Advanced Diploma of Transpersonal Counselling (52453WA)

Course Accreditation & Content

Government Accreditation

1. The Advanced Diploma of Transpersonal Counselling (52453WA) is nationally recognised by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA).

Professional Accreditation

1. The Advanced Diploma of Counselling is accredited by the Australian Association of Holistic and Transpersonal Counsellors (AAHTC). The AAHTC provides membership and professional indemnity insurance for practitioners (www.aahtc.org.au).

2. The Advanced Diploma of Transpersonal Counselling is accredited by the International Institute for Complementary Therapists (IICT). IICT provides membership and professional indemnity insurance for practitioners. (www.iict.com.au)

Why Study this course?

The Advanced Diploma of Transpersonal Counselling is a nationally recognised course designed to equip students with the skills required to work as counsellors in the community services sector or in private practice. The course provides the skills and knowledge essential for counselling including: working with clients, life transformation, grief loss, networking, risk management, occupational health and safety as well as matters specific to case management.

Career outcomes

The Advanced Diploma of Transpersonal Counselling is a challenging and enriching journey towards greater self-awareness and life management leading to personal confidence and practical skilling. Each Module deepens the theory and practice of working holistically with clients, and how to case manage their journey, using a client-centred methodology.

The first part of the course is orientated towards applying self-awareness techniques and methods to gain insight into one’s personal mythology and life experience – what shaped your personal mythology. Transpersonal work is about seeing behind the mask and attempting to experience greater authenticity and creativity in one’s life by changing patterns that do not serve us.

Because most of our students are mature age, we assume they do have significant life experience and wisdom. This experience is then informed by transpersonal knowledge, so the counsellor/ therapist develops his or her own unique style and emphasis.

The first part of the journey also combines scientific knowledge with traditional healing models and techniques that demonstrate how different cultural beliefs define notions of normality. This learning includes participating in therapeutic dream work, process and group work and exercises in human potentials.

The second part of the course directs students towards the application of these techniques when working with clients. Students will learn about mainstream mental health models because this is how most people benchmark their mental health. But one of the significant diversions from mainstream approaches is the transpersonal understanding of spiritual crisis and emergence work – “break through” not “breakdown” and the relationship between mental health and spiritual experiences.

Further, students learn client-centred counselling techniques, case management, ethics, working with different populations, legal obligations and setting up a practice

Students also complete 100 hours of supervised placement and ongoing supervision in the class.

Course Structure

The Advanced Diploma of Transpersonal Counselling (52453WA) requires the successful completion of 6 competencies.

For effective training and assessment of the Advanced Diploma of Transpersonal Counselling the six competencies are delivered through 12 modules outlined in the table below.

Advanced Diploma Delivery Format

One Year:

The format for the one-year Advanced Diploma is six days (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday one week, Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday the next week). There is a week break between each fortnightly module with a break in August.

Two Year:

The format for the two-year diploma is four days (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday) and four weekly evening tutorials 6.30pm to 9.30pm, with six modules in the first year and five modules in the second year. The diploma has 396 hours face-to-face teaching over 11 Modules plus 100 hours in supervised placements.

Course Content

Module 1: Foundations of Visionary Practice

The foundation module introduces students to the core concepts and theories in transpersonal work through a historical and comparative approach. The central focus is upon establishing a model for transpersonal work drawing upon both cross-cultural perspectives and an understanding of the nature of consciousness. It covers:

• the history of transpersonal psychology
• models of the psyche and the spectrum of consciousness
• comparison between mainstream and traditional models of healing
• exploring states of consciousness
• mythology and life patterning
• hero’s journey and life transitions
• shamanic and spiritual perspectives
• the transpersonal process in counselling
• history of the unconscious.

Module 2. Consciousness & Technologies of Consciousness 1

A detailed examination of some major dream work processes, including the history of dream work and current trends in dream research and application (e.g. neuropsychology of dreams). It will also cover psychoanalytic, experiential and transpersonal dream work. It covers:

• dream work, symbolism, techniques and research
• Jungian approaches to dreams
• archetypal psychology
• symbolic life
• symbols of transformation
• parapsychology and dreams
• one-on-one techniques for dream work
• group dream work process
• history of the unconscious (cont.)

Module 3. Consciousness and Technologies of Consciousness 2

The module extends the work that began in Module 2 through exploring specific techniques for generating healing processes. It covers:

• altered states and healing
• induction techniques
• experiential focusing
• meditation and mindfulness techniques
• state-specific knowledge

4: Ritual, Myth and Healing in Visionary Practice Exploration of the nature and use of myth in the healing process and in a cross-cultural context. It covers story and myth-building as part of healing, development and application of healing rituals, healing methods derived from other cultures and applied to contemporary Western settings. It covers: • symbols of transformation • culture and psyche • psychodrama and healing • personal and collective mythology • understanding culture and its various layers • ritual structure and life transition • adolescent rites of passage • ritual and the construction of meaning • therapeutic ritual.

5: Human Potentials in Visionary Practice

Explores the multiplicity of human identity and consciousness. Recognising human potentials and their application in healing. Examine notions of the paranormal and other exceptional human abilities. Human energetics, healing and perspectives from modern physics and biology. State-specific healing, resonance phenomena and energetic driving. It covers:

• state-enhanced learning
• parapsychology
• altered states and human potentials
• phenomenology and client counselling
• models for psi
• cross cultural understandings and non-ordinary experience
• techniques for state change
• consciousness research.

