Course Coordinator: Matthew Doherty
Phone: +61 8313 4340
Email: matthew.doherty@adelaide.edu.au
Location: Level 11, 178 North Terrace

Learning and Teaching Team
Phone: +61 8313 0148
Email: postgrad_enq@adelaide.edu.au
Location: Level 7, 178 North Terrace

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

1	Outline knowledge of the underlying theories and core concepts of key approaches to family and relationship counselling;
2	Critically appraise research studies related to the clinical application of various approaches to family and relationship counselling;
3	Demonstrate an understanding of family systems, structure, developmental stages and changes through class discussions and written assignments;
4	Analyse and apply a variety of techniques and approaches to family and relationship counselling; these may include systems, experiential, developmental, cognitive-behavioural, emotion-focussed, narrative and integrative models;
5	Demonstrate practical knowledge of common counselling issues that are presented by families and couples, through class discussions and written assignments;
6	Recognise issues of cultural and other diversity in the formation of families and relationships;
7	Appropriately apply intervention skills for working with families and couples to resolve relationship difficulties, through a written assignment;
8	Appraise resources to support continuous learning regarding family and relationship counselling.

An important component of this unit is regular reading and reflection, intended to clarify and expand on material covered in class. Required textbooks:

Goldenberg, H., & Goldenberg, I. (2013). Family therapy: An overview. (8th ed). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole - Cengage Learning.
Long, L. L., & Young, M. E. (2007). Counselling and therapy for couples (2nd ed). Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole.
Links to required background readings will be made available to participants via MyUni.

The following textbooks are highly recommended:

Goldenberg, H., & Goldenberg, I. (2013). Family therapy: An overview. (8th ed). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole - Cengage Learning.

Long, L. L., & Young, M. E. (2007). Counselling and therapy for couples (2nd ed). Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole.

Recommended Reading:
Brown, J. H., & Brown, C. S. (2002). Marital therapy: Concepts and skills for effective practice. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

McGoldrick, M., Carter, B., & Garcia-Preto, N. (2010). The expanded family life cycle: Individual, family, and social perspectives (4th Ed.) Pearson Education.

Shaw, E., & Crawley. J. (2007). Couple therapy in Australia: Issues emerging from practice. Kew, VIC: Psychoz Publications.

Rhodes, P., & Wallis, A. (Eds.) (2011). A practical guide to family therapy. Structured guidelines and key skills. Melbourne: IP Communications.

Copies of readings (relevant journal articles) will be made available via MyUni.

A range of videos and Youtube clips will be recommended for students to study.

MyUni
All students enrolled in a postgraduate coursework program have access to a Postgraduate Coursework Student Centre on MyUni. This course is available on MyUni at www.adelaide.edu.au/myuni/.
Please check the website regularly as it may contain announcements that are relevant to your study in the course.
Weekly lecture notes will be provided via MyUni.

Links to literature that supports class discussions and assignment preparation will be available via MyUni.

If you would like the opportunity to network with other students, you can use the Communication features in the site
Send Email – This feature enables users to send email to fellow students.
Group Pages – Groups enable Users to collaborate with each other. Groups usually consist of a smaller group of Users in a course or organisation, such as study groups or project groups. From a Group Page, users may send email, exchange files, enter discussion forums or enter collaboration sessions.
Please note that you also have access to individual MyUni sites for EACH course you are enrolled in. Please check the sites regularly as they may contain important announcements that are relevant to your study in the course.

Access Adelaide
Access Adelaide is the name of the online service that allows you to access and, in some cases, amend your records. It can be found at: https://access.adelaide.edu.au/sa/login.asp.
You can log into Access Adelaide to view:
your enrolment details for any term
your academic results
your unofficial academic transcript
your personal details
the fees, charges and payments on your University account
your graduation eligibility details.
As a student you can:
change your address and telephone details (please inform the Discipline as well) change your password
set a password clue to help you remember your password.

Student email
It is important that you set up your student email and check it regularly. Information from your course coordinator and student administration will be sent to you at your University of Adelaide email address. It is your responsibility to check your email. You will need your student number located on your student card to log in. http://webmail.adelaide.edu.au/

Computers
Where can I use a computer in the University?
Computing facilities are provided to students by the University, and there are several suites of computers available, including at the Barr Smith Library and in Hub Central. The University web site has a list of computer labs at:http://www.adelaide.edu.au/technology/yourservices/learning-teaching/student-suites/

Internet access
The University provides a free dial-up service to students without the need for a commercial ISP account. This service is available at the cost of a local call to students residing within Adelaide (please refer to your telecommunications provider for confirmation of call costs). Students residing outside these numbers can dial into the University at STD call rates (www.adelaide.edu.au/its/desktop/dialup/).
Postgraduate Coursework students will receive a University Funded Quota of 500Mb.

