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Overview

PPC4004 Therapeutic Process and Context prepares students to work as a counsellor by providing them with an understanding of the foundation of the therapeutic process, including ethics, boundaries, risk, and diversity. Students are given lectures outlining the core theories and considerations to hold as a practitioner, and then they apply this theory in practice during their oral discussion group workshops.

Topics covered in this module include: • Defining Counselling and Psychotherapy • Counsellor and Client Roles • Counselling in the Modern World • Boundaries and Ethics • Risks and Safeguarding • Appreciating Diversity • Therapeutic Process • Outcome Evaluations • Case Formulation • Language in Therapy

Please note that these topics are subject to change dependent on staff availability, unexpected circumstances, and the assessed needs of the students.

Assessment Strategy

Assessment criteria for this module are:

Excellent (A*, A+, A, A-) • Insightful understanding of the process and context of therapeutic work • Comprehensive knowledge of the therapeutic process and context • Detailed understanding with no factual errors • Critical analysis showing evaluation and synthesis of ideas • Novel and innovative originality in approach, interpretation, and voice • Extensive and comprehensive independent research • Logically defended arguments with evidence for all claims • Highly focused and well structured • Excellent presentation with accurate and appropriate expression • Correct format in appropriate referencing style

Good (B+, B, B-) • Clear understanding of the process and context of therapeutic work • Strong knowledge of the therapeutic process and context • Clear understanding and mostly free of factual errors • Some analysis showing critical evaluation and links between ideas • Novel originality in approach, interpretation, and voice • Considerable independent research from appropriate sources • Coherent arguments with evidence for most claims • Focused and well structured • Clear presentation with accurate and appropriate expression • Mostly correct format in appropriate referencing style

Threshold (C+, C, C-) • Basic understanding of the process and context of therapeutic work • Some knowledge of the therapeutic process and context • Understanding of the main concepts with no major factual errors • Basic analysis showing obvious points of evaluation and links between ideas • Some originality in approach, interpretation, and/or voice for part of the work • Some independent research from appropriate sources • Arguments presented with evidence for the most important claims • Readable structure showing focus at times • Acceptable presentation with appropriate expression • Attempt at correct format in appropriate referencing style with no major errors

If you do not meet the threshold, then your work will be graded as a Fail. Fail grades vary from Poor (D+, D, D-, E+, E, E-) to Very Poor (F).

Learning Outcomes

• Critically reflect on the professional relationship between counsellor and client, with specific focus on the student as a practitioner

• Engage in the ongoing process of formulation by generating a framework for the client's presentation and creating a therapeutic strategy for intervention drawing on theory and research

• Explain and manage expectations and challenges in counselling, including working with risk, adhering to ethical guidelines, maintaining boundaries, and appreciating diversity

• Orally present critical insights into a therapeutic case study in a group supervision setting with consideration of risk, intervention, and challenges