Social and Ethical Issues in Counselling

Unit code: APT5070 | Study level: Postgraduate
12
(Generally, 1 credit = 10 hours of classes and independent study.)
City Campus
N/A
Overview
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Overview

This unit of study will examine the social and ethical factors relevant to counselling. Factors to be considered include gender, ethnicity, class, occupation, and age. Implications of social context for counselling practice such as the assumptions that client and counsellor bring to counselling as a function of their social background, power relationships in the counsellor-client dyad, blaming the victim versus empowerment will also be addressed. The unit will also address ethical issues in counselling, ethical principles and ethical dilemmas: the philosophical basis of ethical principles; client rights and responsibilities, counsellor rights and responsibilities and referrals from an ethical perspective.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

  1. Appraise the ethical principles relevant to the client-counsellor relationship.
  2. Critically review the impact of social context factors on the counselling process and counsellor decision-making and ethical stance.
  3. Formulate and justify response to ethical dilemmas appropriately which may arise in counselling practise.
  4. Plan and implement ethical decision-making in the assessment counselling work.

Assessment

For Melbourne campuses

Assessment type: Presentation
|
Grade: 20%
Class presentation on an ethical dilemma (15mins)
Assessment type: Essay
|
Grade: 30%
Ethical self-reflection - challenges and barriers to being an ethical counsellor (2000 words)
Assessment type: Test
|
Grade: 50%
Multiple-choice ethical knowledge test - 90mins duration

Required reading

Students will be directed to current texts and journal articles in the relevant areas by the Unit Convenor.

As part of a course

This unit is not compulsory for any specific course. Depending on the course you study, this unit may be taken as an elective.

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