Unit rationale, description and aim

Psychologists work in diverse settings with clients presenting with a wide range of therapeutic needs. While traditional cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is effective for many disorders, it is insufficient for chronic and co-occurring conditions. Additionally, psychologists must be equipped to deliver interventions in various modalities to meet client needs. Therefore, competence in contemporary psychotherapeutic approaches is essential.

This unit provides students with knowledge of evidence-based interventions beyond traditional CBT, including third-wave therapies, group interventions, and digital modalities. Students will explore the theoretical foundations and techniques of these contemporary approaches.

A strong emphasis is placed on comprehension and understanding of contemporary psychotherapy approaches, ensuring students grasp key principles and their applications. They will learn to adapt treatments for different cultural and developmental needs and integrate core therapeutic skills into practice.

Students will develop practical skills in assessing, formulating, and modifying treatment plans while considering intra- and interpersonal processes, therapeutic alliances, and treatment resistance. They will enhance their ability to evaluate and apply different psychotherapeutic approaches effectively.

The aim of this unit is to prepare students to critically assess, adapt, and apply a broad range of evidence-based psychotherapeutic skills, enabling them to practice effectively across various settings and meet diverse client needs.

2026 10

Campus offering

No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.

Prerequisites

PSYC621 Professional Practice in Psychology AND PSYC622 Practicum Skills AND PSYC630 Psychological Assessment AND PSYC638 Therapeutic Skills

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

Demonstrate and critically evaluate knowledge and ...

Learning Outcome 01

Demonstrate and critically evaluate knowledge and skills related to psychological interventions and therapeutic approaches.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC3, GC7, GC9, GC11, GC12

Develop effective case formulation and treatment p...

Learning Outcome 02

Develop effective case formulation and treatment planning consistent with contemporary therapeutic approaches and responsive to specific client needs
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC3, GC5, GC6, GC8, GC11

Synthesise and critically evaluate the empirical l...

Learning Outcome 03

Synthesise and critically evaluate the empirical literature pertaining to contemporary therapeutic approaches and modalities, taking into account the evidence-base and cultural and historical factors.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC3, GC7, GC9, GC10

Work and communicate respectfully, collaboratively...

Learning Outcome 04

Work and communicate respectfully, collaboratively, and effectively with peers and colleagues, including understanding one's own role and the role of team members, whilst demonstrating professional and ethical behaviour.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC4, GC8, GC12

Content

Topics will include:

  • Case formulation consistent with theory pertinent to the contemporary therapeutic approaches covered. 
  • Treatment planning and practice delivering the therapeutic approaches and modalities covered (e.g., third-wave CBT approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and group interventions), including the use of manualised treatment programs, with relevance to commonly occurring disorders such as anxiety and depression.
  • Treatment planning and adaptation of evidence-based and manualised interventions to suit a variety of clients/consumers in different settings and with different needs. This can include culturally sensitive practice (e.g., working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals and groups) and working with people with different developmental needs and across the lifespan.
  • Group intervention, including treatment selection (e.g., open or closed, structured and unstructured groups) and development of group programs, participant recruitment and selection, pre-group assessment and orientation, and treatment delivery.
  • Consideration of and working with intra- and interpersonal processes, including group leader functions and group processes.
  • Treatment implementation, evaluation, and monitoring in therapy.
  • Identifying and addressing treatment resistance and non-compliance.
  • Trauma-informed practice, including intergenerational trauma.
  • Principles and techniques for the effective delivery of digital psychological interventions, including telehealth.
  • Interprofessional communication and collaboration in treatment planning and delivery. 

Assessment strategy and rationale

The assessment strategy for this unit allows students to collaborate with each other and demonstrate their acquisition and critical application of evidence-based assessment and intervention skills. Students will learn how to deliver evidence-based interventions for clinical problems presenting across the lifespan and in a culturally sensitive manner. All tasks in this unit are graded hurdle tasks because it is critical that students demonstrate an appropriate level of knowledge and skill in diagnostic assessment and evidence based interventions, and a failure in any of these tasks is likely to translate to an unacceptable level of risk to clients the student will come into contact with as a provisional psychologist on practicums. The written assignment is designed to assess students’ ability to critically analyse and synthesise information relevant to diagnosis, assessment and formulation of psychological disorders, including the role of other professionals and interdisciplinary teams. The skills demonstration is designed to assess students’ ability to develop a treatment plan and demonstrate their therapeutic skills. The podcast is designed to assess students' ability to plan and record an interview that demonstrates their knowledge of a contemporary psychological intervention and its evidence-base.   To pass this unit, students must demonstrate achievement of all learning outcomes and pass all assessment tasks. The passing mark for all assessments is 50%. If students fail their original submission (i.e., first attempt) they are provided with one further opportunity to pass the assessment task (i.e., second attempt). If the student passes the second attempt, the highest mark that they can achieve on that assessment task is 50%.

