Module: Professional Practice Portfolio 3

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Professional Practice Portfolio 3
Module Code	PST1013 (ITS: NS5033)
Faculty	Nursing, PsyT & Comm Health	School	Science & Health
NFQ level	9	Credit Rating	10

Description

The Professional Practice Portfolio 3 (PPP3) module builds on the personal and professional development modules in years 1 and 2 of the MSc in Psychotherapy. The purpose of this module is to enhance students’ knowledge, skills and reflexive capacity to facilitate further integration of their personal and professional selves. In this module, students will be challenged and supported to extend an integrative theoretical perspective in their work with clients. The module provides in-depth evaluation of core psychotherapy competences, as appropriate to year 3 of the MSc in Psychotherapy programme. Students will engage in critical discussion and reflection on a range of topics including ethical decision-making; the interface between spirituality and psychotherapy; and risk assessment and treatment responses to clients presenting with mental health, suicide and addiction issues. Students are expected to continue to attend personal therapy and personal awareness group sessions; engage in clinical practice and clinical supervision on an individual and group basis; participate in class-based discussion, reading and on-line directed learning activities. The course work will be maintained in students' portfolios which will provide evidence and a record of their personal and professional development over the duration of the course.

Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate a proficiency in personal / professional reflexivity.
2. Examine in depth personal biases and preferences and their influence on the therapeutic process and therapeutic engagement with clients.
3. Demonstrate that they have extended their knowledge and skills from an integrative psychotherapy perspective.
4. Identify and critically examine their personal and professional responses to a range of topics salient to contemporary psychotherapy practice
5. Demonstrate competency in ethical decision making in clinical practice in a range of contexts with individual and couple clients.
6. Demonstrate critical awareness of appropriate responses to ethical, moral and legal dimensions of psychotherapy practice.
7. Demonstrate increased self-awareness and personal development through engagement in personal therapy and personal awareness groups.
8. Utilise individual and group clinical supervision appropriately for personal/ professional development needs.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full time hours per semester
Lecture	10	Didactic Teaching
Group work	20	Group supervision
Group work	15	Personal Awareness Groups
Clinical placement	100	Direct client work in an approved placement setting
Clinical placement	20	Individual supervision
Directed learning	20	Personal therapy
Independent Study	57	Independent reflective study and practice, including maintaining personal / professional reflection journals; preparation for and review of case work and supervision; reading and research; and preparation of assignments and portfolio
Total Workload: 242

Section Breakdown
CRN	11441	Part of Term	Semester 1 & 2
Coursework	0%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	Y
Resit Category	RC1	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	Stephanie swales	Module Teacher	Alice McEleney

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown
Assignment	Clinical Session Analysis: Audio recording, transcription, and reflective commentary	30%	n/a
Assignment	Reflective Recording: Submit a 15-minute Audio Recording which provides both a critical evaluation and in-depth discussion, grounded on a key encounter/experience that has evoked a core question/concern/ resistance/learning for your personal development and professional formation.	25%	n/a
Assignment	Personal Awareness Group Engagement: Your PAG Engagement will be assessed through a process involving yourself, your PAG peers, and your facilitator.	20%	n/a
Assignment	Group Supervision Engagement: 1) In-Class Clinical Case Study and 2) End of Year Group Supervision Report	20%	n/a
Portfolio	Professional Portfolio: Confirmed clinical and personal development logs - Clinical practice logs and reports; clinical supervision logs and reports; and personal therapy and personal development logs and reports.	5%	n/a

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

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

Professional & Personal Development
Through continued personal and interpersonal experiential inquiry the student will enhance their reflexive awareness of self-other relationships, critically examine their personal biases, preferences and blind-spots, and understand the use of self in the therapeutic process.

Clinical Practice
The student will continue to engage in direct work with clients presenting with emotional and psychological problems of increasing complexity in a number of different practice settings. This work will be carried out under the guidance of the clinical placement coordinator and clinical supervisors.

Clinical Supervision
The student will continue to engage in formal supervision of their clinical practice in individual and group formats. This will involve presentation of case work and demonstration of application of integrative psychotherapy theory and practice, which can involve retrospective reflection and discussion of the students work in a range of ways, such as written reflective notes, audio / video recordings etc. Supervision will be conducted with an accredited supervisor who is clinically competent in the particular are of work in which the student is engaged.

Indicative Reading List

Books:

Creaner, M.: 2014, Getting the Best Out of Supervision in Counselling and Psychotherapy- A Guide for the Supervisee., Sage, London,
European Association of Psychotherapy: 2013, European Association of Psychotherapyâ€™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),
Ababio, B., ed.: 2023, Intercultural Supervision in Therapeutic Practice, Dialogues, Perspectives and Reflections,
Casement, P.: 2014, Further Learning from the Patient,
Hawkins, P. & McMahon, A.: 2020, Supervision in the helping professions,
Finlay, L.: 2021, The Therapeutic Use of Self in Counselling and Psychotherapy,
Johnstone, L.: 2013, Formulation in Psychology and Psychotherapy,
Mearns, D. & Cooper, M.: 2017, Working At Relational Depth in Counselling & Psychotherapy,

Articles:
None

Other Resources

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