BIRKBECK, University of London, FACULTY OF LIFELONG LEARNING
Module/Occurrence Code:
FFPS002UCLB
Subject Area:
Psychology
Module Title:
Counselling Psychology
Award Designation:
Applied Psychology
(Certificate of Higher Education)
Applied Psychology - Counselling Theories
(Certificate of Higher Education)
Applied Psychology – Occupational
(Certificate of Higher Education)
Institution:
Birkbeck College
Venue:
SCOLA, Sutton Manor Centre SM1
First Meeting:
Wednesday 24th September 2008, 7pm - 9pm
No of Meetings:
22 meeting(s)
Class Dates:
Term 1: 24/09/08 – 10/12/08 (Half Term: 29/10/08)
Term 2: 07/01/09 – 25/03/09 (Half Term: 18/02/09)
Class Taught by:
Annie Shamsi
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
The course is open to all
AIM
To outline and evaluate the ways in which psychological theories and research have been applied to
the counselling process.
OBJECTIVES
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Provide an insight into ways in which psychology has been applied to the work of the counsellor.
Examine the major approaches to counselling, including contemporary approaches.
Give an overview of the research methods used within this area of psychology, including relative
advantages and disadvantages .
Highlight the ethical issues involved when conducting research [with particular reference to harm]
and the issues that arise when trying to generalise results (for example across cultures).
Support students to take part in the assessment process.
Support and develop students' study skills, including note taking and essay writing.
Build students’ confidence in presenting their own ideas and in critical thinking.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this course you will be able to:
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Identify and discuss critically ways in which psychology has been applied to the work of the
counsellor.
Identify and evaluate the major approaches to counselling.
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Demonstrate an understanding of the development of ideas within this field, and of contemporary
approaches and issues.
Recognise a range of research methods that might be appropriate to the study of this area of
psychology (identifying strengths and weaknesses of core methodologies).
Identify the ethical issues when conducting research in this area (with particular
consideration of harm).
Demonstrate an appropriate awareness of cultural considerations in the evaluation of theory and
research.
Illustrate the practical applications of research findings.
Think critically about the subjects covered.
Present your own ideas about issues addressed on the course.
Discuss and implement a range of strategies to support your learning.
Successfully plan and write essays or other assignments which have been set to support your
learning on this course.
CONTENT
Introduction
In the first part of the course we shall examine the question 'What is counselling?'.
Definitions of counselling; models of health and illness; the range of different types of counselling and
elements of the counselling process will be considered.
Abnormal psychology
In this section psychiatric diagnoses, classification problems and bio-medical theories of causation will
be discussed.
Approaches to counselling
The major approaches to counselling will be considered, including Psychodynamic, Behavioural,
Cognitive and Humanistic.
Social and developmental psychology
Here we shall focus on the contributions of social psychology and attribution theory. Groups and group
processes will be examined. We shall then discuss models of the lifespan (eg, Erikson, Levinson,
Gould) and look at important issues in infancy and childhood (attachment, parenting, the work of
Winnicott and Stern).
Communication skills and counselling
Communication skills are essential in counselling and in this part of the course we shall discuss person
perception and perceptual skills; the communication process; channels of communication and selfpresentation.
Research in counselling
In the last part of the course we shall look at research in counselling: outcome and process research;
factors in the effectiveness of counselling; problems and validity of counselling research.
TEACHING AND LEARNING METHODS
A range of teaching methods may be used e.g. lectures on the area being studied - students are
encouraged to ask questions and discuss points throughout. There may also be small group exercises
with feedback to the large group to provide an opportunity for clarification of ideas and discussion.
Other methods may include: videos, experiments, student presentations, discussion of published
articles, etc. Students will be given help with study skills.
Students should also expect to build on their learning in class by undertaking guided independent study
including appropriate reading and research, further details can be found in the Award Handbook for the
Certificate of Higher Education in Psychology.
