The Well Community (CO3010Z)

Content

Have we created an insane society in which news alerts, food insecurity, the need to work excessive hours, domestic violence, protests and mortgage stress are now “normalised”? Mental health issues have soared in recent years which bears witness to this conjecture. And clinically, what do we make of the fact that a significant proportion of change-related variance pertains to our clients’ environment, rather than the therapy provided? Putting these ideas together, we come to realise that we are affected, for good and ill, by the world around us. Therefore to obtain “the good life” we need to construct the world differently. From the perspective of the bio-psycho-social-spiritual model, this unit will consider aspects of society, as well as both the natural and built environments, that impact our mental health and wellbeing. We will also try to come up with solutions to current problems. In this way, students will be exposed a more holistic view of counselling, which includes community-based interventions, advocacy, social development and eco-therapies.

Learning outcomes

Unit sequence

Offering: This unit is to be taught in year 3, semester 2 (term 4).

Prerequisites: CO1004Z The Human Condition CO1005Z Introduction To Counselling CO1006Z Engaging Diversity CO1007Z Introduction To Psychology CO2001Z Human Development, Personality, And Identity CO2006Z What Is Abnormal?: The Individual, Diagnostics, And Society

Prohibited combinations: CO3009Z The Role Of Faith, Religion, And Spirituality In Wellbeing

Pedagogy

Problem-based learning In practice: To understand how to structure a question and use a logical process to derive an outcome which meets appropriate intellectual/professional standards is an important skill for counsellors. Through the provision of various intellectual lenses and associated problems students have the opportunity to engage problem-solving at a deeper level. While this is done effectively with online modules, at a face-to-face intensive, or during online seminars, students also get exposed to: (1) ambiguous problems; (2) problems with multiple answers; (3) problems with probabilistic outcomes; (4) problems with no good answers or no answers at all. In this way they begin to develop a rich understanding of what it is like to work with clients. Assessments are designed to enhance students’ problem-solving skills and to assess their readiness for clinical practice.

Indicative Bibliography

1. Beatley, T. (2010). Biophilic cities: Integrating nature into urban design and planning. Island Press.
2. Beck, D. (2020). Community development for social change. Routledge.
3. Gorringe, T. (2002). A theology of the built environment. Cambridge University press.
4. Mooney, C. (2012). The Republican brain: The science of why they deny science – and reality. John Wiley & Sons Inc.
5. Moritsugu, J., Vera, E., Wong, F., & Duffy, K. (2019). Community psychology (6th edition). Routledge.
6. Noordsy, D. (Ed.; 2019). Lifestyle psychiatry. American Psychiatric Association.
7. Pinker, S. (2011). The better angels of our nature: Why violence has declined. Penguin.
8. Podgornik Pulec, N. (2019). Mental health in modern society: Insight into psychotherapeutic practice. AuthorHouse UK.
9. Rose, K., Segal, D., & Harper, N. (2019). Nature-based therapy: A practitioner’s guide to working outdoors with children, youth, and families. New Society Publishers.
   

Assessment