and ethical aspects of working with these themes.

Credit Points: 6

Pre-Requisites: None

This subject will introduce students to the core concepts and practices which focus on dealing with the notions of self, agency, autonomy, identity and narrative as they appear in psychotherapy. This subject draws from an interdisciplinary perspective in order to enable students to understand how these critical aspects of human experience may be considered and worked within a clinical setting. This subject is divided into two distinct phases. The first is theory-based and draws from the philosophy of mind, neuroscience, neuro-psycho-pathological studies and cognitive science. The second draws these into clinical relevance by engaging these ideas alongside the practices of narrative therapy and mentalization-based psychotherapy.

Credit Points: 6

Pre-Requisite: Trauma Informed Practice, Integrative Treatment Practice

The subject examines the distress, pain, and post-traumatic difficulties of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, as the legacies of racism, colonization, loss of country and community, adaptation, trauma, and survival. Students will identify and develop skills in healing practices that can be used to engage and redress this trauma.  Emphasis will be placed on the importance of identity, resiliency, family, country and community and the implementation of a holistic community healing model. Songlines, ceremonies, rites of passage, dreaming and storytelling will be explored as important elements of Indigenous healing practice.

Credit Points: 6

Pre-Requisites: None

See the ‘Electives’ tab for current elective options available.

This subject introduces students to therapeutic imagery techniques and to Gendlin’s Focusing – two experiential therapeutic processes which derive firstly from research into non-ordinary states of consciousness and secondly from outcome research into what works in therapy. Students will examine and experience firsthand the ways these two therapeutic processes tap into human resources such as inner knowing, inner experience, the felt-sense, insight, problem solving and self-realisation. Additionally, emphasis will be on facilitating a compassionate inner relationship with presently felt experience.

Credit Points: 6

Pre-Requisites: 

This subject builds on Trauma Informed Practice to extend student understanding of the theory and practice that underlies the emergent area of trauma focused and somatic informed psychotherapy. Students will learn the neurobiology of trauma and how trauma affects the brain creating bodily symptoms and reactions and effecting memory. There is a focus on multiphasic treatment approaches and the skills pertaining to each phase of trauma treatment and practice. Students will develop the capacity to build an integrative approach to trauma treatment using both ‘bottom-up’ approaches such as sensory motor processing and somatic experiencing as well as ‘top-down’ approaches such as mentalization. By employing a phenomenological approach, students will gain a sound understanding of the inner experience of trauma for specific populations.

Credit Points: 6

Pre-Requisites: Trauma Informed Practice, Psychodynamic Interpersonal Therapy (A Conversational Model)

This subject explores the issues of knowledge, research, and self in the context of psychotherapy practice. It examines the foundational questions of ontology and explores epistemic implications for research practice. The subject develops critical skills required for understanding research practices and methods and supports students to develop skills in conducting literature reviews and establishing sound research questions. The subject concludes with students exploring and asking questions about the self and the role of wisdom and lays the ground for the life-long pursuit of wisdom.

Credit Points: 6

Pre-Requisites: 

As the capstone experience, students will carry a small client case under supervision as part of a 240-hour placement experience. Students will work collaboratively to plan and facilitate positive change with consideration for client needs, goals and the diversity of the individual, group or community. Students will brief clients, assess presenting issues, complete case conceptualisations and draw on theoretical knowledge to plan appropriate interventions. In doing so, students will exercise their clinical judgement, and decision-making skills with a focus on therapeutic relationships, case conceptualisation, and working as part of a multidisciplinary team. Students will refine their practice through supervision and reflective practice, and use this learning to articulate their professional identity as a graduate practitioner.

Credit Points: 12

Hours: 240

Pre Requisites: All Year 1 subjects, and all Year 2 and Year 3 core subjects.

In exploring a range of expressive theories using miniatures, students will compare and contrast individual frameworks such as ‘The World Technique’ by Margaret Lowenfeld, the ‘Erica Method’ used in Sweden, the ‘Jungian Sandplay’ ‘safe and protected’ space of Dora Kalff and the ‘Dramatic Productions Test’ of Erik Erikson. A focus on symbolic thinking and meaning-making, mythology, archetypes and complexes and therapeutic progression is central to this subject. Students will examine case material of child sandplay and learn to facilitate adult sandplay by experientially engaging with the sand, water, miniatures and figurines. Undertaking their own personalised process of four sand trays provides an opportunity for students to attune to emotional experience and life narrative through the sand pictures.

This subject is run as a 5-day intensive from the Melbourne campus. Please note due to the delivery style for this subject, extra costs may be incurred to cover, travel, accommodation, and food.

Credit Points: 6

Pre-Requisites: None

This subject introduces students to the emerging field of ecopsychotherapy – exploring both theory and practice. The subject is run as a five-day experiential intensive, with one half-day session in the weeks before the intensive, and one half-day session in the weeks following the intensive.

Please note due to the delivery style for this subject, extra costs may be incurred to cover, travel, accommodation, and food.

Credit Points: 6

Pre-Requisites: None

This subject examines child and adolescent development, common concerns and issues young people may bring to therapy and best practice engagement strategies when working with young people in a therapeutic context. Students will learn how different engagement activities can be used to effectively build rapport and positive therapeutic relationships with young people, and engage their families, parents and caregivers in the therapeutic process. Subject content also includes how to work within relevant legislation including, confidentiality, informed consent and duty of care with children and young people under the age of 18.

Credit Points: 6

Pre-Requisites: None

This subject is concerned with developing an understanding of the symbol and dream-producing resources of the human psyche. In particular, the subject focuses on the capacity of the dreaming function to access and mobilise resource systems to engage with problem-solving, stress reduction, knowledge and understanding, change management and psychological development. The subject explores experiences gained in the dreaming, liminal, conscious imaging and metaphor states of consciousness. Skill development is directed towards using various methods to access this domain, including Jungian and archetypal processes, in both individual and group settings. These methods are developed as part of an integrative symbol and dreamwork skillset.

Credit Points: 6

Pre-Requisites: None

This subject explores the themes of growing up and waking up. It is run in an intensive format following a structured program of personal reflection, practice and lectures. The subject explores themes of organisation of mind through understanding the research and practices that help facilitate individual organisation of mind. This subject will begin by addressing early developmental factors in the formation of mind and move to include transpersonal psychology and eastern philosophy and practices.

Please note due to the delivery style for this subject, extra costs may be incurred to cover, travel, accommodation, and food.

Credit Points: 6

Pre-Requisites: None