Overview of assessments

Assessment Task 1 - Formulation and Treatment Pla...

Assessment Task 1 - Formulation and Treatment Plan

Students will write a case formulation and treatment plan consistent with the empirical literature and theoretical principles.

Weighting

Graded Hurdle (35%)

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC3, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC11

Assessment Task 2 - Skills Demonstration and Self...

Assessment Task 2 - Skills Demonstration and Self-evaluation

Students will demonstrate their competence in intervention skills delivery and the ability to reflect on their skills.

Weighting

Graded Hurdle (35%)

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO4
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC12

Assessment Task 3 - Podcast In pairs, students w...

Assessment Task 3 - Podcast

In pairs, students will plan and record a podcast interview that demonstrates their knowledge of a contemporary psychological intervention and its evidence-base. They will critically discuss the intervention’s appropriateness for use with diverse cultures and/or people of diverse abilities, and will consider appropriate adjuncts, adaptations, or more appropriate alternatives. 

Weighting

Graded Hurdle (30%)

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC5, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC10, GC12

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

Postgraduate psychology students are expected to be independent learners. This unit employs a student-centred strategy that promotes active participation in discussions and reflection. Delivered face-to-face with three contact hours per week, it integrates lectures, workshops, role-plays, case-based learning, group and individual activities, web-based learning, and reflective/critical thinking exercises.

This cohesive strategy supports students in acquiring essential knowledge and practical skills. Class discussions provide opportunities to explore key issues, including the complexities of treating chronic and co-occurring psychological disorders and tailoring treatment to individuals while considering cultural and developmental factors.

By engaging with this structured strategy, students will achieve the unit’s aims, learning outcomes, and graduate attributes while meeting professional practice standards. The approach respects students as independent learners, encouraging responsibility for their learning and active participation in group activities.

Representative texts and references

Representative texts and references

Bieling, P. J., Antony, M. M., & McCabe, R. E. (2022). Cognitive-behavioral therapy in groups (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press. 

Dudgeon, P., Milroy, H., & Walker R. (2014). Working together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and wellbeing principles and practice. Commonwealth of Australia.

Dudgeon, P., Bray, A., D’Costa, B., & Walker, R. (2017). Decolonising psychology: Validating social and emotional wellbeing. Australian Psychologist, 52, p. 316-325. https://doi.org/10.1111/ap.12294 

Harris, R. (2019). ACT made simple: An easy-to-read primer on acceptance and commitment therapy. New Harbinger Publications.

Hayes, S. C., & Hofmann, S. G. (2017). The third wave of cognitive behavioral therapy and the rise of process-based care. World Psychiatry, 16(3), 245-246. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20442

Hunot, V., Moore, T. H., Caldwell, D. M., Furukawa, T. A., Davies, P., Jones, H., Honyashiki, M., Chen, P., Lewis, G., & Churchill, R. (2013). 'Third wave' cognitive and behavioural therapies versus other psychological therapies for depression. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (10), CD008704. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD008704.pub2

Leavey, K., & Hawkins, R. (2017). Is cognitive behavioural therapy effective in reducing suicidal ideation and behaviour when delivered face-to-face or via e-health? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 46(5), 353-374. https://doi.org/10.1080/16506073.2017.1332095

Luoma, J. B., Hayes, S. C., & Walser, R. D. (2017). Learning ACT: An acceptance & commitment therapy skills training manual for therapists (2nd ed.). New Harbinger Publications.

Philippe, T. J., Sikder, N., Jackson, A., Koblanski, M. E., Liow, E., Pilarinos, A., & Vasarhelyi, K. (2022). Digital health interventions for delivery of mental health care: Systematic and comprehensive meta-review. Journal of Medical Internet Research: Mental Health, 9(5), e35159. https://doi.org/10.2196/35159

Taukeni, S. G., Mollaoglu, M. & Mollaoglu, S. (Eds.). (2024). The theoy and practice of group therapy. IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.106306r

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