Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Nursing, Midwifery & Social Wk
The course explores in a thematic and theoretically integrated manner common issues of loss and grief that are inherent in many aspects of human functioning and adverse life events. As such it provides an example of an integrative approach to counselling. The influence of loss on reactions to a situation as well as approaches to intervention are considered. Throughout the course, students are encouraged to apply the knowledge gained to their personal experiences and work practices. The course aims to enhance the ability of practitioners to empower those dealing with loss through a) a knowledge of the literature around situations of loss including problems in grieving; b) the encouragement of individual, familial, community and system strengths, and c) the prevention of the escalation of problems associated with failure to address issues of loss and grief incumbent in a particular situation.
The course explores in a thematic manner common issues of loss and grief that are inherent in many aspects of human functioning and adverse life events. The influence of loss on reactions to a situation as well as approaches to intervention are considered. The course provides intergrates theory with practice of caring for those affected by many adverse life events. While bereavement is a primary focus of the course, other non-death losses are discussed.
Throughout the lecture and tutorial components of the course, students are encouraged to apply the knowledge gained to their personal experiences and work practices. The course aims to enhance the ability of practitioners to empower those dealing with loss through a) the encouragement of individual, familial, community and system strengths, and b) the prevention of the escalation of problems associated with failure to address issues of loss and grief incumbent in a particular situation.
Course requirements
Assumed background
It is assumed that students who enter the course have a degree within the social sciences, health sciencesﾠor a related area and/or have significant experience in the human services area. As such it is assumed that students have a basic understanding of literature concerning human behaviour, and psychological theory and language, and a basic ability to communicate effectively with a variety of people. In addition, it is preferred but not required, thatﾠstudents have developed, or are developing, some basic counselling skills and knowledge by having undertaken, or be undertaking, the basic courses of the Master of Counselling COUN7001ﾠInterpersonal Skills in Counselling 1 and COUN7002 Theories of Counselling or other interpersonal courses in other degree programs.
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
PSYC7807
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to introduce students to the issues associated with people experiencing situations of loss and provide a framework for consideringﾠ a broad integrative approach to the counselling process and interventions employed with people facing such adverse life events.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Be conversant with loss and grief issues relevant to different periods of the life cycle and various adverse life events
LO2.
Be aware of the major definitions, models and theoretical issues related to loss and grief and related areas such as chronicity and trauma
LO3.
Identify factors that affect the intensity of grief reactions following loss
LO4.
Differentiate problem (complicated) grieving and comorbidity issues from uncomplicated grieving
LO5.
To recognize your own personal issues of loss that may affect your practice
LO6.
Develop an integrative theoretical framework of loss that allows for the consideration of loss and interventions in situations of loss at an individual, familial, community and systemic level
LO7.
Consider intersectoral cooperation in your own practice
LO8.
Have a knowledge of the different approaches to counselling for those experiencing loss according to the theoretical position held by the counsellor
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reflection | Reflections on conversations about loss | 15% |
9/04/2025 - 23/05/2025
Part 1 is due Wednesday Week 7 at 13:00 Part 2 is due Friday Week 12 at 13:00 |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Fact sheet on an area of loss | 40% |
12/05/2025 1:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Case Formulation report: Applying theory and evidence to understand grief reactions | 35% |
30/05/2025 1:00 pm |
| Reflection | Reflections of skills practice | 10% |
21/03/2025 - 19/05/2025
These assessments are to be submitted during your tutorial |
Assessment details
Reflections on conversations about loss
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Reflection
- Weight
- 15%
- Due date
9/04/2025 - 23/05/2025
Part 1 is due Wednesday Week 7 at 13:00
Part 2 is due Friday Week 12 at 13:00
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L03, L06
Task description
This assessment piece takes the form of a Personal Exploration to be completed and submitted in 2 parts.
You are asked to complete two conversations with a person of your own choosing and respond to a set of questions about each conversation. Your conversation can be with another student but is often preferrable for it to be someone outside the university. It is vital that you are to choose someone in whom you find it easy to trust.
