Introductory description

In this module you will be facilitated to reflect deeply on your counselling practice in placement and to move towards qualification with a strong understanding of your strengths and development needs as a professional counsellor. You'll be asked to apply your learning from the whole course to an evaluation of your own practice work. We'll consolidate our learning about relational integrative practice by looking at a range of ways that this is conceptualised theoretically and exploring how we might reflect these in our work with clients. New learning this year about working with various specific client groups and presenting issues will add to your understanding of how to devise an accurate working formulation of a client and respond appropriately to their needs. You will attend peer supervision groups in the classroom in order to reflect on your practice with your colleagues. We will discuss ways of deepening our relational processes with clients and explore understandings of what relational depth might look like in practice.
The learning on this module will also consolidate your learning in previous years about working online and on the telephone with clients, ensuring that you have the required competencies and that you can work safely in a variety of contexts.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Working with specific client groups and in specific contexts, developing awareness of specialist work with a variety of presenting issues
Relational depth - working collaboratively and empathically with clients
Theoretical concepts of relational integrative practice
Working online and on the telephone with clients, understanding ethical and contractual requirements and meeting BACP competencies
Reflecting on own counselling practice in supervision groups and through written work
Identifying own learning and development needs in readiness for professional qualification

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Create a clear and collaborative contract for safe and professional counselling work with a client online or on the telephone
• Analyse the impact of own identities on relational processes in counselling
• Critically analyse key moments in a counselling relationship
• Demonstrate ability to work at relational depth with clients
• Apply counselling theory and assessment techniques to create an appropriate client case formulation
• Demonstrate ability to respond sensitively to the specific relational implications of working with a client online or on the telephone

Indicative reading list

Reading lists can be found in Talis

Specific reading list for the module

Subject specific skills

Sophisticated selection and use of appropriate counselling skills and application of counselling theory
Ability to work ethically and safely with clients in a variety of contexts including online and on the telephone
Refined ability to reflect on own self in relationship and to understand conscious and unconscious processes in relationships

Transferable skills

Capacity to work professionally on own initiative and in cooperation with others
Refined ability to make decisions in complex situations, and sometimes with incomplete information
Consolidate learning and incorporate new knowledge, including research and skills for application to practice
Refined ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing - including the ability to give and receive feedback which is consistently developmental and self-reflect on this in written communications
Critically analyse and apply learning from small groups, with a well-developed understanding of the dynamics of such groups
Ability to nurture and apply learning from good, supportive, challenging and trusting relationships with others in
which sensitive personal material can be considered
Capacity to learn from the process of challenge, self-reflection and change and apply developmentally to own
personal and professional development.