Program Overview
Program Overview
The THL400 Pastoral Counselling Skills program is designed to develop professional counselling skills relevant to pastoral counselling situations. This program includes the establishment of a therapeutic pastoral counselling relationship and environment, the use of counselling microskills within pastoral counselling situations, and professional, ethical, and theological issues for pastoral counsellors.
Availability
- The program is offered in Session 1 (30) and is available online and at the Canberra Campus.
- A residential school is a component of this program, which provides students with the opportunity to practice pastoral counselling skills and explore interpersonal dynamics.
Subject Information
Grading System
The grading system for this program is HD/FL.
Duration
The program is one session in duration.
School
The program is offered by the School of Theology.
Enrolment Restrictions
Enrolment in this program is restricted to students presently enrolled in the following:
- Graduate Diploma of Pastoral Counselling
- Master of Pastoral Counselling
- Master of Pastoral Counselling (Clinical)
- Master of Ministry
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this program, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate use of appropriate communication skills within a pastoral setting
- Articulate knowledge of professional, ethical, and theological issues relevant to pastoral counselling
- Demonstrate the use of counselling microskills in pastoral counselling interventions
- Establish a safe pastoral counselling environment and relationship
- Set realistic goals for pastoral counselling interventions
- Articulate their individual strengths and growth areas as a potential pastoral counsellor
- Reflect on their pastoral counselling work with increasing self-awareness
Syllabus
This program will cover the following topics:
- Introduction to Pastoral Counselling in the Australian context
- Establishing a pastoral counselling relationship
- Self-awareness, utilisation of self, and self-reflective process within pastoral counselling
- Counselling microskills, including:
- Joining and listening
- Reflection of content and emotion
- Use of questions
- Summarising
- Reframing
- Reflection
- Challenge
- Normalising
- A basic model of pastoral counselling intervention
- First contact and creating closure in a variety of pastoral counselling settings
- Application of pastoral counselling skills
- Practical, ethical, professional, and theological issues in pastoral counselling
Residential School
The program includes a 4-day compulsory residential school, which will involve experiential and practical sessions where students can practice pastoral counselling skills, explore interpersonal dynamics, integrate theoretical counselling and theological knowledge, and develop increasing self-awareness through self-reflective processes.