This course will be an experiential and interactive one, with 12 weekly (2.5 hour) sessions, including didactic sessions, small group  and large group discussions, and role playing of introduced skills. The lecturer will use illustrations from his own work and case summaries presented by students, along with structured exercises and group discussion, as a way of supporting participants to engage with the various models of practice. Students will be exposed to a variety of approaches, with an emphasis on their connecting the learning to their own work and areas of interest and preferred counselling modalities, to develop their own ways of working in this area of practice.  The didactic and other face-to-face sessions will be supported by readings and videos, and  assessment designed to assist integration of learning and development of skills.

The course content will include the following topics:
An introduction to the underlying theories and key ideas informing counselling of families and couples.
A survey of the historical antecedents to current practice.
Family systems theory, including structure and family development stages.
An overview of common presenting issues and stressors.
Multigenerational, experiential, cognitive behavioural, emotion-focused, narrative, solution-focused and integrative models of working with families and couples.
Assessment techniques.
Practical interventions.

The majority of sessions will include the application of theoretical perspectives in skill development exercises and role-plays.

Class work will be supported by regular reading and reflection. The two written individual assignments will assist in the integration of theoretical and experiential perspectives.

In order to develop a further sense of competence with counselling skills, in small groups, participants will be asked to record a short video of a counselling session role play, illustrating use of a specific intervention. They will then play it to the class and facilitate a learning conversation with the class. The aim of the video is to provide students with the opportunity to learn through  collaborative reflection on the skills they are developing.

The course comprises two and a half hours every week, of lecture, seminar and small-group discussions. Sessions will be  seminar/workshop format, with a mixture of lectures and interactive exercises, and it is compulsory for all students to attend.  Essential readings or on-line video material will be recommended.

Face to Face lectures and practicals: 2.5 hours / week
Core/background readings: 6 hours / week
Preparation of assignments: 4 hours / week

Topic	Lecture
Course Overview and Introduction to Family Therapy	Introduction to course texts, readings and  key journals. Introduction to family and relationship counselling and systemic thinking. Brief overview of approaches to counselling.
Family Systems Theory	Models of family and couple counselling. Postmodern and cultural considerations;Reflection on own therapeutic style; History of the family therapy schools; Family resilience.
Family Development Stages	Establishing a life cycle perspective. Developmental stages with an intact family. Practical tools: Create genogram for own family.
Major Theories and  Assessment Techniques	Types of families; marital satisfaction; lifecycle stages; forming a therapeutic alliance; assessment tools; first session goals and structure. First session activities; Ecomap  construction.
Working with Couples	Working with Couples – as a support for families. Working with parents and adolescents. Analyse session DVD.
Multigenerational Counselling	Multigenerational counselling; Experiential counselling; Understanding couple stressors and dynamics. Role-play of a family session.
Approaches to Couples Counselling - 1	Cognitive behavioural couples counselling;Solution-focussed therapy; View and discuss DVD.
Approaches to Couples Counselling - 2	Narrative therapy; Emotion-focussed counselling with couples; View and discuss DVD.
Approaches to Couples  Counselling	The Integrative Model - Using visual/spatial techniques with couples and families; Practical tools: use of symbol work.
Separation and Divorce	Separation and divorce; divorce statistics, prevention and recovery; Counselling for the stages of divorce; Circular questioning skills practice.
Assessment of Student Skills  DVDs	Presentations of collaborative videos of skills role-plays; student facilitation of class discussion and peer assessment.
Review and Revision	Revisiting and revision activities; Applying session plans to a case scenario; Reflecting on own therapy style preferences; Collaborating in a course revision activity; Options for further learning.

To pass this course, students must:
Attend all sessions of the twelve 2½ hr seminars. In the case of illness a medical certificate will be required. If other unforeseen circumstances result in missing a seminar, replacement work may be negotiated. Submit two written assignments. Participate in a  peer-collaboration video project, and facilitate the in-class learning conversation about it, as well as peer assessment. Participate in seminar activities and class discussions throughout the seminar.

N/A

Assessment Task	Task Type	Weighting	Learning Outcome
Written Assignment 1.  Personal  reflection on own family system.	Summative	25%	1, 3, 4, 5
Written Assignment 2.  Critical analysis of two couples  counselling  approaches	Summative	35%	1, 2, 4, 5, 7
Assignment 3. Group video presentation and class discussion.	Summative	30%	1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Participation	Summative	10%	3, 7

Students are advised to comply with word limits for written assignments, and time limits for the group video and discussion. A 10% leeway on either side is acceptable.

Written assignment 1 (25%): Word limit – 2,000

Family system analysis – relating multigenerational and developmental theory to student’s family of origin.

The aim of this assignment is to analyse your family of origin, with a view to understanding it better, from the perspective of two  conceptual frameworks: 1. Bowen’s systemic approach and 2. a developmental perspective (e.g. from Carter & McGoldrick, 1999).  Explore the challenges of three or four generations of your family of origin. Appropriate use should be made of at least three diagrams, such as genograms, circumplex models, time-lines, etc. You must include a three-generation genogram (this can be  hand-drawn).

Possible sections:
Overview of theoretical frameworks
Signs of resilience 
Interactional patterns
Communicating emotions 
Relational patterns – roles and rules.
Personal response to working on the assignment.

