Course Coordinator: Ann Ibrahim
Phone: +61 8313 4999
Email: ann.ibrahim@adelaide.edu.au

Student & Program Support Services Hub
Email: askhealthsc@adelaide.edu.au
Phone: +61 8313 0273

Timetable details are located on MyUni.

1	Communicate differentiated knowledge of key theories and their central concepts in relationship counselling
2	Develop an informed understanding of the social construction of gender and power within intimate partner relationships recognising and appropriately responding to domestic violence
3	Formulate succinct hypotheses integrating understanding of client presenting concerns and their maintenance as well as relevant interventions within the framework of theory
4	Appropriately apply and ethically practice modality guided interventions with couples to resolve relationship difficulties
5	Demonstrate capacity for personal reflection in relation to interactional cycles within intimate partner relationships.

An important component of this unit is regular reading and reflection, intended to clarify and expand on material covered in class.

Required textbooks

Gottman, J. S., & Gottman, J. M. (2015). 10 principles for doing effective couples therapy. W.W. Norton & Company.

Greenberg, L., & Goldman, R. N. (2008). Emotion-focused couples therapy: The dynamics of emotion, love and power. APA.

Links to required background readings and videos will be made available to participants via MyUni.

Johnson, S. M. (2003). Practice of emotionally focused couple therapy: creating connection (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: Brunner/ Mazel.

Shaw, E., & Crawley. J. (2007). Couple therapy in Australia: Issues emerging from practice. Kew, VIC: Psychoz Publications.

Copies of readings (relevant journal articles) will be made available via MyUni.

A range of videos will be recommended for students to study.

MyUni
All students enrolled in a postgraduate coursework program have access to a Postgraduate Coursework Student Centre on MyUni. This course is available on MyUni at www.adelaide.edu.au/myuni/. Please check the website regularly as it may contain announcements that are relevant to your study in the course.  Weekly lecture notes will be provided via MyUni. Links to literature that supports class discussions and assignment preparation will be available via MyUni.
If you would like the opportunity to network with other students, you can use the Communication features in the site
Send Email – This feature enables users to send email to fellow students.
Group Pages – Groups enable Users to collaborate with each other. Groups usually consist of a smaller group of Users in a course or organisation, such as study groups or project groups. From a Group Page, users may send email, exchange files, enter discussion forums or enter collaboration sessions.
Please note that you also have access to individual MyUni sites for EACH course you are enrolled in. Please check the sites regularly as they may contain important announcements that are relevant to your study in the course.

Access Adelaide or MyAdelaide
Access Adelaide is the name of the online service that allows you to access and, in some cases, amend your records. It can be found at: https://access.adelaide.edu.au/sa/login.asp
You can log into Access Adelaide to view: -
- your enrolment details for any term
- your academic results
- your unofficial academic transcript
- your personal details
- the fees, charges and payments on your University account
- your graduation eligibility details.
As a student you can: - change your address and telephone details (please inform the School as well)
- change your password
- set a password clue to help you remember your password.

Student email
It is important that you set up your student email and check it regularly. Information from your course coordinator and student administration will be sent to you at your University of Adelaide email address. It is your responsibility to check your email. You will need your student number located on your student card to log in. http://webmail.adelaide.edu.au/

Computers
Where can I use a computer in the University?  Computing facilities are provided to students by the University, and there are
several suites of computers available, including at the Barr Smith Library and in Hub Central. The University web site has a list of computer labs at: https://www.adelaide.edu.au/technology/your-tools/academic/student-computer-suite 

This course will be run for 3 hours over 12 weeks. The aim of this course is to enable students to develop a clear understanding of key relationship counselling theories, apply them to specific cases, and recognise their own patterns of relating in the context of intimate partner relationships. Practice and reflection on their own work within these frameworks will be a central component. Likewise, understanding and responding to imbalances of power and domestic violence will be featured.

To facilitate this learning, class sessions will contain didactic material as well as practical learning experiences to introduce and integrate theoretical and practice concepts and illustrate their use. Scaffolded skill learning in triads with formative feedback provided by the lecturer/tutor as well as working with a surrogate couple will form a significant part of the face to face learning. Opportunity for case exploration and discussion as well as watching video demonstrations of couple counselling will be provided to further understand the microprocesses involved. Didactic material, case examples and group work will be used to explore the social construction of relationships as well as ways in which power and domestic violence develops, presents, and how to respond.

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

The course comprises three hours every week of didactic content, seminar and small-group discussions and practice sessions. Sessions will be  seminar/workshop format, with a mixture of teaching and interactive exercises, and it is compulsory for all students to attend.  Essential readings or on-line video material will be recommended.

Face to Face workshops and practicals: 3 hours x 12 weeks
Core/background readings: 6 hours / week
Preparation of assignments: 4 hours / week

Session	Topic
Course introduction The Gottman Method - 1	Course overview Introduction to couple counselling and The Gottman Method's core theory
The Gottman Method - 2	The first session & the assessment process Building friendship and intimacy
The Gottman Method - 3	Working with conflict Surrogate client session 1
The Gottman Method - 4	Creating shared meaning Surrogate client session 2
Intimate Partner Violence	Understanding theoretical models and how to respond to IPV in couples therapy
Gottman Method Group Assessments RASA presentation	Group Assessments Part A The role of a Family Disputes Practitioner
Emotion-Focused Couples Therapy - 1	Introduction to EFT-C key theoretical principles and the centrality of affect regulation Using empathic responding
Emotion-Focused Couples Therapy - 2	Understanding motivation systems and working with negative interactional cycles
Emotion-Focused Couples Therapy - 3	EFT-C's intervention framework Surrogate client session 3
Emotion-Focused Couples Therapy - 4	Working with core emotions of anger, sadness, fear, and shame Accessing and amplifying positive emotions Surrogate client session 4
LGBTQIA+ intimate partner relationships	Understanding universal and unique factors when working with LGBTQIA+ couples
EFT-C Group Assessments	Group Assessments Part B

To pass this course, students must submit two written assignments, participate in a peer-collaboration video project, and facilitate an in-class learning conversation with their fellow students. Students are also required to participate in seminar activities, practice sessions, and class discussions throughout the seminar according to group norms and standards.

Assessment Task	Task Type	Weighting	Learning Outcome
Written Assignment 1.  Critical analysis of a couple case applying theory and interventions	Summative	30%	1, 2
Written Assignment 2.  Reflective paper and integrative summary	Summative	30%	2, 3
Assignment 3. Group video presentation and class discussion	Summative	30%	3, 4, 5
Participation	Summative	10%	1-5

Students are advised to comply with word limits for written assignments, and time limits for the group video and discussion. A 10% leeway on either side is acceptable.

Written assignment 1 (30%) 
Critical Analysis Paper (Weighting 30%; 2000 words): Critical analysis of one approach to counselling (The Gottman Method), identifying key theory and interventions as well as strengths and limitations, and application to a fictional couple case.

Reflective Paper & Integrative Summary (Weighting 30%)
Personal reflection and application of core principles of one approach to couple counselling (EFT-C) responding to class session content, readings, and specific questions provided on MyUni.

Group Video Presentation (Weighting 30%)
Students will work in small groups to create and video a counselling session with a couple using one of the key couple counselling modalities covered in this course. The video will be presented in class where students will provide an overview of how the counselling modality was applied and facilitate class discussion.

Participation (Weighting 10%)
Students will attend and engage in workshop activities, demonstrating respectful engagement and cooperation with their lecturers and fellow students, and completion of practice-based learning tasks. further opportunities to demonstrate participation will be available through contribution to online discussion via the Discussion Board on MyUni.

Extensions
All extensions for assignments must be requested, at the latest, by the last working day before the due date of submission.   Extensions will generally be granted only on medical or genuine compassionate grounds. Supporting documentation must be provided at the time a student requests an extension. Without documentation, extensions will not be granted. Late requests for extension will neither be accepted nor acknowledged.

Only the Course Co-ordinator(s) may grant extensions.

Supporting documentation will be required when requesting an extension. Examples of documents that are acceptable include: a  medical certificate that specifies dates of incapacity, a police report (in the case of lost computers, car & household theft etc.), a  letter from a Student Counsellor, Education and Welfare Officer (EWO) or Disability Liaison Officer that provides an assessment of  compassionate circumstances, or a letter from an independent external counsellor or appropriate professional able to verify the student’s situation. The length of any extension granted will take into account the period and severity of any incapacity or impact  on the student. Extensions of more than 10 days will not be granted except in exceptional circumstances.

Late submission
Marks will be deducted when assignments for which no extension has been granted are handed in late.

All assignments, including those handed in late, will be assessed on their merits. In the case of late assignments where no  extension has been granted, 5 percentage points of the total marks possible per day will be deducted. If an assignment that is 2 days late is awarded 65% on its merits, the mark will then be reduced by 10% (5% per day for 2 days) to 55%. If that same  assignment is 4 days late, the mark will be reduced by 20% (5% per day for 4 days) to 45%, and so on.

The School of Public Health reserves the right to refuse to accept an assignment that is more than 7 days late.

Assignments submitted after the due date may not be graded in time to be returned on the listed return dates.

Students submitting examinable written work who request (and receive) an extension that takes them beyond the examination  period are advised that there is no guarantee that their grades will be processed in time to meet usual University deadlines.
 
Resubmission
If a student is dissatisfied with an assessment grade they should follow the Student Grievance Resolution Process   https://www.adelaide.edu.au/student/grievance/process/. Students who are not satisfied with a particular assessment result should raise their concerns with Course Co-ordinator(s) in the first instance. This must be done within 10 business days of  the date of notification of the result. Resubmission of any assignment is subject to the agreement of the Course Co-ordinator(s) and will only be permitted for the most compelling of reasons.