Social, Legal and Ethical Issues
The active involvement and participation of students in this unit is central to the development of a solid ethical foundation in counselling. Students develop a keen awareness and understanding of legal and ethical issues in counselling and their social implications. A wide variety of important and relevant topics are explored and researched, ranging from the impact of cultural differences in counselling to working with the victims of physical and emotional abuse. Students learn to recognise clients as individuals regardless of their culture, gender, disability or socio-economic status.
Learning Outcomes
- Use concepts and terminology on various social issues including culture, gender, age and disabilities
- Identify personal values and how these relate to various counselling situations
- Research theories and sociological issues for cultural and gender differences
- Relate social issues to the presenting problem
- Identify ethical and legal issues when working with clients
- Identify issues of discrimination and harassment
- Apply self-awareness to individual and relationship counselling skills
Content Areas
- Distinguishing Between Morals, Values and Establishing a Helping Relationship
- Establishing a Helping Relationship
- Understanding Legal Implications
- Protecting Children
- Respecting Client Autonomy
- Setting Boundaries
- Clarifying Dual Relationships
- Managing Sexual Boundaries and Feelings
- Working Cross Culturally
- Being Aware of Diverse Populations
- Working with Counselling Supervision
- Avoiding Burnout and Continuing Training
Unit Duration and Workload
This unit involves a total of 36 hours of face to face delivery of self directed study including educator contact in flexible delivery modes, generating a further 54 hours of self-study per unit including research and related study activities, including assessment. This translates to 7.5 hours per week for the unit.