Clients come to counselling for a variety of reasons including distress. When discussing distress we must realise that it has biological, psychological, behavioural, and social correlates. We must therefore be precise when describing distress. Furthermore, not all distress is “bad” or “abnormal”. Given this, you will learn about normal human responses to abnormal situations and that diagnostics implies a socio-political context. As a consequence your case conceptualisations will become more holistic. Then you will be ready to engage the aetiology, presentation, and treatment of various mental health conditions. Such conditions include: mood disorders; arousal-based disorders; psychosis; eating disorders; neurodevelopmental disorders; substance use disorders; and personality disorders.
Unit code: CO2006Z
Unit status: Approved (Minor revision)
Points: 18.0
Unit level: Undergraduate Level 2
Unit discipline: Counselling
Delivery Mode: Blended
Proposing College: School of Professional Practice - Counselling
Show when this unit is running| 1. | Evaluate the appropriateness of diagnostic labels used by society. |
| 2. | Recall core information about the aetiology and presentation of common mental health conditions. |
| 3. | Describe evidence-based treatment options for common mental health conditions. |
| 4. | Articulate a counsellor’s scope of practice with respect to both diagnostics and working effectively with a client who has received a diagnosis from a qualified practitioner. |
Offering: This unit is to be taught in year 2, semester 2 (term 3).
Prerequisites: CO1007Z Introduction To Psychology
Scaffolded learning In practice: This is a collaborative way of learning that takes note of the learner’s zone of proximal development (ZPD). By repeatedly extending the learner’s ZPD they develop a comprehensive and integrated system of knowledge/skills. Scaffolded learning is achieved through the provision of online modules which clearly guide a student’s learning; through activities of increased complexity during intensives; by face-to-face seminars which are tailored to induce academic/professional growth in an ordered and coherent way; and by assessments which not only seek to identify that key knowledge/skills have been learnt, but that the student is developing an integrated understanding of counselling.
Textbook is: Barlow, D., Durand, M., & Hofmann, S. (2017). Abnormal Psychology: An integrative approach (8th edition). Cengage.
| Type | Description | Word count | Weight (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skeleton Argument | For 5 different module “Activities” across the unit provide either: (1) a response of approx. 100 words to the question posed; or (2) a response of approx. 100 words to another student’s post. Each response will be marked as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. |
500 | 5.0 |
| Personal Reflection | For 5 different module “Reflection questions” across the unit provide either: (1) a response of approx. 100 words to the question posed; or (2) a response of approx. 100 words to another student’s post. Each response will be marked as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. |
500 | 5.0 |
| Book Review | "Abnormal Psychology" is a contested discipline with many intriguing questions. Here is an opportunity for you to read a text which explores topics such as: the benefits to suffering, the application of State power to issues of the mind, or the evolutionary purpose of "unhealthy" mutations. Having read your text analyse the sufficiency of its arguments to develop your own position on the topic. |
1000 | 20.0 |
| Multiple Choice Quizzes or Tests | Test on core knowledge of mental health conditions. |
1000 | 30.0 |
| Essay | For a mental health condition of interest explore its aetiology, presentation and treatment in detail using the contemporary literature. |
1500 | 40.0 |
Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 4 Nov, 2024
Unit record last updated: 2024-11-04 08:57:09 +1100