Counselling Skills and Psychology BA (Hons)

This Research Methods module will provide students with a comprehensive introduction to the principles of research in psychology in alignment with the British Psychological Society (BPS) standards.  The module focuses on helping students develop and enhance their research techniques developed in level 4, continuing to develop a critical understanding of diverse research methods, enabling you to select the right approach/es for different psychological research questions. 

From designing experiments to working with or designing psychometric tests, you’ll learn how to generate hypotheses, collect data, and apply statistical tests with confidence.  Additionally, you’ll also learn how to present research findings effectively in written BPS reports through to visual formats. The module emphasises the application of research methods to psychological issues, equipping students to design meaningful studies and evaluate data.

This module builds on the first year PS4024 module to cover the remaining aspects of the British Psychological Society's Social Psychology and Individual Differences curriculum, with a focus on the real world implications of what students have learnt. We will explore a range of issues in society around issues such as power, politics and community that help us understand why people act as they do and how society can influence this. Students will choose to explore one of these issues in depth for their assessment.

The main purpose of this module is develop your practical counselling skills. Students are introduced to a range of skills to support this development, and working with peers from the course, will begin to embed these within a distinct helping relationship.

This module will develop the student’s knowledge and understanding of counselling theories and processes. It will address issues relating to an individual's experience during the life span, drawing on theories such as those of loss, attachment, and adversity, as well as provide opportunities to discuss specific client issues, such as trauma, anger, and shame.

This module has two distinct themes. Theme one is to develop awareness and skills in understanding the psychology behind job searching, job applications, writing a persuasive CV, performing appropriately at interview and using social media to search for, and apply for jobs. Theme two helps students to apply psychology in real life situations in a discipline of interest chosen by the student. Students will work in groups and use psychological theory to solve specific problems either provided by partners within the community, working with partners in the community or provided in-house by staff. This is an experiential learning module where more than half of the content is delivered using practical exercises. Students will have an opportunity to take a self-directed approach to building essential skills.

This experiential module is designed to provide students with hands-on learning experiences that complement their academic studies. This module aims to bridge the gap between personal social missions, theory and practice, equipping students with critical awareness, essential skills and experiences for their future plans, including employment, further study and other ventures. The module is enriched through partnership working between academics and others working in a range of organisations promoting social impact. Students will have opportunities to foster their own social missions, develop and apply academic understanding and key skills through working on real-world projects. Key components of teaching and learning include:

1. Real-World Projects: Students engage in projects that address actual challenges faced by organisations, allowing them to apply theoretical knowledge and key skills in practical settings. 

2. Service Learning: Initiatives that combine community service with learning objectives, promoting social responsibility and civic engagement.

3. Reflective Practices: Encouraging students to reflect on their experiences through journals, discussions, and skills analyses to enhance critical thinking and personal growth.

4. Networking Opportunities: A range of networking opportunities will be shared that students can engage in during independent study to build sector insights and develop their networks. 

5. Skills workshops: Experts will deliver Social Impact Leadership workshops giving insight into personal success and challenges in their paths and teaching key skills towards success.
6. Career Guidance workshops: Knowledge from Career Experts will underpin career guidance to support students to develop personalised plans for actioning towards aspirations, including employment, further study and other aspirations. 

This module provides a structured, university-level work placement for 4, 5 or 7 weeks as one continuous block / period with a placement provider (i.e. a local employer from the private, public, or charitable sector). It is designed to enhance your professional skills in a real-world job setting.

The placement can either be organised by you or with support from university staff.

All work placements within this module must be university-level; this means:

• Undertaking high-skilled work commensurate with level 5 study (e.g. report writing, attending meetings, delivering presentations, producing spreadsheets, writing content on webpages, social media, marketing services/products etc)
• Physically placed (albeit part of it can be hybrid) within an employer setting in one continuous block / period for 4, 5 or 7 weeks for a minimum of 140-147 hours over the course of the entire work placement
• Where applicable, your existing part-time employer can be approached/used as the placement provider, if the high-skilled work criterion above is fulfilled for the full duration of the placement.
• All quality assurances/agreements provided by the University are adhered to, by you and the employer.

The work placement context may not necessarily, reflect your degree discipline per se, but rather, it will give you an enriched experience to enhance your professional skills in a real-world job setting.

The module will provide the opportunity to further develop your language skills, building on your previous learning at advanced level. The second half of the module includes a placement abroad or, alternatively, a project on a sustainability issue in a target language country. The first half of the module will prepare you for placements abroad where appropriate as well as a deeper understanding of sustainability in target language contexts. Students of more than one language may take one language in the first half of the module and spend their time abroad developing a different language. 

The module will provide the opportunity to further develop your language skills, building on your previous learning at intermediate level. The first half of the module includes intensive taught sessions in interactive workshop mode which will prepare you for placements abroad or self-directed language development. The second half of the module includes an placement abroad or, alternatively, a project on a business or tourism issue in a target language country. Students of more than one language may take one language in the first half of the module and spend their time abroad developing a different language. 

The module will provide the opportunity to further develop your language skills, building on your previous learning at beginner level. The first half of the module includes intensive taught sessions in interactive workshop mode which will prepare you for placements abroad or self-directed language development. The second half of the module includes a placement abroad or, alternatively, a project on a cultural issue in a target language country. Students of more than one language may take one language in the first half of the module and spend their time abroad developing a different language. 

• The multiple facets of global citizenship
• Ethical engagement and practice
• The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
• Cross-cultural issues and sensitivity
• Intercultural communication
• Culture shock
• Cultural adjustment
• Self- assessment of needs: identification of the range of transferable skills, competencies and attitudes employees need and employers expect graduates to possess-with a strong focus on understanding the intercultural competencies (ICC) needed to live and work abroad.
• Critical analysis/evaluation of individual requirements in relation to culture/cultural adjustment/culture shock/visas/medical.
• Critical analysis/evaluation of skills already acquired in relation to key skills related to ICC.
• Devising strategies to improve one’s own prospects of working abroad in the future.
• Devising an action plan to address gaps in transferable skills based on organisational analysis and sector opportunities.

Part A:      

Preparation for Experiential Overseas Learning will take place at the University of Chester during level 5 and will include:  

• The multiple facets of Global citizenship
• Ethical engagement and practice
• Cross-cultural issues and sensitivity
• Intercultural communication

Theories, models and strategies of learning

• Theories and models Intercultural competence
• Theories and models of Integration and Multiculturalism
• Critical thinking skills and models of Reflection

• Experiential learning models
• Self-directed experiential learning

Personal and placement-related skills

• Enhanced independence
• Improved command of multicultural behaviour
• Increased knowledge and confidence in their individual facets of personal identity
• Effective time management and organisational skills
• Project management – working away from University and independent study
• Self-management and personal development
• Team building and team work

Part B:            Overseas

Students will engage in experiential learning activities overseas for at least 150 hours 

Preparation for the year abroad will take place in Chester during level 5 and will include:

• Cross-cultural issues and sensitivity
• Host-country orientation, study methods– economic, political and social reality of the country
• Orientation specific to exchange – health, education, gender issues
• The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
• Practical matters relating to living and studying in the wider world

Theories, models and strategies of learning

• Critical thinking skills, experiential learning and models of reflection

Personal and placement-related transversal skills

• Effective self-motivation and independent resourcefulness
• Effective time management and organisational skills
• Project management – working away from University and independent study
• Self-management and personal development

Whilst abroad:

You will undertake study at one of the University of Chester's partner universities or undertake and approved work placement or virtual placement. If you are a student,  it is expected that you will choose a series of modules at the university abroad which must be agreed by the host institution and the Module Leader. you must supply details of you modules on a learning agreement within 4 weeks of arrival at the host university.

This module brings together the three strands of counselling skills: skills practice, theory, and personal development, developing students understanding of how the three elements come together and how they might be applied in the context of future careers. Students are taught advanced counselling concepts, demonstrating how they are applied in context, and are given the opportunity to practise the concepts themselves. Students are given the opportunity to reflect the process and their future careers.

This level 6 major project module will take students on a transformative journey that will enhance their critical thinking, analytical abilities, and academic writing.  Students will learn about the philosophical foundations of social research and will be able to reflect on their own philosophical and methodological standpoint. Research design, ethical issues and methodological tensions will be covered throughout the first two terms of this module. A practical focus on quantitative and qualitative data analysis will aid students to become career ready for the research sector. Teaching will be face to face in small groups,  where students will work with peers to consider the staged process of research design and apply what they have learnt to real world research phenomena. Once students have developed their knowledge and understanding of research methods and data analysis techniques, they will embark on their own piece of research under the guidance of an academic supervisor. By writing a substantial piece of independent research students will gain essential skills in research methodology, data analysis, and academic writing that will serve them throughout their academic and professional career.

Students will be able to focus their major projects within a range of themes such as: Criminal Justice System, Mental Health, Risk and Counselling, State Crime, Media and Representation, Social Policing, Sustainability, Vulnerable groups, and Youth Justice. 

Psychopathology aims to promote students understanding of psychological disorder, how it develops and is maintained, and to help you to think about how, as psychologists, we might best intervene to promote psychological wellbeing.  This module explores research, practice, and service user perspectives on psychopathology throughout the lifespan, providing students with a robust understanding of current thinking and approaches in the field of clinical and counselling psychology.

This module will look at key areas of Health Psychology, in particular looking at the areas of behaviour change and patient experience. This will allow students to build on what they have learnt so far in their degree and see this applied to issues within the physical health field. The module will prepare students for careers in physical health support or related areas around behaviour change such as marketing.

Neurodiversity in Practice covers a range of topics which affect children's development: these include a broad spectrum of neurodiversity issues, but may also include the experiences of children raised in unusual circumstances, who have a sensory or physical disability, a mental health condition, or who are unusually gifted or talented, for example.

This module develops students’ critical understanding of the wider social, political and cultural issues which both challenge and inform the helping relationship. This increased understanding enables students to consider the implications for the helping relationship, leading to a greater awareness of the issues which inform and shape the lives of the helper and helpee.

This module brings together the three strands of counselling skills: skills practice, theory, and personal development, developing students understanding of how the three elements come together and how they might be applied in the context of future careers. Students are taught advanced counselling concepts, demonstrating how they are applied in context, and are given the opportunity to practise the concepts themselves. Students are given the opportunity to reflect the process and their future careers.

Students design and carry out a piece of empirical research with the support of a named supervisor. This offers an opportunity to apply psychological theories and methods covered in the first two years of their degree to a specific area of Psychology. Students plan their project, apply for ethical approval, undertake data analysis, and prepare a final report.

This module further develops your knowledge and understanding of three important core areas of the British Psychological Society (BPS) curriculum. In Biological Psychology, we will cover biologically-based explanations of behaviour. In Cognitive Psychology we examine mental processes. In Developmental Psychology, we study how people change across the lifespan. Across all topics, we explore how the topics that we cover can be applied to wider world issues.