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
- Psychology School
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. 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. They also learn how to present their assessments in the form of professional reports. 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, and c) intervention approaches for those experiencing complicated reactions to loss.
Course requirements
Assumed background
It is assumed that students who enrol in thisﾠcourse have a degree within the field of psychology and mayﾠhave 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 if students have developed, or are developing, some basic interpersonalﾠskills and knowledge by having undertaken, or be undertaking,ﾠthe basic courseﾠof the Master of Psychology program, PSYC7801ﾠInterpersonal Skills.
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
COUN7014
Restrictions
Restricted to students enrolled in MPsych or with permission of Director of Psychology programs
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 consideringﾠa broad integrative approach to theﾠtherapy 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/prolonged) 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 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 therapy for those experiencing loss according to the theoretical position held by the counsellor
LO9.
Development of clinical skills in assessment and basic intervention strategies for loss
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reflection | Conversations and reflections on loss | 15% |
9/04/2025 - 30/05/2025
Part 1 is due Wednesday Week 7 at 13:00 Part 2 is due Friday Week 13 at 13:00 |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Case report - a study of grief and loss | 40% |
9/05/2025 1:00 pm |
| Presentation |
10 minute presentation
|
35% |
22/05/2025
The presentations will take place during the final tutorial |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Fact sheet on an area of loss | 10% |
22/05/2025
This is due at the same time as your 10 minute presentation |
Assessment details
Conversations and reflections on loss
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Reflection
- Weight
- 15%
- Due date
9/04/2025 - 30/05/2025
Part 1 is due Wednesday Week 7 at 13:00
Part 2 is due Friday Week 13 at 13:00
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L03, L05, L09
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 another student but is often preferable 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 lives.Please discuss the procedures (instructions) 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 read the 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.
Case report - a study of grief and loss
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
9/05/2025 1:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L06, L08, L09
Task description
GENERAL TASK DESCRIPTION
Page/ Word limit: Maximum 6 pages for case report and 1 page of self-reflection. This = max 7 pages text. This length restrictions are important because in practice it is essential that interviews are written up in charts, files or reports in a concise, clear and professional manner. The length includes in-text citations. The reference list is not included in the page limit. You may chose to include a diagram of the formulation, if so this should be on a separate page and is not included in the page limit. Any diagram should not be used in place of a text description of the formulation.
The case study is to be typed (A4, double spacing, font 12 Arial or Times Romans or Calibri, 2.5cm margins, page numbers)
Reference system: APA
Over Length Case Studies: Written material beyond the designated page length will not be read.
Contents of header and/or footer: Student Name, Student Number and PSYC7807
Format of file for submission to Turnitin: Word or PDF
DESCRIPTION OF TASK
This assessment piece is based on an encounter with a grieving person(s). To complete this report, you will need to interview one person who has experienced a significant loss during the previous two years or is dealing with a significant ongoing loss from before this time. The loss does not need to be a bereavement but should have been experienced by the person as a loss that meaningful to them. A minor loss is unlikely to provide the experience you need to successfully complete the assessment. This could be a client from one of your internships or someone you interview specifically for this assessment. You will be required to submit signed informed consent form (more details below) prior to submitting your assignment.
If you are interviewing someone specifically for the purposes of this assessment piece, it is assumed that you would use your counselling skills to ensure that the interview is handled sensitively and ethically, but please remember that this is an interview to hear the story of the person’s loss, and NOT a therapy session. It is very important that the person you are interviewing is aware of this and comfortable that this is just an opportunity for them to tell their story to you. If the person was to become distressed and you believe more formal care is important, please reassure them that you will seek out support options for them and then contact your course coordinator as soon as possible to discuss this. During the interview with this person, you are aiming to come to an understanding of their loss experience using a relevant loss and grief framework. You may need to consider a variety of theories and empirical literature before coming to your decision about which framework is most relevant for understanding (formulating) the person’s experience. You may need to interview this person/people more than once if that is most appropriate for them.
You are then asked to prepare a professional style case report that includes sections as outlined below. Through the building of your case description and formulation you are asked to link the person’s experience to both 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 psychology practice.
Please see information on blackboard for more detailed information about the components of your report.
Submission guidelines
Please submit your report via Turnitin. You should provide a hard copy of the signed consent form to the tutor prior to submission
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.
10 minute presentation
- In-person
- Mode
- Oral
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 35%
- Due date
22/05/2025
The presentations will take place during the final tutorial
- Learning outcomes
- L02, L03, L04, L06, L08, L09
Task description
Task description: A 10-minute presentation on an area of loss relevant to a practicing psychologist. The talk should cover 1) A brief background - why is this important for a psychologist to know about; 2) integration of a theoretical model to explain the development and persistence of the loss reaction 3) An evidence informed assessment approach, including an assessment tool 4) A menu of at least 2 evidence-based approaches for working with this form of loss, and a 5) brief discussion of the state of the literature related to this loss - gaps, controversies etc. Students may choose their own topic but must confirm with the course coordinator. Students will be asked to present different topics from each other.
See Blackboard for more detailed instructions.