Both you and your companion are asked to think about and discuss three losses from your life. Please discuss the procedures with your companion before you have the first conversation. They may prefer to think about their responses before you meet and even make some notes. However, only your responses need to be submitted via Turnitin for assessment purposes. Detailed instructions are provided on Blackboard.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct
Submission guidelines
You are asked to submit your responses via Turnitin. Part 1 and part 2 are submitted separately on different dates. Please refer to the detailed instructions provided on Blackboard.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
For full details please review the School of Psychology Student Guidelines - Extensions and Deferred quiz/exam.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Fact sheet on an area of loss
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
12/05/2025 1:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L07, L08
Task description
Word limit: 1000 words
This assignment requires you to prepare a fact sheet on an area of loss that would be of use to working counsellors. The information in this fact sheet should be up-to-date, well-researched and supported by relevant citations.
To begin:
1. Choose an area of loss that interests you (e.g., death of a spouse, limb loss, missing persons, loss through natural disaster)
2. Consult the empirical literature to see what we know about it. Note: It is not necessary that there is an extensive literature on your area of interest; however, you do need there to be enough empirical/scholarly literature for you to meet the requirements of the assessment as outlined below.
3. Confirm your choice with your tutor.
The professional fact sheet should include:
· A title
· A scholarly overview of empirical knowledge relevant to this area of loss– e.g., Why is the topic important? How prevalent is it? Why does the counsellor need to know about it?
· A list of signs, symptoms, reactions relevant to that loss. This should be presented at a level that would be useful to a working counsellor, for example including warning signs that someone may be a risk of poorer outcomes
· Description of a relevant theoretical model to help the counsellor with assessment and case formulations (**see below)
· At least one relevant evidence-based assessment tool or evidence-based approach the counsellor could use to inform their assessment
· A “menu of two options” regarding evidence-based treatments that the counsellor could apply in working with that type of loss. These should be supported by empirical literature and include a critical discussion regarding the current level of evidence supporting the interventions.
· A concluding section outlining outstanding questions in the field, controversies, gaps in our knowledge, or any other considerations relevant to that type of loss.
· List links to at least 2 helpful “further” resources
Reference list (not included in the word count
Please see information on Blackboard for more detailed information
Presentation: This is not a standard essay or report. The manual should be presented in a form that is visually appealing and makes it likely to be something a professional counsellor could refer to in their practice. This ability to present your material in a way that is easily accessible to others is important, so please consider the most appropriate manner to do so. You are able to use different presentation options in this assessment piece such as different formats and spacing, dot points, figures, colour, diagrams, indenting, boxes, and prioritise readability by using superscripts rather than in-text referencing, etc.
Font and line spacing: The font should be easy to read (e.g., 12 Font. Arial or Calibri). However, you do not need to follow APA style or the typical academic essay structure. You can use figures/boxes to present relevant information, though make sure you explain these in text as well - don’t rely on figures and tables to speak for themselves. Text in figures/boxes/diagrams is not included in the word count.
Reference system: You are not required to use APA style, but a citation list must be included. Use a system that suits your manual style (e.g., numbers). (not included in the word count)
Format of file for submission to Turnitin: Either Word or PDF
Submission guidelines
You are to submit your work through Turnitin.You will find Turnitin on the Blackboard site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
For full details please review the School of Psychology Student Guidelines - Extensions and Deferred quiz/exam.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Case Formulation report: Applying theory and evidence to understand grief reactions
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 35%
- Due date
30/05/2025 1:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L08
Task description
Task: Case Formulation report: Applying theory and evidence to understand grief reactions
Word limit: Maximum 4 pages of text and 1 separate page for a diagram (max 5 in total). Length restrictions are important because in practice it is essential that professional reports are written in a concise, clear and professional manner. The length includes in-text citations. The reference list is not included in the page limit.
