BSc Healthcare Science (Audiology) / Course details

The unit aims to combine theoretical and practical knowledge focusing on patients with complex rehabilitative needs. Students will be introduced to established and contemporary counselling & communication skills models that can be integrated into their work with patients. Students will be presented with clinical scenarios and will critically evaluate the application of these skills within their clinical practice.

The unit aims to:

• To develop an understanding of the complexities of the care management options for different groups of adult rehab patients and to identify and apply counselling & communication skills appropriately to clinical practice.

Students will be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

• Identify appropriate care plans/needs for specific patient groups.
• Identify and assess the evidence for patient management options.
• Develop an understanding of the importance of team working and the implications for this, with in a health care setting.
• Define 'counselling' in the context of psychotherapeutic practice.
• Outline differing theoretical approaches to counselling and how they relate to professional work in Audiology.
• To understand the phases of relational development and identify counselling & communication skills appropriate to each phase.
• Be able to describe the stages of change that affect audiological rehabilitation and their influences on patient behaviour.
• Recognise the limits of personal counselling skills and ability, including when to refer.
• Discuss challenging situations relevant to care management options, including techniques to overcome barriers to communication.
• Develop process mapping skills.

Intellectual skills

• Develop the ability to solve problems by synthesising theoretical and practical knowledge.
• Demonstrate self-awareness and the impact of relationships within a professional role.'

Practical skills

• Communication skills: (in particular in empathic understanding, active listening, managing change and responding to emotional distress).
• Upholding the rights, dignity and privacy of patients.
• Experiential & reflective learning skills using actors, with the purpose of exploring assessment and rehab management of patients.
• Interpersonal skills and group activity skills.

Transferable skills and personal qualities

• Ability to apply counselling & communication skills to different interpersonal relationships/situations.
• Demonstrate an awareness of thoughts, feelings and behaviour and how others can perceive these.
• Become more self-aware in terms of ones beliefs, values and prejudices.
• Prioritising tasks and time management to meet deadlines.
• Ability to work effectively as a team member.
• To understand the concept of working reflexively.

• Introduction to the counselling & communication skills models.
• Identification of care plans for specific patient groups.
• Identification of Change Models and how these influence management options for specific patient groups.
• Demonstration of skills.
• Role play with actors relating to real clinical scenarios.
• Review of module.

Workshops, lecture, role-play, group work and directed reading.

1. Written assignment (2000 words, 100%)

Students will be provided with verbal feedback throughout the duration of this unit related to their skills practice.

More specific references will be provided in lectures.

• BACP (2013) Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling & Psychotherapy. Leicestershire: BACP.
• Burnard P (1999) Counselling Skills for Health Professional 3rd Ed. Stanley Thornes, Cheltenham 159.913 BUR.
• Clark J.G. Martin F (1994) Effective counselling in audiology. Prentice hall Inc: New Jersey.
• Clark J.G, English KM (2003) Counselling in Audiologic Practice: Helping Patients and Families adjust to Hearing Loss: New Ed . Allyn & Bacon inc.
• Culley & Bond (2004) Integrative Counselling Skills in Action, Sage: London.
• Egan G.(2010) The Skilled Helper: A Problem-Management and Opportunity Development Approach to Helping, Brooks Cole: International Edition.
• Furze G, Donnison J, Lewin JP (2008) The clinician's guide to chronic disease management for long-term conditions : A cognitive - behavioural approach.
• Henry J, Trune D, Robb M, Jastreboff P ( 2007) Tinnitus re training therapy ; A patient counselling guide. Plural Publishing.
• Leeds J (1999) Clinical Counselling in Context, an Introduction. