Unit rationale, description and aim

Occupational therapists enable participation in meaningful activities to enhance health and wellbeing of individual, groups and communities.

Therapeutic communication is required to support people to achieve their participation goals. This involves ethical, culturally safe and strengths-based communication. Building on introductory communication skills developed in first year, students will analyse the theory, develop and implement their approach to therapeutic communication using simulated scenarios.

This unit contains a learning outcome from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Curriculum Framework (HCF, 2014) specifically addressing the HCF cultural capability of communication. Students will develop the knowledge and skills required for culturally safe communication when interacting with First Peoples individuals, families and communities.

The aim of this unit is to identify, apply and evaluate the theory and therapeutic communication skills required to effectively enable individuals and groups to achieve their occupational goals.

2025 10

Campus offering

Find out more about study modes.

Unit offerings may be subject to minimum enrolment numbers.

Please select your preferred campus.

  • Term Mode
  • Semester 2Campus Attendance
  • Term Mode
  • Semester 2Campus Attendance
  • Term Mode
  • Semester 2Campus Attendance
  • Term Mode
  • Semester 2Campus Attendance

Prerequisites

ALHT106 Psychology for Allied Health

Incompatible

OTHY208 Clinical Counselling and Group Work

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.

Identify, analyse and apply knowledge of therapeut...

Learning Outcome 01

Identify, analyse and apply knowledge of therapeutic communication for individuals, groups and communities.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC2, GC7, GC11

Apply knowledge to design, facilitate, and evaluat...

Learning Outcome 02

Apply knowledge to design, facilitate, and evaluate an occupational therapy group with a range of clients and contexts.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC2, GC4, GC7, GC12

Critically reflect on communication skills and how...

Learning Outcome 03

Critically reflect on communication skills and how this might impact on individual and group interactions you have with others.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC2, GC7

Apply and critically reflect on ethical and profes...

Learning Outcome 04

Apply and critically reflect on ethical and professional behaviours in occupational therapy individual and group work contexts.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC4, GC7, GC11, GC12

HCF 6.3 Incorporate knowledge and skills of cultur...

Learning Outcome 05

HCF 6.3 Incorporate knowledge and skills of culturally safe communication when interacting with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals and family members
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC2, GC5

Content

Topics will include:

Therapeutic communication in occupational therapy practice:

·        Collaborative relationship focused occupational therapy

·        Therapeutic communication skills

·        Ethical issues and professional behaviours

·        Theoretical frameworks for counselling and psychological intervention

·        Working with people experiencing change, grief and loss.

 

Working with groups in occupational therapy practice

·        Group theory

·        Group dynamics

·        Developmental stages of groups

·        Group process, practice and design

·        Leadership Styles

·        Group Facilitation skills

·        Managing participant behaviours

·        Evaluation

Reflexivity:

  • Therapeutic use of self
  • Critical reflection on own knowledge and skills in individual and group interactions
  • Giving and receiving feedback

 

Culturally safe communication

  • Strengths based therapeutic communication approaches
  • Culturally responsive, safe and communication strategies

Assessment strategy and rationale

A range of assessment procedures will be used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes consistent with University assessment requirements.

Assessment 1 involves students recording a counselling session for a occupational performance issue with a fellow student followed by a critique of their practices and behaviours using theoretical frameworks. This will provide an authentic learning experience in developing counselling skills.

Assessment 2 involves students preparing a group protocol utilising a theoretical framework and session plan, facilitating and evaluating this session and then critiquing their practices and behaviours. This will provide an authentic learning experience in developing group work skills and group outcome measurement.

Assessment 3 is a viva to assess applied knowledge of counselling and group work practices and behaviours, including culturally safe communication. This assessment task is designed to develop students’ skills to apply counselling and group work knowledge, practices and culturally safe communication to relevant occupational therapy case scenarios. Assessment approaches in this unit were developed in collaboration with First Peoples’ Cultural Advisors.  

In order to pass the unit students must:

  • Obtain a minimum mark of 50% for the unit and
  • Achieve a mark of 50% or greater in Assessment 3 which is a graded hurdle.

Where students achieve a cumulative mark of 50% or more in the unit but do not achieve a mark of 50% or greater in Assessment 3 they will be offered one re-attempt of Assessment 3. If students pass the re-attempt assessment, they will pass the unit and their original mark will be the final unit mark. If students fail the re-attempt assessment, they will fail the unit. Students must demonstrate achievement of every learning outcome.

Overview of assessments

Counselling video and critique Students record a ...

Counselling video and critique

Students record a counselling session for a occupational performance issue with a fellow student and critique their practices and behaviours using theoretical frameworks.

Weighting

30%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO4
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC4, GC7, GC11, GC12

Group planning, facilitation and critique Student...

Group planning, facilitation and critique

Students prepare a group protocol utilising a theoretical framework and session plan, facilitate and evaluate this

session and then critique their practices and behaviours.

Weighting

30%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC4, GC7, GC11, GC12

Viva Requires students to apply their knowledge o...

Viva

Requires students to apply their knowledge of therapeutic communications skills, theoretical frameworks, practices and behaviours.

Weighting

40%

Graded Hurdle

Learning Outcomes LO3, LO4, LO5
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC4, GC5, GC7, GC11, GC12

HURDLE REQUIREMENT 1. Present group protocol...

HURDLE REQUIREMENT

1. Present group protocol in practical class for feedback

Weighting

Hurdle

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO4
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC4, GC7, GC11, GC12

HURDLE REQUIREMENT 2. Compulsory attendance ...

HURDLE REQUIREMENT

2. Compulsory attendance and participation in simulated group learning activities. This hurdle provides students with exposure to a wide variety of simulated occupational therapy client groups and contexts, including a range of community and clinical settings.

Weighting

Hurdle

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC4, GC7, GC11, GC12

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

Teaching and learning approaches for this unit will include online lectures, practical sessions, simulation and self-directed learning. Students are required to watch the online lectures and complete preparatory tasks in readiness for the practical classes. Students are expected to take responsibility for their learning and to participate actively within group activities, demonstrating respect for the individual as an independent learner. Learning and teaching approaches included in this unit were developed in collaboration with First Peoples’ Cultural Advisors and include tutorial co-facilitation by cultural mentors. This unit includes two hours of practice placement hours embedded within this unit. These fieldwork hours include conducting a simulated individual interview and facilitation of an occupational therapy group with peers.

Representative texts and references

Representative texts and references

Cole, M. (2018). Group dynamics in occupational therapy: The theoretical basis and practice application of group intervention (5th ed.). Slack.

Corey, M. S., Corey, G., & Corey, C. (2018). Groups: Process and practice (10th ed.). Cengage Learning. 

Ivey, A., Ivey, M., & Zalaquett, C. (2018). Intentional interviewing and counselling: Facilitating client development in a multicultural society. (9th ed.). Cengage Learning.

O'Brien, J. C., & Solomon, J. W. (2022). Occupational analysis and group process (2nd ed.). Elsevier Mosby.

O’Toole, G. (2020). Communication: core interpersonal skills for healthcare professionals (4th edition.). Elsevier Australia. 

Locations
Credit points
Year

Have a question?

We're available 9am–5pm AEDT,
Monday to Friday

If you’ve got a question, our AskACU team has you covered. You can search FAQs, text us, email, live chat, call – whatever works for you.

Live chat with us now

Chat to our team for real-time
answers to your questions.

Launch live chat

Visit our FAQs page

Find answers to some commonly
asked questions.

See our FAQs