Virtues-Based Counselling: Working With Hope, Courage and Compassion (CO3003Z)

Content

At the very least, mental health work should reduce a client’s distress. At best, it represents a life-changing collaboration between counsellor and client in which both grow as people. When this occurs, one’s identity is transformed to become more courageous, wise, just, and compassionate. One’s identity also becomes more resilient to stressors as hope now presents itself. This unit will take the position that some virtues are evolutionarily, and thus neurologically encoded. As an “operating system” they represent a strong foundation for excellence in the art of living. Considering a range of virtues, students will be taught how to assess virtue strengths/weaknesses, use a range of virtue-related skills, and evaluate applicable counselling outcomes.

Learning outcomes

Unit sequence

Offering: This unit is to be taught in year 3, semester 1 (term 2).

Prerequisites: CO1004Z The Human Condition CO1005Z Introduction To Counselling CO2001Z Human Development, Personality, And Identity

Prohibited combinations: NA

Pedagogy

Scaffolded learning In practice: This is a collaborative way of learning that takes note of the learner’s zone of proximal development (ZPD). By repeatedly extending the learner’s ZPD they develop a comprehensive and integrated system of knowledge/skills. Scaffolded learning is achieved through the provision of online modules which clearly guide a student’s learning; through activities of increased complexity during intensives; by face-to-face seminars which are tailored to induce academic/professional growth in an ordered and coherent way; and by assessments which not only seek to identify that key knowledge/skills have been learnt, but that the student is developing an integrated understanding of counselling.

Indicative Bibliography

1. Boehm, C. (2012). Moral origins: The evolution of virtue, altruism, and shame. Basic Books.
2. Campbell, D. (2013). The leader’s code: Mission, character, service, and getting the job done. Random House.
3. Edwards, T.M., & Chiera, C. (2019). The freedom of virtue: Navigating excellence in the art of living amongst a world of instant gratification. Australian Academic Press.
4. Edwards, T.M., & Chiera C. (Eds., in press). Acting for virtue. Australian Academic Press. [TEXTBOOK]
5. Kolts, R. (2016). CFT made simple: A clinician's guide to practicing compassion-focused therapy. New harbinger.
6. Nitobe, I. (2006). Bushido: The soul of Japan. Axiom Publishing.
7. Pury, C., & Lopez, S. (2010). The psychology of courage: Modern research on an ancient virtue. APA.
8. Snyder, C. (2000). Handbook of hope: Theory, measures, and applications. Academic press.
9. Snyder, C., Lopez, S., Edwards, L., & Marques, S. (Eds., 2021). The Oxford handbook of Positive Psychology (3rd edition). Oxford University Press.
10. Trinkaus-Zagzebski, L. (1996). Virtues of the mind: An inquiry into the nature of virtue and the ethical foundations of knowledge. Cambridge University Press.

Assessment