Top of page
Global Site Navigation

School of Arts and Humanities

Local Section Navigation
You are here: Main Content

Counselling

Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy

Students are prepared to work within the frame of individual therapies, Families & couples work and group psychotherapy. The aim is for students to develop their experience in both in-depth and more intensive short-term modalities. Clinical emphasis on the person of the therapist in relationship with the world of the client/s is a key part of all the units. This course is psychologically and culturally relevant to populations across the lifespan and encompasses classical and modern understandings of contemporary mental health issues, with the goal of aiding in early interventions and symptom relief

Students seeking placement are in their final year of the course.

For more information on the Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy, please refer to the Course Handbook.

Semester 1

The following units must be completed with a PASS or above grade before going on placement.

  • COU6121 - Psychodynamic Theories of Counselling
  • COU6113 - Principles of Psychodynamic Practice
  • COU5303 - Couples & Family Therapy
  • COU6305 - Individual Psychotherapy Practice 1

Semester 2

The following units must be completed with a PASS or above grade before going on placement.

  • COU6324 - Individual Psychotherapy Practice 2
  • COU5210 - Personal Issues in Counselling
  • COU6114 - Object Relations & Attachment Theory
  • COU6403 - Psychodynamic Theories of Couples & Family Therapy

In addition to the first year units, students must complete and Pass the Systemic Skills assessment component of the unit COU6428 - Couples & Family Therapy Clinical Practice 1. This unit will run on an intensive basis prior to Semester 1 of the placement year.

Please be aware that you must be enrolled in the relevant field placement unit in order to partake in professional placement.

You are also required to successfully apply for a Working With Children Check and National Police Check; these and other related documents are available on the Essential documents web page.

Professional Placement Coordinator - Counselling and Psychotherapy
Dr Sonam Pelden 
Telephone: (+61 8) 6304 5671 
Email: s.pelden@ecu.edu.au

Master of Counselling (Accelerated Online)

Placement provides an opportunity for the student to engage in supervised practice in an agency setting. Aimed at developing the full identity and competence of the counsellor, students will be required to plan, implement, and evaluate counselling sessions, collaborate as part of an interprofessional team, engage reflectively in supervision and adhere to agency protocols, policies and procedures.

Students will spend approximately two days a week in an agency setting and will carry a client load allocated by the agency. Students are expected to meet professional standards of punctuality, dependability, and responsibility. Placement will consist of 220 hours (60 contact) in which there is 16 hours of supervision.

The following units must be completed with a PASS or above grade before going on placement:

  • Foundations of Counselling Practice
  • Theories and Techniques in Counselling
  • The Role of the Counsellor
  • Ethics in Counselling
  • Counselling in a Digital World
  • Mental Health Counselling
  • Trauma Informed Counselling
  • Counselling at the Cultural Interface: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People and Practice
  • Child and Adolescent Counselling
  • Advanced Theories and Techniques in Counselling

Please be aware that you must be enrolled in the relevant field placement unit in order to partake in professional placement.

  • Placement Manual
  • Placement Information Form

Students are required to successfully apply for a Working With Children Check (or your state’s equivalent) and National Police Check. The Placement Coordinator will be in touch with students directly with instructions on how to complete these.

The accrediting body for this program is:

If you have any questions, queries or concerns regarding Counselling placements, please contact the placements team via placement@studyonline.ecu.edu.au

Skip to top of page