Introductory description

This module aims to offer the opportunity to continue to develop your integrative counselling practice, with the opportunity to further practice your counselling skills in the classroom with developmental feedback from peers and tutors, and to reflect further on your own development as a counsellor. We will study a range of contemporary humanistic and existential counselling approaches, including creative and somatic approaches to working with clients, exploring how theorists have critiqued and updated traditional approaches to counselling, and looking through a critical, decolonial and anti-oppressive lens to critically analyse the theories we study. As you widen your awareness of different theoretical ways of conceptualising client issues and the therapeutic process, you will be able to explore your own sense of how you conceptualise your own integrative practice.

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.

Skills practice including skills such as reflection, summarising, mirroring, challenge, containment.
Establishing the core conditions for relational practice.
Developing understanding of further contemporary approaches and understanding how they are used in practice - including Emotion-focused Therapy, Pre-Therapy, Existential therapy, somatic and creative approaches
Critical appraisal of theoretical approaches including evaluating their relevance to different client groups
Further experiential development of feedback skills (for observer role) and reflective practice (in counsellor role). Ethical Framework and points of referral in practice.
Diversity and cultural awareness and competence in practice

Learning outcomes

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

• Critically appraise a variety of contemporary counselling approaches
• Evaluate own counselling practice
• Explain own emerging integrative approach in relation to counselling theory
• Demonstrate safe, ethical and relational practice in a counselling session in the classroom
• Explain how the historical and political context of counselling has impacted on the perception and treatment of clients from various groups

Indicative reading list

Cooper, M (2024) The Tribes of the Person-Centred Nation, Third Edition, PCCS Books
Reeves A (2018), An introduction to Counselling and Psychotherapy, Sage.
Cooper M (2019), Integrating Counselling and Psychotherapy, Sage. Bond T (2015), Standards and Ethics for counselling in action, Sage.
Reeves A (2015), Working with risk in counselling and psychotherapy, Sage. Sanders, P (2012) The Tribes of the Person-Centred Nation, PCCS Books.

View reading list on Talis Aspire

Subject specific skills

Consolidation of relationship building within therapeutic dyad
Communication of empathy and core conditions as well as appropriate interventions and challenge
Capacity to appropriately assess and formulate client needs
Identify suitable therapeutic strategies and interventions
Reflective counselling practice
Monitoring, evaluation and research of good practice
Critical appraisal of additional counselling approaches

Transferable skills

Consolidate learning and incorporate new knowledge and skills
Ability to make decisions in complex situations, and sometimes with incomplete information
Capacity to understand and apply research to practice
Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing - including presentation skills, and the ability to give and receive feedback, and self-reflect on this in written communications where appropriate
Reflect on learning in small groups, with some understanding of the dynamics of such groups
Ability to sustain good, supportive, challenging and trusting relationships with others in which sensitive personal material can be considered
Capacity to tolerate and learn from the process of challenge, self-reflection and change