Font: 12 Font. Arial or Times Romans or Calibri; Margins 2.5 cm
Line spacing: Double Line Spacing
Reference system: APA
Contents of header and/or footer: Student Name, Student Number and COUN7014
Format of file for submission to Turnitin: Word or PDF
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF TASK
For this activity you are asked to CHOOSE one of the three of case descriptions (see Blackboard) and develop a case formulation based on the information provided in the case, lectures, tutorials and relevant empirical material.
In building of your formulation, you are asked to link the experiences described with relevant empirical and theoretical literature (evidence-based practice). This assessment gives you a chance to methodically consider a case in a manner that you will need to do more rapidly in your everyday counselling practice.
Please see the handout on Blackboard for the case examples and more detailed information about this task
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct
Submission of Assignment:
You are to submit the assessment through Turnitin. You will find Turnitin on the Blackboard site.
Criteria & Marking:
Marking criteria will be available on the Course Blackboard page. It is expected that your report will have a clear academic style and be written in the succinct language of a report.
Submission guidelines
Submit via Turnitin.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
For full details please review the School of Psychology Student Guidelines - Extensions and Deferred quiz/exam.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Reflections of skills practice
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Reflection
- Weight
- 10%
- Due date
21/03/2025 - 19/05/2025
These assessments are to be submitted during your tutorial
- Learning outcomes
- L03, L05, L06
Task description
You are asked to complete a series of reflective pieces associated with the tutorial series. These will ask you to reflect on the role plays and discussion undertaken during each tutorial. Each reflection is worth 2%. You will receive the maximum 10% if you submit 5 out of 6 reflections that show evidence that you took the task seriously. You will need to submit a minimum of 2 reflections meet requirements to "pass" this assessment in order to pass the course.
These reflections are expected to take a 5 -10 mins to complete. They will be completed during the tutorials. The due date and time is the end of each tutorial.
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 29.99 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 30 - 46.99 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 47 - 49.99 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64.99 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74.99 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84.99 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
REQUIREMENTS FOR OBTAINING A RESULT IN THIS COURSE:
For a student to receive a result in this course, the student must fulfill the following requirements:
- Reflections on Conversations: The student must submit Part 1 and Part 2 of this assessment by their respective due dates. These reflections contribute 15% of the marks for this course
- Fact sheet: The student must submit the Fact sheet by the due date. The Fact sheet contributes 40% of the marks for this course.
- Case Study: The student must submit the case study by the due date. The case study contributes 35% of the total marks for the course.
- Reflections on skills practice: The student must submit at least 2 tutorial reflections by their respective due dates. The skills practice reflections contribute a maximum of 10% of total marks for the course
- As this is a professional training course, it is considered very important that students attend all lectures and tutorials. Please inform your course coordinator if you are unable to attend a lecture and your tutor if you are unable to attend a tutorial.
SUBMISSION OF ASSIGNMENT:
You are to submit all your assessment itemsﾠthrough Turnitin unless otherwise notified. You will find Turnitin on the Blackboard site. Go to the COUN7014 Blackboard site and go to ‘Assessment ‘and then to ‘Turnitin’ and follow the directions.
IMPORTANT!! IMPORTANT!!
NB Please note – it is University policy that students are to keep a copy of every assignment submitted for grading. This includes copies of the files of USB presentations. This is the student's responsibility to ensure there is no risk in case assignments were to be misplaced. Please ensure you also keep a copy of the receipt for your assignment generated by Turnitin as evidence of submission.
POLICIES ON ASSESSMENT
The School of Psychology has clear policies on submissions, remarks and supplementary exams etc offered at the site: Student guidelines - School of Psychology - University of Queensland
It is very important that students refer to these policies when submitting assessment.
