MODULE TITLE: ADVANCED COUNSELLING SKILLS CODE: BAHCP_205

Programme Stage: 2 Semester Number: N/a

ECTS Credits: 10 NFQ Level: 7
Module Status: Mandatory X Elective Group Elective
Christine Moran, Brian
Co-ordinator: Date August 2014
O’Callaghan, Siobhan Rock
PRE-REQUISITE LEARNING: CO-REQUISITE MODULE(S):
Counselling Skills Year 1, or equivalent N/A
AIM(S)
 Further develop counselling skills to enable learners to become effective practitioners.
 Provide a safe and supportive environment where learners may practice counselling and
psychotherapy skills, making them more competent and confident.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to:
1. Evaluate counselling skills, their relevance and use of each skill as a therapeutic tool and
intervention.
2. Demonstrate a willingness to take ownership of his/her ability, and confidence to practice
through the effective use of broad range of counselling skills in a simulated therapeutic setting.
3. Reflect on how each counselling skill facilitates a changing process and influences the
therapeutic relationship.
4. Demonstrate deepening knowledge of counselling skills and become more proficient at putting
these skills into action.
Teaching & Learning Strategies
Tutor input, lectures, discussion groups, demonstration of each skill, and exercises in pairs, triads and
learning groups.
Other resources and learning aids may include – Video/DVD.
Each skill will be defined, and its purpose explained, and demonstrated.
Learners will have the opportunity to role-play within a simulated counselling session, with the tutor
as observer - who can then give constructive feedback. The practice-based learning in this module
will help learners to assimilate and interpret learning from previous modules.
Learners are required and encouraged to engage in reading, internet sourcing, film and other media to
give greater understanding on this module.
OPERATIONAL DETAILS

Modal/Delivery Status: Full-Time: Part-Time: X Distance Learning:

Delivery Schedule Refer to timetable
Total Contact Hours (per Module) 30 hours
Learner Independent Learning Workload 170 hours
SYLLABUS
Indicative Content %
1. Empathy, advanced accurate empathy; exploration 15
2. Challenging; Probing; Confronting 15
3. Staying with silence; Presence; Immediacy 15
4. Boundaries, appropriate self-disclosure; Working with ambivalence/Active helping; 15
relevant information giving
5. Noticing in congruency; tracking; focusing and mindful attention 15

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6. Contracting, ending a session/therapy and management of referral 15
7. Summarising; Relaxation techniques 10
Total Percentage 100
MODULE ASSESSMENT COMPONENTS
Type of Assessment Detail of Assessment Outcome % of Assessment
Addressed Total Date (week)
Each learner will conduct a 20 minute
To be
simulated counselling session in-class,
completed in
with an external client, which is recorded
class during
 CA Assignments on DVD and presented to the class for 1-4 40% the last
peer discussion. Preparation for/
delivery
involvement in the discussion will form
weekend.
part of the assessment.
 Reflective Journal
Process Commentary: Following the
recorded counselling session, each
To be
learner will develop a written process
submitted 4-
commentary of 2,000 words to
wks from
 Project incorporate reflection and analysis of the 1-4 60% completion
session, using supportive quotes/
of this
references (from the simulated
module.
therapeutic session), and will identify
areas for professional development.
 Practical/Oral
 Other
 Total 100%
READING/RESOURCE MATERIAL
Essential Reading
Book Title Author Publisher Year
1. Integrative Counselling Skills in Action. Culley. S & London: Sage 2011
Bond. T
Supplementary Reading
Book Title Author Publisher Year
1. The Stages and Steps of the Helping Model Egan, G Brooks/Cole 2002
Publishing Co. Pacific
Grove, CA
2. Working with Emotions in Psychotherapy: Greenberg LS, NY: The Guilford 2003
The Practicing Professional & Paivio, SC Press
3. On Being a Therapist (3rd ed) Kottler, JA San Francisco: Jossey- 2003
Bass
4. The Heart and Soul of Change: What Hubble, APA 1999
Works in Therapy. Duncan, Miller
5. A Practical Approach to Counselling Hough, M Longman 2001
6. Person Centred Counselling in Action (3rd Mearns, D & London: Sage 2007
ed) Thorne B
Other Resources (Journals, Internet, etc.)
1. Hill, CE; Knox, S. Processing the Therapeutic Relationship. Psychotherapy Research: Journal of the
Society for Psychotherapy Research, 01/2009, Volume 19, Issue 1
2. www.guidance-research.org/
3. www.intute.ac.uk/
4. www.irish-counselling.ie
5. www.bacp.co.uk

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