Module 6. Foundations of Mental Health and Mental Disorder

This module covers of the major, mainstream 20th century paradigms of mental health, theories of personality and society implicit in them and their principal critics. It covers:

• mainstream approaches to mental health
• abnormal psychology
• existentialism and humanism
• DSM-IV, depression, psychosis and diagnosis, psychological & psychiatric paradigms
• mental health first aid
• grief, loss and change
• psychodrama
• introduction to placement.

Module 7. Transpersonal Approaches to Mental Health and Disorder 

Coverage of transpersonal crises and emergence. Methods for working with these factors in transpersonal counselling. Mapping the spaces in which transpersonal crises emerge and are resolved. It covers.

• mental health and the cultural context
• spiritual crisis/emergence
• madness, mysticism and creativity
• psychosis and shamanic models
• the 1960’s anti-psychiatry movement
• mental health and spirituality
• spirituality as experience
• mapping spiritual experience and precipitating factors.

Modules 8 & 9 . Transpersonal Counselling Skills 1. Micro Skills and Transpersonal Counselling Skills 11, Transpersonal Analysis These two modules are designed to provide students with a comprehensive foundation in inter-transpersonal skills, which are essential to being an effective therapist. The fundamentals of communication and counselling skills are extended into transpersonal dimensions of human interaction, using a self-realisation model. It covers: • client-centred approach (Carl Rogers) • counselling practice and skills • therapeutic relationship • case management • transference and counter-transference • managing the session • psychodrama and healing • boundaries and ethical practice • working with different populations.

Module 10. Essential Professional Practice Skills in Counselling

This module focuses on the ways in which a transpersonal theory is implemented in practice, detailed analysis of major approaches to transpersonal counselling practice, developing a personal style, and individual and group work modalities. It covers:

• the transpersonal counselling process
• counselling paradigms and practice
• case studies and practical work
• therapy and the construction of meaning
• developing a transpersonal paradigm
• application of techniques in case management
• theory and practice.

Module 11. Contemporary Ethico-legal and Best Practice Issues in Transpersonal Counselling

The module focuses on the current climate of professional practice in Australia, ethico-legal matters, inter-professional relationships in referrals and integrative practice, case studies and practice work. It covers:

• setting up a practice
• ethics and legal obligations: mandatory reporting
• setting goals
• developing your identity as a counsellor
• supervision
• professional development
• personal development and care
• networking.

Module 12. Placement and Clinical Case Study Analysis and Management

The placement module is an opportunity for students to gain first hand experience in the wider community by working with and being involved in counselling and related activities. The placement can be divided between a range of different activities. The placement program is structured workplace learning that helps prepare you for the workforce. It is part of your course, designed to help you better understand what you have learned by putting it into practice in the workplace. All students must undertake 100 hours of supervised work placement to complete their Advanced Diploma. Details discussed in class.

It should include experience in direct service delivery to individuals and/or groups and/or communities.

- Supervision by appropriate agency personnel
- Assessment of performance by appropriate agency personnel
- Analysis of agency work in terms of a written report
- Specific and separate report on case work.

Transpersonal Counselling Course Outcomes

Successful completion of the course requires the following outcomes student’s must:

• Show competence in knowledge of the core concepts, theory and research in the modules
• Show competence in utilising materials and skills taught in the modules
• Be able to demonstrate initiative and flexibility in the application of knowledge and skills
• Understand the conditions under which skills and strategies are applied; limits and boundary conditions
• Be able to express their competences both practically and in verbal and written forms
• Pursue self-development in the use and competence in the relevant transpersonal techniques.

Requirements to achieve a qualification

In order to qualify for the Advanced Diploma, students must fulfill the following requirements:

• Attendance at all lectures, tutorials and practical sessions. Where attendance is not possible through circumstances beyond the student’s control, then suitable makeup work, if possible, must be completed according to a set schedule. Minimum attendance, allowing for valid excuses [e.g., medical certificates] is 80% of all class sessions and 80% of the total course.
• Completion on time of all written assignments.
• Completion of all case studies relate to both work with individuals, clinically, and work with groups.
• Completion of agency placement [practicum: 100 hours]
• Demonstration of appropriate interpersonal skills and mental health status in class and clinical sessions, which allow competent professional practice.

There are no age, gender or ethnicity restrictions.

Assessment 

The process of assessment throughout the course is continuous and addresses students’ performance in the following ways:

• evaluation of written assignments which address the concepts, theory and practice of transpersonal work and which are required for every module throughout the course
• evaluation of written case studies, which are required for practice-oriented modules.
• observations and ratings of interpersonal skills and development of professional counselling skills in role playing and clinical practice sessions.
• observations and ratings of students’ performance in tutorials in written and verbal modalities.
• observation and assessment of students’ performance in workplace environments, for example, relevant agencies.
• written and oral examinations at the end of the course.

RPL (Prior learning)
RPL (Prior learning) This is conducted on a case-by-case basis in which the content of prior learning, whether it is formal academic or other industry training, is assessed and can be translated into course credit. This based on detailed transcripts, curriculum statements, course notes and readings and job descriptions as well as examples of workplace reports produced. This must be approved prior to commencing the course.

Students must complete an RPL Application Form

Credit Transfer This is available on application and on a case by case basis. Students must complete a Credit Transfer & RPL Application Form. This must be approved prior to commencing the course.

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