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Fact sheet on an area of loss
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 10%
- Due date
22/05/2025
This is due at the same time as your 10 minute presentation
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L07, L08, L09
Task description
Task: A 1000 word executive summary of the key information included in your presentation, covering all areas to be discussed in your presentation. This fact sheet should also contain 1) links to at least 2 "helpful resources" and 2) a references list. This fact sheet will be distributed to the class as a resource for future practice.
Presentation: This is not a standard essay or report. The fact sheet should be presented in a form that is visually appealing and makes it likely to be something a psychologist could refer to in their practice.the font should be easy to read (e.g. 12 Font. Arial or Times Romans or Calibri). You are invited to modify APA and typical academic essay structure
Line spacing: In this case this may be altered on the basis of your decision about the presentation style you would like the fact sheet to have.
Reference system: In this case this may be altered on the basis of your decision about the presentation style. The reference list is not included in the word count.
Format of file for submission to Turnitin: Word or PDF
Submission guidelines
Submit through 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.
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. |
Additional course grading information
Students must submit all pieces of assessment to gain a pass in this course.
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 fulfil the following requirements:
- Case Study: The student must submit the case study by the due date. The case study is assigned 40% of the total marks for the course.
- 10- minute presentation and accompanying Fact sheet. The student must complete this presentation (35%) and submit the fact sheet (10%)
- Reflections on conversations. The journal constitutes 15% of the marks for the course and is to be completed in 2 parts. ﾠPart 1 and Part 2 are to be submitted by their respectiveﾠdue dates.
- 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 ASSIGNMENTS:
In most cases, you are to submit your pieces of assessment through Turnitin. You will find Turnitin on the Blackboard site. Go to the PSYC7807ﾠBlackboard 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 is the student's responsibility to ensure there is no risk in case assignments were to be misplaced. Please ensure you take a screenshotﾠof your assignment after submission inﾠTurnitin as evidence of submission.
REFERENCING EXPECTATIONS
Within the Master of Psychologyﾠ 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 where presentation style is part of the task being assessed, varied presentation style is part of the assignment itself. This is the case with the Fact Sheet in PSYC7807. In these circumstances the assignment outline ﾠstates explicitly that the student can choose the referencing style that best suits their ﾠpresentation 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-guides
ORﾠﾠ
https://guides.library.uq.edu.au/referencing?group_id=15017ﾠﾠ
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
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Blackboard Site:
All students enrolled in PSYC7807 have access to a Blackboard site for this course.It can be accessed by going to your MyUQﾠ (www.my.uq.edu.au) and clicking onto 'Learn.UQ'. This will take you to a 'Login' page at which you enter your UQ student username and password.ﾠ Once you put in these codes, all courses in which you are enrolled that have a Blackboard site should appear. On this Blackboard site you will be able to access learning resources for the course such as lecture notes, references from the lectures, Conversations with a Companion Booklets, Client Consent Forms for Interviews. The Blackboard site also periodically has announcements in the event that all students need to be contacted about an issue. Students should access this site regularly throughout the semester.ﾠIndividual emails will not be sent about issues associated with the course. It is assumed that students will access the Blackbaord site for announcemnets 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 basic concepts for working with loss Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05, L07 |
Week 2 (03 Mar - 09 Mar) |
Lecture |
The phenomenology of grief What does grief look like? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
Week 3 (10 Mar - 16 Mar) |
Lecture |
Loss and cultural contexts 1 Grief and loss across cultural contexts; grief literacy Learning outcomes: L02, L05, L06, L07, L08 |
Week 4 (17 Mar - 23 Mar) |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 1 Introduction and controversies: interviewing in the context of loss Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Lecture |
Loss and cultural contexts 2 Disenfranchised grief; working with grief at a community level Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L05, L06 |
|
Week 5 (24 Mar - 30 Mar) |
Lecture |
Frameworks for working with grief Frameworks for approaching interviews/assessments Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
Week 6 (31 Mar - 06 Apr) |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 2 assessment and formulation Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08, L09 |
Lecture |
Mediators of mourning 1: Attachment Mediators of mourning 1: Attachment and continuing bonds Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L08, L09 |
|
Week 7 (07 Apr - 13 Apr) |
Lecture |
Mediators of mourning 2: Cognition and self-identity processes Guest speaker - non death loss and mediators (and mechanism) of mourning 3: Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05, L06, L08 |
Week 8 (14 Apr - 20 Apr) |
Lecture |
Mediators of mourning 3: Emotion regulation and neurobiology assessment and interventions overview Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08 |
Mid-sem break (21 Apr - 27 Apr) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
NO LECTURE - Midsemester break |
Week 9 (28 Apr - 04 May) |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 3 Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08, L09 |
Lecture |
Loss related mental health disorders Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05, L06, L07, L08 |
|
Week 10 (05 May - 11 May) |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 4 Cognitive strategies Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L08, L09 |
Lecture |
Counselling and intervention approaches 1 Approaches for working with loss to prevent poor long-term outcomes Learning outcomes: L02, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08 |
|
Week 11 (12 May - 18 May) |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 5 Behavioural strategies Learning outcomes: L03, L05, L06, L08, L09 |
Lecture |
Counselling and intervention Approaches 2 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08, L09 |
|
Week 12 (19 May - 25 May) |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 6 Strategies for re-building Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L08, L09 |
Lecture |
Grief across the life span Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08, L09 |
|
Week 13 (26 May - 01 Jun) |
Lecture |
Non bereavement loss and death technology Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L07, 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: