POSTGRADUATECOUNSELLING COURSES

We acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. We recognise those whose ongoing effort to protect and promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures will leave a lasting legacy for future Elders and leaders.

COUNSELLING COURSES

• Graduate Certificate of Wellbeing in Schools

• Graduate Certificate of Counselling Skills with Offender Populations

• Graduate Diploma of Counselling

• Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy

Postgraduate

Graduate Certificate of Wellbeing in Schools

Suits existing professionals within the educational sector with an undergraduate degree

Graduate Certificate of Counselling Skills with Offender Populations

Suits those working in counselling related welfare, and / or the criminal justice system - prisons, parole, probation work, justice services, community rehabilitation and crime prevention

Graduate Diploma of CounsellingSuits those with a degree in another discipline who want to qualify as a counsellor

Master of Counselling and PsychotherapySuits those with an undergraduate degree in a cognate field of study, also suits those with a Graduate Diploma of Counselling

COURSE SUMMARY

THE DISCIPLINE OF COUNSELLING’S TEACHING PHILOSOPHY IS INFORMED BY THE PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING AND TEACHING AT ACAP AS DETAILED IN THE COLLEGE’S LEARNING AND TEACHING PLAN. OUR GRADUATE DIPLOMA OF COUNSELLING COURSE IS UNIQUELY DESIGNED TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH AN INTEGRATIVE MODEL OF THINKING THAT PREPARES THEM FOR WORK IN DIVERSE SETTINGS WITHIN MULTIPLE SERVICE PROVISION CONTEXTS. THIS PREPARATION IS ESSENTIAL IN OUR RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD.

WE ADOPT A DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH TO PEDAGOGY, CREATING AND DELIVERING A CURRICULUM CHARACTERISED BY INNOVATION, ADAPTATION, AND PRACTICE. WE INTENTIONALLY UTILISE AN APPLIED, REAL WORLD EXPERIENTIAL APPROACH TO PROMOTE AND SUSTAIN SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITHIN COUNSELLOR EDUCATION. THIS APPROACH REINFORCES OUR PHILOSOPHY OF PROMOTING LIFELONG PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE TO SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF DIVERSE INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES.

Discipline of Counselling Mission Statement

Our Mission is to develop highly skilled professional counsellors who foster the wellness of people in a

rapidly developing world. This is achieved through the provision of authentically engaging, multi-modal

teaching and learning that promotes and sustains social consciousness. With a commitment to advancing the

profession and high standards of professional diligence, we aim to provide high-level training, utilising an

applied, real world experiential focus to counsellor education. This hands on, practice orientated approach

ensures our graduates are critically reflective, competent, accountable, culturally relevant and fit to

practice effectively and ethically with diverse populations.

Discipline of Counselling Vision Statement

Our professional counsellor education courses are founded on high standards of respect, purpose, practicability, rigour and engagement. Committed to facilitating a professional learning and working identity, our students are empowered to be critical thinkers, independent, and interdependent lifelong learners, who are work-ready and fit to practice ethically.

GRADUATE CERTIFICATE OF WELLBEING IN SCHOOLS

Explores what constitutes, promotes and sustains wellbeing in schools, the range of wellbeing issues students may present with, diversity, equity and inclusivity.

4 units that can be studied over two trimesters full time, or part time equivalent

Entry requirements: Completion of a Bachelor or higher in any discipline (level 7 or higher)

GRADUATE CERTIFICATE OF COUNSELLING SKILLS WITH OFFENDER POPULATIONS

Provides an in-depth knowledge of penology, correctional practices, foundational Counselling

micro skills and interviewing practices applicable to diverse individuals and groups in offender

populations.

4 units that can be studied over two trimesters full time, or part time equivalent

Entry requirements: Completion of a Bachelor or higher in any discipline (level 7 or higher)

COURSE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Graduate Diploma of Counselling

• Completion of undergraduate degree in any field from an accredited HE provider, or

• Completion of HE Advanced Diploma and work experience, or

• Completion of an Associate Degree in a similar field of study and relevant work experience

• Complete a National Criminal History Record

• PACFA questionnaire completion

Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy

• Completion of undergraduate degree in a cognate field of study

• Provide two referee reports

• Complete a National Criminal History Record check within 30 days of accepting the offer

• PACFA questionnaire completion

Inherent Requirements - https://www.acap.edu.au/student-resources/inherent-requirements-at-acap/inherent-requirements-for-the-bachelor-of-counselling-and-graduate-diploma-of-counselling/

Inherent requirements are the essential components of a course that demonstrate the abilities, knowledge and skills to achieve the core learning outcomes. All students must be able to meet their course’s inherent requirements to successfully complete the course. Inherent requirements are concerned with abilities related to ethics, behaviour, legal compliance, communication, cognition, literacy, language, numeracy, sensory ability, reflective skills, relational skills, and sustainable performance.

The statements are clustered under eight domains consisting of ethical behaviour, behavioural stability, legal, communication, cognition, relational skills, reflective skills and sustainable performance. Many of the activities associated with the professional practice of a Counsellor are time sensitive, where the capacity to perform certain activities within specified time limits is required to reduce or avoid risks to client safety and wellbeing.

