DCU Home | Our Courses | Loop | Registry | Library | Search DCU
<< Back to Module List

Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

All Module information is indicative, and this portal is an interim interface pending the full upgrade of Coursebuilder and subsequent integration to the new DCU Student Information System (DCU Key).

As such, this is a point in time view of data which will be refreshed periodically. Some fields/data may not yet be available pending the completion of the full Coursebuilder upgrade and integration project. We will post status updates as they become available. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Date posted: September 2024

No Banner module data is available

Module Title
Module Code (ITS)
Faculty School
Module Co-ordinatorSemester 1: Gemma Kiernan
Semester 2: Gemma Kiernan
Autumn: Gemma Kiernan
Module TeachersGemma Kiernan
NFQ level 9 Credit Rating
Pre-requisite Not Available
Co-requisite Not Available
Compatibles Not Available
Incompatibles Not Available
Coursework Only
As above
Description

This module incorporates three key components of the taught Doctorate Programme, 1) psychotherapy practice 2) psychotherapy supervision / consultation and 3) personal / professional development, which together form a core stream over the first year of the programme. The purpose of this module is to enhance candidates’ knowledge, skills and reflexive capacity in order to facilitate advanced integration of theory, practice and research and of their personal and professional selves. Candidates are expected to engage in advanced psychotherapy practice, psychotherapy consultation / supervision, personal awareness work, in-class presentations, class based discussion and experiential work, and self-directed learning activities. This work will be recorded in their personal journals and presented in their Professional Portfolio, which provides evidence and a record of their personal and professional development over the duration of the module.

Learning Outcomes

1. Practice and Supervision related competencies: • Demonstrate advanced competency in clinical practice with complex cases. • Critically appraise a range of therapy models / approaches to clinical practice. • Engage in multi-dimensional case conceptualisation and case management and advanced integration of theory, practice and research. • Integrate knowledge of best practice in psychotherapy and engage in critical debate about practice issues. • Demonstrate understanding of how the self of the therapist influences the therapeutic relationship and therapy process. • Demonstrate competence in therapeutic decision-making (e.g. incorporating legal and professional regulations and obligations
2. Personal and Professional development related competencies: • Demonstrate a capacity to give critical, enabling feedback to peers. • Demonstrate capacity to integrate feedback from peers and facilitator. • Demonstrate emotional and psychological availability to engage in critical self and relational reflection. • Demonstrate increased capacity in personal / professional integration. • Demonstrate ability to appraise personal and professional strengths and limitations.



Workload Full-time hours per semester
Type Hours Description
Class Presentation16Presentation and discussion/critique of practice models and therapeutic strategies
Group work12Clinical Supervision Group
Group work12Personal Awareness Group
Independent Study360Including clinical practice work, self directed learning and reflection, assessment preparation (portfolio preparation)
Total Workload: 400

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment% Examination Weight%
Course Work Breakdown
TypeDescription% of totalAssessment Date
PortfolioPractice: 1. In-class presentation of practice model 2. Self-directed learning report Supervision: 1. In-class presentations of case related material 2. Clinical competencies self-evaluation 3. Supervision group report 4. Self-directed learning report Personal / Professional Development: 1. Reflective essay on key learnings from year 1 2. Personal awareness group report 3. Self-directed learning report100%n/a
Indicative Reading List

  • Bolton, G.: 2014, Reflective Practice: Writing and Professional Development, 4th Ed, Sage, London,
  • Florio, C.: 2010, Burnout and Compassion Fatigue, Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, 9781452885902
  • Hawkins, P. and McMahon, A.: 2020, Supervision in the Helping Professions, 5th Ed., McGraw- Hill/ Open University Press, London,
  • Kaur, Rupi: 2022, Healing Through Words, Simon and Schuster, UK,
  • Lane, D.A., Corrie, S.: 2012, Making Successful Decisions in Counselling and Psychotherapy, McGraw Hill, England,
  • Mahon, D.: 2023, Evidence Based Counselling and Psychotherapy for the 21st Century Practitioner, Emerald Publishing, UK,
  • Page, S. & Wosket, V.: 2015, Supervising the Counsellor and Psychotherapist,, 3rd Ed., Routledge, London,
  • Norcross, J. C., & Lambert, M. J: 2019, Psychotherapy relationships that work. Volume 1: Evidence-based therapist contributions, 3rd ed, Oxford University Press., New York,
  • Reeves, A. & Bond, T.: 0, Standards and Ethics for Counselling in Action, 5th ed, Sage, London,
  • Wing Sue, D., Sue, D., Neville, H., Smith, L.: 2019, Counseling the Culturally Diverse: Theory and Practice, 8th ed,
  • Wosket, V.: 2016, The Therapeutic use of Self: Counselling Practice, Research and Supervision, Routledge, London,
Other Resources

65348, 0, European Association of Psychotherapy’s (EAP: 2013) framework of core competencies in practising psychotherapy. (http://www.europsyche.org/download/cms/100510/Final-Core-Competencies-v-3-3_July2013.pdf),

<< Back to Module List