REFERENCING EXPECTATIONS
Within the Master of Counselling program it is expected that for nearly allﾠpieces of assessment the referencing system to be used for submitted assignments is that of APA Style. The UQ Library provides an excellent guide to APA referencing. It can be found at:ﾠ
https://guides.library.uq.edu.au/referencing/apa6ﾠ
In some assessment work in the program, varied presentation style is part of the assignment itself. This is the case for the Professional Manual assessment piece in this course. The assignment outline states that the student can choose the referencing style that best suits his or herﾠpresentation purposes. The UQ Library offers useful guides on other referencing systems that may be useful to students and can be found at:
https://web.library.uq.edu.au/research-tools-techniques/referencing-style-guidesﾠﾠ
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Blackboard Site :
All students enrolled in COUN7014ﾠhave access to a Blackboard site for this course. It can be accessed by going to the UQ page www.elearning.uq.edu.au and clicking onto 'Learn.UQﾠLogin'. This will take you to a 'Login' page at which you enter your UQ student username and password. On this Blackboard site you will be able to access learning resources for the course such as lecture notes provided each week, references from the lectures, Client Consent Forms for Interviews and an Assignment Cover Sheet. Interesting articles are also posted throughout the semester. Alternatively you can go to your MyUQ page and go to 'Go to MyUQ Dashboard'. Clic on 'All Apps" and you will find the 'Learn.UQ' link to take you to your Blackboard site.
The Blackboard site also periodically has Announcements in the event that all students need to be contacted about an issue for COUN7014. Students should access this site regularly throughout the semester. Individual emails will not be sent about issues associated with the course. It is assumed that students will access the Blackboard site for announcements on a regular basis.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (24 Feb - 02 Mar) |
Lecture |
Introduction to loss and fundamental concepts Course introduction and basics concepts for working with loss Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L05 |
Week 2 (03 Mar - 09 Mar) |
Lecture |
What does grief look like? What does grief look like? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Week 3 (10 Mar - 16 Mar) |
Lecture |
Loss and cultural contexts 1 Grief and loss across cultural contexts; grief literacy Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L06, L07 |
Week 4 (17 Mar - 23 Mar) |
Lecture |
Loss and cultural contexts 2 Disenfranchised grief; working with grief at a community level (guest speaker) Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L06 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 1: Interviewing Asking about with loss; Considerations and controversies Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
|
Week 5 (24 Mar - 30 Mar) |
Lecture |
Frameworks for working with grief Frameworks for approaching interviews/assessments Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L06, L08 |
Week 6 (31 Mar - 06 Apr) |
Lecture |
Mediators of mourning 1: Attachment Mediators of mourning 1: Attachment and continuing bonds Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 2 - asking about loss Assessment and formulation skills Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
|
Week 7 (07 Apr - 13 Apr) |
Lecture |
Mediators of mourning 2: Cognition and self-identity processes Learning outcomes: L05, L06, L07, L08 |
Week 8 (14 Apr - 20 Apr) |
Lecture |
Mediators of mourning 3: Emotion regulation and neurobiology Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Mid-sem break (21 Apr - 27 Apr) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
No Classes - MIDSEMESTER BREAK |
Week 9 (28 Apr - 04 May) |
Lecture |
Loss related mental health disorders Assessment and interventions overview Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L08 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 3: formulating loss Interviewing for case formulation Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L08 |
|
Week 10 (05 May - 11 May) |
Lecture |
Counselling and intervention approaches I Approaches for working with loss to prevent poor long-term outcomes Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04, L07, L08 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 4: Collaborative care planning Care planning and goal setting Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04, L07, L08 |
|
Week 11 (12 May - 18 May) |
Lecture |
Counselling and intervention approaches 2 Learning outcomes: L02, L04, L05, L07, L08 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 5: Brief interventions 1 Skills for working with loss Learning outcomes: L02, L04, L05, L07, L08 |
|
Week 12 (19 May - 25 May) |
Lecture |
Grief across the life span Working with loss across the life span - childhood grief and loss in older adults Learning outcomes: L05, L07, L08 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 6: Brief interventions 2 Skills for working with loss Learning outcomes: L02, L04, L05, L07, L08 |
|
Week 13 (26 May - 01 Jun) |
Lecture |
Non bereavement loss and death technology Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L06, L08 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: