Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE COU5128

 
TITLE Introduction to Counselling Children and Adolescents

 
UM LEVEL 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course

 
MQF LEVEL 7

 
ECTS CREDITS 5

 
DEPARTMENT Counselling

 
DESCRIPTION This study-unit is designed to provide counsellors in training with useful, research-based tools and techniques to help children and adolescents through a variety of social, emotional and behavioural, difficulties. It offers an overview of the essential elements and principles of the therapeutic use of play, including a review of the stages of the counselling relationship with children and adolescents, developmental considerations, common presenting problems of children coming for counselling, the evolving research that guides interventions using play, history of play therapy and its use in a variety of settings, and the basic counselling skills using play techniques. Both directive and non-directive techniques will be introduced.

There will be a strong experiential component throughout, which will focus on exposure to the basic play techniques through the observation of local professionals and instructors, experts filmed using play techniques and engagement in practical exercises using play media for skills development within the context of an ethical and diversity-sensitive practice. Methods of learning include a combination of lectures, didactic instruction, discussion, individual and group experiential exercises, video clips, and role-play.

Given the pedagogy used trainees are expected to attend all the lectures and prepare themselves by completing assigned readings prior to the respective lecture.

Study-Unit Aims:

- To discuss different approaches to counselling children and adolescents;
- To sensitise the students to the particular issues related to counselling children and adolescents;
- To discuss the function and meaning of children’s interactions;
- To introduce the principles of forming a helping alliance with children and adolescents and their system;
- To introduce the use of various techniques in counselling children and adolescents;
- To introduce the core skills in using play techniques in counselling children, adolescents and families;
- To provide students with the opportunity to begin to develop the skills of the effective counselling with children and adolescents;
- To increase awareness of reflexivity, including the counsellor’s personal and professional identity as a child and adolescent counsellor.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Demonstrate an understanding of the purposes and goals of various techniques in counselling children;
- Explain the developmental stages of children and children's play;
- Compare and contrast the most widely accepted theoretical models of play therapy and the formats in which they are most commonly offered (individual, group, family, etc.);
- Identify developmentally appropriate toys and materials that can be incorporated into either a permanent or travelling play room for counselling children;
- Demonstrate skills in conceptualising clients’ presenting problems developmentally and theoretically;
- Demonstrate an understanding of the role of the counsellor in the context of the client's systems;
- Identify, examine and discuss key elements in a counselling relationship with children and adolescents;
- Demonstrate an understanding of various techniques in counselling children and adolescents;
- Evaluate personal and professional relational style and the impact of relational style on the unfolding relationship with the client;
- Describe the evolving body of qualitative and quantitative play therapy research;
- Identify issues of diversity and how they impact on every facet of counselling children and adolescents , from choice of materials to the relationship with the client;
- Identify unique ethical considerations specific to child counselling.

2. Skills
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Demonstrate the ability to form a therapeutic alliance with children and adolescents;
- Demonstrate culturally appropriate counselling skills based on play techniques with children and adolescents;
- Critically reflect on their development as a child and adolescent counsellor;
- Discuss how their own cultural backgrounds, influences, and biases may influence the process of counselling and the counselling relationship;
- Practice experiential group work using play techniques;
- Practice advocacy for the client with the client's systems.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Main Texts:

Trainees would be given a reading pack by the lecturer.

- Boyd Webb, N. (1999) Play Therapy with Children in Crisis; Individual, Group and Family Treatment. The Guilford Press. Chapter 2 Play Therapy Crisis Intervention with Children
- Jones, P (1996) Drama as Therapy: Theatre as Living. Routledge.

Supplementary Readings:

- Alvarez, A. & Phillips, A. (1998) The Importance of Play: A Child's Psychotherapist's View. Child Psychology & Psychiatry Review, 3 (3), 99-103. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-3588.00223
- Axline,V. M. (1964) Dibbs in search of self. Ballantine.
- Carroll, J. (2002) Play therapy: the children’s views. Child and Family Social Work, 7, 177-187. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2206.2002.00234.x
- Davis, M. Wellbridge, D. (1981) Boundary and Space - an introduction to the work of D.W. Winnicott. Tavistock Publications Ltd.
- Gil, E. (2006) Helping Abused and Traumatized Children. Guilford Publications.
- Levy, A. J. (2011). Neurobiology and the Therapeutic Action of Psychoanalytic Play Therapy with Children. Clinical Social Work Journal, 39(1), 50-60. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-009-0229-x
- Levy, A.J. (2008). The Therapeutic Action of Play in the Psychodynamic Treatment of Children: A Critical Analysis. Clinical Social Work, 36, 281-291. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-008-0148-2
- McMahon, L. (1992) The Hand book of Play Therapy.Routledge.
- Ryan, V. (1999) Developmental Delay, Symbolic Play and Non-Directive Play Therapy. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 4, 167-185. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359104599004002004
- Stern, D. (1985) The Interpersonal World of the Infant. Basic Books
- Wilson, K., Kendrick, P., Ryan, V. (1992) Play Therapy; a Non-directive Approach for Children and Adolescents. Bailliere Tindall.

 
ADDITIONAL NOTES Students are expected to attend all the lectures and prepare themselves by completing assigned readings prior to the respective lectures.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Presentation See note below Yes 40%
Assignment See note below Yes 60%
Note: Assessment due will vary according to the study-unit availability.

 
LECTURER/S

 

 
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Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

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