ED55NF: Development of Professional Practice, Reflexivity and Enquiry

ED55NF: DEVELOPMENT OF PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE, REFLEXIVITY AND ENQUIRY (2023-2024)

Last modified: 05 Oct 2023 08:46

Course Overview

This course aims to enable students to develop the personal qualities and professional skills necessary for competent and reflective practitioners within a person centred framework. Self-awareness, counselling theory, practice and research are integrated to a level that enables course members to engage with therapeutic processes in a range of counselling relationships. Although the counselling programme is structured on a modular basis it is conceptualised as a comprehensive experience. The programme has four strands: Counselling Relationship and Therapeutic Process; Counselling Theory and Research; Personal Development; Professional Development. This course constitutes the 2nd module of the fulltime counselling programme.

Course Details

Study Type	Postgraduate	Level	5
Term	Second Term	Credit Points	60 credits (30 ECTS credits)
Campus	Aberdeen	Sustained Study	No
Co-ordinators	Dr Kate Smith

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

Any Postgraduate Programme (Studied)

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

Course Description

Specifically, this course aims to enable students to:

Understand the philosophy, theory, and research concerning the person-centred approach.
Develop the person-centred therapeutic attitudes of unconditional positive regard, empathy, and congruence in the counselling relationship.
Develop a high level of awareness of competence in person-centred counselling relationships.
Develop awareness of their professional developmental needs and of the importance of the full use of counselling supervision.
Develop critical understanding of the place person-centred counselling occupies in the field of counselling and the role counselling plays in society as a whole.
Understand the person-centred perspective on psychopathology and psychodiagnosis and the critiques of the application of the medical model to the field of counselling and psychotherapy.
Evaluate the importance of personal development in relation to training as a person-centred counsellor.
Consider the effect of personal experience, values, and attitudes on the counsellor’s practice.
Use research findings in a critical and informed way to develop a deeper understanding of person-centred practice and theory.
Understand established methods and techniques of research in the counselling and psychotherapy field.
Place individual counselling practice within a sound ethical framework as outlined in the BACP Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy and the COSCA Statement of Ethics and Code of Practice.

Associated Costs

Description	Value
Independent supervision fortnightly. As required by COSCA.	50.0000

Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers

Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 21st September 2026 for Term 1 and Full Year courses and 8th January 2027 for Term 2 courses.

Summative Assessments

Case Study

Assessment Type	Summative	Weighting	50
Assessment Weeks	30	Feedback Weeks	33	Look up Week Numbers
Feedback	Turnitin used with written feedback

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge Level	Thinking Skill	Outcome
Procedural	Apply	Understanding of and commitment to work within BACP and COSCA ethical frameworks.
Reflection	Apply	Awareness and understanding of own self-concept and introjected values and how they impinge on the quality of the therapeutic relationship.
Reflection	Evaluate	Awareness of prejudices and biases towards clients and a commitment to overcome them.
Reflection	Evaluate	Critical awareness of power dynamics within counselling relationship.
Reflection	Evaluate	Development of personal responsibility for own learning process.

Essay

Assessment Type	Summative	Weighting	50
Assessment Weeks	39	Feedback Weeks	42	Look up Week Numbers
Feedback	Turnitin used with written feedback.	Word Count	5000

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge Level	Thinking Skill	Outcome
Factual	Understand	Understanding the relationship between other counselling orientations and the person-centred approach.
Factual	Understand	Understanding of established methods and techniques of research in the counselling and psychotherapy field.
Reflection	Evaluate	Development of personal responsibility for own learning process.

Formative Assessment

Placement

Assessment Type	Formative	Weighting
Assessment Weeks		Feedback Weeks	Look up Week Numbers
Feedback	Minimum of 100 counselling sessions to be achieved over the academic year.

Learning Outcomes

Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on or with the Course Coordinator
Knowledge Level	Thinking Skill	Outcome

Two submissions of client session recordings

Assessment Type	Formative	Weighting
Assessment Weeks		Feedback Weeks	Look up Week Numbers
Feedback	Written tutor feedback.

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge Level	Thinking Skill	Outcome
Procedural	Apply	Understanding of and commitment to work within BACP and COSCA ethical frameworks.
Reflection	Apply	Awareness and understanding of own self-concept and introjected values and how they impinge on the quality of the therapeutic relationship.
Reflection	Apply	Ability to work in a way that sustains personal well-being and good practice.
Reflection	Evaluate	Critical awareness of power dynamics within counselling relationship.

Reflective journal

Assessment Type	Formative	Weighting
Assessment Weeks	34	Feedback Weeks	37	Look up Week Numbers
Feedback	Written feedback

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge Level	Thinking Skill	Outcome
Reflection	Apply	Awareness and understanding of own self-concept and introjected values and how they impinge on the quality of the therapeutic relationship.
Reflection	Apply	Ability to work in a way that sustains personal well-being and good practice.
Reflection	Evaluate	Development of personal responsibility for own learning process.
Reflection	Evaluate	Awareness of prejudices and biases towards clients and a commitment to overcome them.

Resit Assessments

Essay

Assessment Type	Summative	Weighting	50
Assessment Weeks	44	Feedback Weeks	48	Look up Week Numbers
Feedback	Literature review. Turnitin used with written feedback.	Word Count	5000

Learning Outcomes

Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on or with the Course Coordinator
Knowledge Level	Thinking Skill	Outcome

Essay

Assessment Type	Summative	Weighting	50
Assessment Weeks	37	Feedback Weeks	41	Look up Week Numbers
Feedback	Case study. Turnitin used with written feedback.	Word Count	5000

Learning Outcomes

Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on or with the Course Coordinator
Knowledge Level	Thinking Skill	Outcome

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge Level	Thinking Skill	Outcome
Procedural	Apply	Understanding of and commitment to work within BACP and COSCA ethical frameworks.
Factual	Understand	Understanding of established methods and techniques of research in the counselling and psychotherapy field.
Factual	Understand	Understanding the relationship between other counselling orientations and the person-centred approach.
Reflection	Apply	Awareness and understanding of own self-concept and introjected values and how they impinge on the quality of the therapeutic relationship.
Reflection	Evaluate	Development of personal responsibility for own learning process.
Reflection	Evaluate	Critical awareness of power dynamics within counselling relationship.
Reflection	Apply	Ability to work in a way that sustains personal well-being and good practice.
Reflection	Evaluate	Awareness of prejudices and biases towards clients and a commitment to overcome them.

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