METHODS OF ASSESSMENT
The assessment process gives students important opportunities to learn, to check their learning and to
discuss their progress with the tutor. Consequently, students will be expected to prepare four pieces of
coursework for assessment. Two of which will be written under timed conditions in the classroom. The
other two may take a variety of forms such as essays, case studies, reports and possibly class
presentations. Each piece will be 1,500 words in length (or the equivalent). You are encouraged to
discuss with your tutor the particular topics and the type of assignment you would like to focus on in
your assessments. It may be possible to accommodate your personal interests within the syllabus.
If the course is completed successfully, 30 CATS points will be awarded, which may be transferred to
some degree courses.
READING
If this is the first course you have taken in psychology it may be useful to read a chapter
from an introductory text that outlines the main schools of thought within psychology and
the main approaches to research methods. Books on ‘Abnormal Psychology’ will usually
have an introductory chapter on this. There are many books on the market and in the
library called ‘Abnormal Psychology’ e.g.
Carr, A. (2001). Abnormal Psychology. Routledge.
Comer, R. J. (2000). Abnormal Psychology, (4th ed). W. H. Freeman.
Costello, T. W., Costello, J. T. & Holmes, D.A. (1995). Abnormal Psychology. Harper
Collins.
Davison, G. D. & Neale, J. M. (2001). Abnormal Psychology (8th ed). J Wiley.
Seligman, M. E. P., Walker, E. F. & Rosenhan, D. L. (2001). Abnormal Psychology (4th
ed.). Norton.
They will cover similar material. It is the detail in each that will vary. Have a look and see
which one you find easy to read, interesting and useful. It would be best if you could
borrow such a book from a library as it is only particular sections that will be useful for
this course.
If you don’t have access to a book on abnormal psychology you will also find one or two
introductory chapters on the main schools of thought and research methods in most
general introductions to psychology E.g:
Atkinson, R.C., Atkinson, R.L. et al. (2000). Introduction to Psychology. (13th ed.). Harcourt
Brace Jovanovich.
Gross, R. (2005). Psychology: the Science of Mind and Behaviour (5th ed). Hodder.
NB This is slightly easier to read than the book by Atkinson et al.
Again, try to borrow this from a library, rather than buy it.
Recommended texts:
You are not expected to read all the books listed below. They are examples of books that
you may find interesting or useful. Your tutor will give you further guidance once the
course begins.
Dryden, W. (ed) (1996). Handbook of Individual Therapy. Sage.
Egan, G. (1998). The Skilled Helper (6th ed.). Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
McLeod, J. (1998). An Introduction to Counselling. Open University Press.
Todd, J. and Bohart, J.C. (1994). Foundations of Clinical and Counselling Psychology (2nd ed.). Harper and
Row.
Tubbs, S.L. and Moss, S. (1994). Human Communication (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Woolfe, R., Dryden, W. and Strawbridge S. (1996). Handbook of Counselling Psychology. Sage.
The course lecturer may also recommend other books for use during the course.
Library and study skills resources
To join the library – once you have enrolled send in a passport size photograph of yourself with
your full name, student number and module code on the back to your subject Executive
Officer. Your library card also serves as your ID card. Once you have your library card you
can also activate your Birkbeck computer account. This will give you access to electronic
resources – for instructions and further information see this link
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/lib/about/userinfo/fcestudents/fceccsstud
You may find the following web links helpful for your studies.
 For information on how best to access the resources available for psychology students
through Birkbeck College Library, students may wish to work through the tutorial
available at http://www.bbk.ac.uk/lib/life/
 For guidance on study skills, including essay and report writing, research and
referencing, go to http://www.bbk.ac.uk/ce/psychology where you will be directed to
relevant links.
 For specific guidance for psychologists and psychology students on getting the best
out the internet go to http://www.vts.rdn.ac.uk/tutorial/psychologist
 For specific guidance on how to avoid plagiarism in your course work go to
https://connect.le.ac.uk/p50066682/ and press the ‘play’ button.
Course Evaluation:
During the course students will be asked to complete an evaluation form which gives the opportunity to
provide feedback on all aspects of their learning.
Revised 2008