Master of Counselling

The Master of Counselling provides students with a range of counselling skills that can be applied across work settings, client types and cultural groups.

Students specialise in human services counselling, couple counselling or forensic counselling.

The course is designed to meet the needs of those employed in the human services sector (such as mental health, general health care, education, law and mediation, justice and welfare, and public service fields) or those who have an interest in the specialist fields of couple counselling or forensic counselling.

Each stream includes placements in industry.

Placements are tailored specifically to students’ level of experience, interests and availability.

The postgraduate programs in Counselling are a nested suite consisting of three exit points: Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma and Masters.

To qualify for the Master of Counselling, students must complete 150 credit points comprising:

• 8 core units (100 credit points)
• 4 units from one of the Counselling specialisations: Couple Counselling; Human Services Counselling or Forensic Counselling (50 credit points)

Units of study

PSC60001 Foundations of Counselling PSC60004 Ethics and Cultural Diversity for Counsellors PSC60009 Lifespan Development and Systemic Thinking PSC70008 Advanced Counselling PSC70018 Trauma Loss and Grief Counselling PSC80001 Advanced Counselling Placement 1 * PSC80015 Systemic Approaches to Attachment and Development PSC80016 Advanced Research Based Practice Couple Counselling specialisation PSC70007 Couple Counselling Theory PSC70023 Couple Counselling Practice and Application PSC80008 Advanced Counselling Placement 2 PSC70024 Clinical Supervision and Workplace Experience PSC70001 Addiction Counselling PSC80006 Assessment and Evidence Based Therapies PSC80003 Working with Groups PSC70024 Clinical Supervision and Workplace Experience FBS80001 Core Skills in Forensic Practice FBS80002 Fundamentals of Criminal Law Process FBS80003 Principles of Violence Risk Assessment and Management PSC70024 Clinical Supervision and Workplace Experience

• A minimum three-year Bachelor degree from an Australian university or approved equivalent or
• Graduate Certificate of Counselling or equivalent
• Graduate Diploma of Counselling or equivalent

Selection is based on an individual and group interview and the applicant’s suitability for the program as determined by academic and work experience*, referee reports, and the stated reasons for wishing to undertake the program. Preference may be given to applicants with an equivalent of a credit average or above.

The university may determine selection criteria and restrictions in respect of courses to apply in addition to these entry requirements.

* Work experience

Documents substantiating work experience need to be provided on company letterhead and clearly detail roles as well as duties and duration of posts held.

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:

• exercise independent judgement relevant to counselling theory and practice in the field of human services counselling, couple counselling and forensic counselling
• initiate, plan, implement and evaluate basic counselling interventions with a range of client groups and presentations across the lifespan
• apply basic and more advanced skills to work therapeutically with a range of clients in human services and couple counselling contexts using counselling methods and techniques that are drawn from different evidence-based approaches, all of which emphasise the important role of assessment, empathy, the therapeutic relationship, ethical decision-making and professional supervision
• reflect on, and take responsibility for, their own learning and self-management processes in relation to counselling work with clients that promotes self-reflection and the development as a professional counsellor in a human services, couple counselling or forensic counselling context
• demonstrate competence in assessment (including risk assessment and mental state examinations) case formulation and treatment planning, implementation and evaluation for clients presenting with a range of complex issues in a human services and couple counselling context
• use written and oral communication skills to demonstrate an understanding of basic and advanced theoretical concepts and methods relevant to trauma, loss and grief counselling, addiction counselling, couple counselling and forensic counselling; and to transfer this knowledge to different client groups, including individuals, couples and families
• critically apply research principles, skills and methods to inform evidence-based practice, that include a broad and specialist understanding of the treatment literature for individuals, couples and groups presenting in a human services, couple counselling or forensic counselling context.

• capable in their chosen professional, vocational or study areas
• entrepreneurial in contributing to innovation and development within their business, workplace or community
• effective and ethical in work and community situations
• adaptable and able to manage change
• aware of local and international environments in which they will be contributing.