COUN6103 Person and Practice of the Therapist Assessment 1
Psychology and Community Service
4th Mar 2026
2
Purpose:
The purpose of this assignment is for students to watch 2 video interviews featuring counsellors and clients. Through this exercise, students will examine and identify themes and factors that influence the development of therapeutic alliance between counsellors and clients. In addition, students will also gain insight into elements that supports the development of the Person of the Therapist.
Process:
Step 1: Watch the following 2 video interviews of counsellors and clients.
Talking about Counselling. 1:10:09 mins Sage Video - Talking about Counseling (navitas.com)
As you watch the first video, consider the following questions:
1. What motivated the counsellors to join the profession?
2. What were their counselling modalities and how did they know their approach was the one that works best for them?
3. What counselling skills were most valuable in building therapeutic alliances with clients?
4. What are the important attitudes and skills that counsellors/psychotherapists need to have in order to be highly effective?
5. What other areas did the counsellors share that highlighted techniques, attitudes or approaches that were helpful to their practices?
Experiences of Counselling. 1:02:58 mins Experiences of Counselling | Alexander Street, part of Clarivate (navitas.com)
From the 2nd video, analyse and examine:
1. What were the typical motivations that led clients to seek out therapy/counselling.
2. What did their counsellors do that enabled clients to feel comfortable, safe and supported throughout the therapy sessions?
3. What were the factors that enabled the counselling relationship to work?
Step 2: Analyse themes arising from watching the videos. Some themes you could consider exploring could include the following (this is not an exhaustive list). Please take note that you do not need to choose themes from this list. The purpose is for you to explore themes which you have identified through watching both videos.
• Developing and establishing the therapeutic relationship
• The common factors approach
• Self-awareness and self-reflexivity
• Power and control
• Art and science of psychotherapy and counselling
• The use of microskills for building of therapeutic relationship
• Use of alternative modes of counselling
Step 3: Write an essay that critically analyses the themes that you have identified that contributes to the development of therapeutic relationship between the counsellor and client, and also include a reflection of how these themes provided you with a better appreciation and understanding of the future therapy work that you will be involved in.
In the essay, consider the following structure:
Introduction
Provide an overview of what the essay is about while emphasising the importance of how understanding themes leading to effective counselling practice provides a good foundation for students building up their skills to become a counsellor/therapist. The second part of the introduction to include signposts that acts as a roadmap for the whole essay.
Introductions should around 5 to 8% of your total word count.
Refer to the following link to understand how to best write an introduction:
https://sls.navitas-professional.edu.au/essay-structure-bootcamp-5
Body - Section 1
• Explore and critically analyse the themes which you have identified from watching both videos.
• For each theme to be analysed, do consider the following paragraph structure.
• Start with a topic sentence stating for the reader what the main idea/argument in this paragraph is about
• Continue with supporting sentences, that provide evidence and examples from referenced literature
• Use verbatim quotes from one or both videos to support the themes you have identified.
• Finish with a concluding/linking sentence, which may serve as a transition to connect one paragraph to the next.
Refer to the following link to gain more information about how to best structure the various paragraphs in this section.
https://sls.navitas-professional.edu.au/paragraphing-0
Body – Section 2
Critically reflect on personal learning gained from exploration of the identified themes. In the reflection, you may include the following:
1. What are themes that has deepened my understanding of what it takes to be an effective counsellor/therapist? Some areas may include:
• How an identified theme resonated with you.
• Why did that theme resonate?
• What aspects of your ‘Self’ brought about that resonance?
• What does academic literature say about how this theme is connected with the aspect of ‘Self’ that you have identified?
2. What are areas that you would like to develop/strengthen as part of your journey to being trained as a counsellor/therapist? Some areas to consider:
• Why are these areas that you would like to develop important for you?
• How do these areas contribute to you being an effective counsellor/therapist?
• What does academic literature say about the importance of these areas?
Refer to the following link to understand how to write critically:
https://sls.navitas-professional.edu.au/lets-get-critical-how-think-and-write-critically
Conclusion
In the conclusion, summarise the main points and ideas that has been presented in the body of the essay. Draw conclusions from what was discussed and include a paraphrased restatement of your thesis statement, which was highlighted to the readers in the introduction. In the conclusion, there should be no new material to be introduced; Any new material, idea or discussion needs to be found only in your body paragraphs.