GRADUATE DIPLOMA OF COUNSELLING

Apply the theoretical and ethical foundations of counselling to a range of practical situations

2 years full-time or part-time equivalent

12 units including 200 hours of student placement, combined with 24 hours of small group supervision

Recommend 12 hours of study per week including one three-hour class (on-campus units)

MASTER OF COUNSELLINGAND PSYCHOTHERAPY

2 years full-time or part-time equivalent

16 units including 240 hours of student placement

Recommend 9 hours in total of study per week, per unit

Course Overview

• Advanced (second) training in contemporary counselling and psychotherapy

• Psychology Honours, Social Work Honours and Graduate Diploma of Counselling graduates articulate into the course with one year’s advanced standing (50% credit)

Graduates from the Graduate Diploma of Counselling and Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy are qualified to work in the public, private and community sectors, providing:

• Bereavement and loss counselling

• Alcohol and other drugs counselling

• Mental health services

• Family counselling

• Victims of crime support services

• Private practice offering counselling and supervision services

GRADUATE OUTCOMES

GRADUATE EMPLOYERS

AFS Intercultural Programs

Mission Australia

mPathic

CatholicCare

Melbourne City Mission

BH&A ConsultingDepartment of Aging,

Disability and Homecare

Salvation Army Counselling

Lifeline Australia

DARA Rehabilitation

Beyondblue

Westmead Adolescent Care

Life Without Barriers

Inner City Gambling Counselling Service

Australian Bureau of Statistics

South Sydney Youth Services

Relationships Australia

Family and Community Services

The Web Youth Service

Guide Dogs

Carers NSW

DrugArm

Wayback – drug and alcohol rehabilitation

STARTTS (Trauma and Torture)

Anglicare

Department of Justice and Attorney GeneralNSW Nurses

Association

Eating Disorders Foundation Inc.

SYNCHRONOUS ONLINE

Contains at least one synchronous component. i.e., synchronous lectures and synchronous tutorials; synchronous lectures and asynchronous tutorials; asynchronous lectures and synchronous tutorials. No face-to-face component.

In the Counselling Discipline this modality comprises:

Weekly 2-hour recorded national lecture (MULT) + Weekly 1-hour synchronous tutorial (tutorials capped at 24 students).

OR

Weekly 1-hour recorded national lecture (Coaching units) + Weekly 2-hour synchronous tutorial (tutorials capped at 24 students).

VARIATIONS TO SYNCHRONOUS ONLINE

GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN SCHOOL WELLBEING – 5 X 2-

HOUR SYNCHRONOUS SESSIONS + SELF-PACED ACTIVITIES (NO

WORKSHOP)

PLACEMENT AND SUPERVISION -2-HOUR WEEKLY SYNCHRONOUS

SESSIONS

COACHING SUPERVISION –WEEKLY SYNCHRONOUS

SESSIONS, ALTERNATING 2 HOUR (COUNSELLING) + 3 HOURS

(COACHING)

BASS PLACEMENT - 3-HOUR FORTNIGHTLY SYNCHRONOUS

SESSIONS

BLENDED DELIVERY

Blended: Synchronous lectures and tutorials. Includes a face-to-face workshop to be scheduled at a later date when social distancing restrictions allow.

01Five x 1-hour synchronous national lectures + Five x 1-hour synchronous tutorials (tutors with tutorials capped at 24 students). The tutorials accompany the national lecture scheduled in the same week)

022- or 3-day future-dated composite face-to-face workshop. Each day, or part day, of the workshop may represent a different unit.

03

ASYNCHRONOUS ONLINE

Weekly discussion forum posts arising from one of three nominated self-paced learning tasks. Students will be submitting one forum post responding and providing a summative weekly response to each of the three forum posts.

Fortnightly x 2 hours synchronous drop-in and consultation sessions across the trimester for engagement with students. These sessions are not mandatory and will be recorded.

Three recordings per week introducing and clarifying each of the 20-minute self-paced activities.

Weekly 1-hour recorded asynchronous national lecture. Three of these recorded lectures will be partly dedicated to introducing and clarifying the assessment tasks, including explaining the marking rubric. This assessment information must be provided at least two weeks prior to the three assessment due dates.

In the Counselling Discipline this modality comprises:

All components being delivered asynchronously online. i.e. asynchronous lectures and asynchronous tutorials. No mandatory face-to-face component.

Synchronous Online

A mandatory minimum attendance of 80% required for the synchronous tutorials. This means missing no more than 2 online tutorials across the trimester.

Blended Delivery

A mandatory minimum attendance of 80% is required for each element – i.e., lecture + tutorial + deferred face-to-face on campus workshop.

Asynchronous Online

A mandatory minimum attendance of 80% is required for all Attendance Requirement forum posts. This means non-completion of no more than two (i.e. 2 weeks of posts) forum posts across the trimester.

All students will need to complete a future dated on campus Professional Placement Workshop (PPW) in order to meet the face-to-face hours stipulated by accreditation bodies.

MODES

ACADEMIC SUPPORT

Student Learning Support

https://sls.navitas-professional.edu.au/

Individual consultations

Assessment feedback

Workshops and webinars

Recordings and materials