Marking guide:
Description of the two theoretical models: 25
Description of your family system: 20
Illustrating the family narrative – use of genograms, etc. 30
Overall: application of theories, depth of understanding, clarity of expression: 15
Correct use of APA referencing style: 10

Written assignment 2 (35%): Word limit – 2,500
Critical analysis of two approaches to couples counselling, applied to a fictional case.
Address both Part A and Part B.

PART A: Critical analysis of two approaches
 
You are required to briefly describe and critically evaluate two approaches to couples counselling: evaluate the premise of the  claims, the methods and the underlying theoretical assumptions.
 
Choose two approaches to from these options:
o Behaviour Therapy or CBT with couples
o Multigenerational Approaches (Bowen)
o Solution Focused Therapy
o Narrative Therapy
o Emotionally-Focussed Couples Therapy
o An Integrative Model (as described in text: Long & Young, 2007, Ch. 4) 

In your critical evaluation briefly summarise and analyse:
o core theoretical premises / foundational theories
o central concepts
o main methods and techniques
o evaluation of the claims made by each approach / theory
o appropriateness or relevance of these two theories to the following case


PART B: Application of theories to a case

Drawing on the two theories you have chosen, show how the core concepts and main techniques might be applied within the first few sessions in a fictional case with the couple John and Jane.


Marking guide:
Description of the two approaches to couples counselling: 25
Critical evaluation of the two approaches to couples counselling: 25
Application of each approach to the fictional case: 30
Overall depth of understanding, and clarity of expression: 10
Correct use of APA referencing style: 10


Assignment 3 Group video presentation (30%): (Presented in class)
Collaborative course review project:
Part A: Students work in small groups to plan and video a 15 minute role play of a (mock) couple or family counselling session,  designed to illustrate the use of a particular counselling intervention discussed during the course. Students will consult with the  instructor about the intervention before video recording.
Part B: Each group introduces and screens the video in class and facilitates discussion within the class following viewing  (approximately 30 minutes). The discussion facilitation should aim to elicit class reflection and interaction.

Marking guide:
Instructor assessment 20% – made up of:
- 10% for counselling skills displayed in video
- 10% for conducting the class presentation / facilitation of discussion
Peer assessment of skills demonstrated in video 10% – using a marking matrix
(Total of 30%)

Participation (10%):
Assessment by instructor. Assessment of class participation is based on consideration of the student’s attendance record, their  ability to manage time (in terms of attendance and assignment submission), their engagement in developing and fostering group  norms for the class, their willingness to offer questions in class, engagement in small-group discussions and learning tasks, their  respectful and professional engagement with peers and staff, evidence of their tolerance with peers and clients, and their ability to  modify behaviour in response to feedback from peers or staff.

Extensions
All extensions for assignments must be requested, at the latest, by the last working day before the due date of submission.   Extensions will generally be granted only on medical or genuine compassionate grounds.  Supporting documentation must be provided at the time a student requests an extension.  Without documentation, extensions will not be granted.  Late requests for  extension will neither be accepted nor acknowledged.

Only the Course Co-ordinator(s) may grant extensions.

Supporting documentation will be required when requesting an extension. Examples of documents that are acceptable include: a  medical certificate that specifies dates of incapacity, a police report (in the case of lost computers, car & household theft etc.), a  letter from a Student Counsellor, Education and Welfare Officer (EWO) or Disability Liaison Officer that provides an assessment of  compassionate circumstances, or a letter from an independent external counsellor or appropriate professional able to verify the  student’s situation.  The length of any extension granted will take into account the period and severity of any incapacity or impact  on the student.  Extensions of more than 10 days will not be granted except in exceptional circumstances.

Late submission
Marks will be deducted when assignments for which no extension has been granted are handed in late.

All assignments, including those handed in late, will be assessed on their merits.  In the case of late assignments where no  extension has been granted, 5 percentage points of the total marks possible per day will be deducted.  If an assignment that is 2  days late is awarded 65% on its merits, the mark will then be reduced by 10% (5% per day for 2 days) to 55%.  If that same  assignment is 4 days late, the mark will be reduced by 20% (5% per day for 4 days) to 45%, and so on.

The School of Public Health reserves the right to refuse to accept an assignment that is more than 7 days late.

Assignments submitted after the due date may not be graded in time to be returned on the listed return dates.

Students submitting examinable written work who request (and receive) an extension that takes them beyond the examination  period are advised that there is no guarantee that their grades will be processed in time to meet usual University deadlines.
 
Resubmission
If a student is dissatisfied with an assessment grade they should follow the Student Grievance Resolution Process  <https://www.adelaide.edu.au/student/grievance/process/>.  Students who are not satisfied with a particular assessment resultshould raise their concerns with Course Co-ordinator(s) in the first instance.  This must be done within 10 business days of  the date of notification of the result.  Resubmission of any assignment is subject to the agreement of the Course Co-ordinator(s)  and will only be permitted for the most compelling of reasons.