Generally, a conclusion is approximately 5%-8% of your actual word count.
Refer to the following link to understand how to write a conclusion:
https://sls.navitas-professional.edu.au/essay
Step 4: Submit your assignment as a single document in either MS Word or pdf format to the online class space assessment submission link. Ensure you have clicked on “submit” after you have uploaded your document.
Marking Criteria
|
Criterion |
High Distinction |
Distinction |
Credit |
Pass |
Did Not Achieve Learning Outcomes |
|
Application: Identify and critically reflect on learnings (including but not limited to, thoughts, feelings and understanding) arising from interview responses from both counsellors and clients and the implications for the Person of the counsellor-in-training. Reflections integrated with evidence-based research and interview examples. 10 marks |
Sophisticated, in-depth and personalised reflection on interview responses and the implications these have on the Person of the counsellor-in-training. Reflections are consistently developed and integrated concisely with at least 5 highly pertinent evidence-based research and interview examples. |
Comprehensive, mostly in-depth and personalised reflection on interview responses and the implications these have on the Person of the counsellor-in-training. Reflections are effectively developed and integrated with at least 4 pertinent evidence-based research and interview examples. |
Effective, at times in depth and personalised reflection on interview responses and the implications these have on the Person of the counsellor-in-training. Reflections are mostly developed and integrated with at least 3 evidence-based and interview examples. |
An attempt to provide some personal reflection on interview responses and the implications these have on the Person of the counsellor-in-training. Adequate development and integration of reflections with at least 2 evidence-based research and interview examples. |
Limited attempts to provide reflection on interview responses and the implications these have on the Person of the counsellor-in-training. Limited to no development and integration of reflections with evidence-based research and interview examples. |
|
Critical Analysis: Demonstrate knowledge and skills in evaluating and synthesising personal reflections and potential areas of growth and challenges for future practice in response to the interviews. 10 marks |
Insightful articulation, evaluation and synthesis of personal reflections and potential areas of growth and challenges for future counselling practice in response to the interview. |
Comprehensive evaluation and synthesis of personal reflections and potential areas of growth and challenges for future counselling practice in response to the interview. |
Effective evaluation and synthesis of personal reflections and potential areas of growth and challenges for future counselling practice in response to the interview. At least one area requires refinement or lacks rigour |
Some evaluation and synthesis of personal reflections and potential areas of growth and challenges for future counselling practice in response to the interview. At least two areas require refinement or lacks rigour |
Limited to no evaluation and synthesis of personal reflections and potential areas of growth and challenges for future counselling practice in response to the interview. |
|
Evidence: Demonstrate knowledge and skills in synthesising the unit content, with relevant citing of pertinent academic literature and examples from interviews. 10 marks |
All ideas are supported by a highly effective, consistent inclusion of relevant academic sources and pertinent interview examples throughout the assignment. |
All ideas are supported by the effective inclusion of relevant academic sources and interview examples throughout the assignment. |
The majority of ideas are supported by inclusion of mostly relevant academic sources and / or interview examples throughout the assignment. |
The ideas are inconsistently supported by relevant academic sources and / or interview examples throughout the assignment. Some sources may lack academic rigour / relevance. |
The ideas are inconsistent or not supported by relevant sources and / or interview examples. |
|
Academic literacies: 10 marks |
Written and presented to an exemplary academic standard i.e., diligent command and adherence to the specified genre; the communication is clear and logical. No errors in grammar, punctuation and or spelling. |
Written and presented to a high academic standard i.e., strong command and adherence to the specified genre; the communication is logical. Very few (<2) errors or repeated errors in grammar or punctuation spelling. Meaning is not impeded. Very few (<2) errors minor repeated errors in APA referencing and formatting. |
Written and presented to a satisfactory standard i.e., mostly adheres to the specified genre with at least one minor error; the communication is mostly clear. Few errors (<4) or repeated errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling. Meaning is mostly clear. Few (<4) minor repeated and unique errors in APA referencing and formatting. |
Written and presented to an adequate standard i.e., there is some adherence to the specified genre although more refinement is required; the communication is adequate. Some errors or repeated errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling. Meaning somewhat impeded. Some erros >4) in APA referencing and formatting. |
Written and presented to an unacceptable standard i.e., unsatisfactory adherence to the specified genre; the communication lacks logic & clarity. Considerable errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling. APA referencing and formatting contain unacceptable number of errors. |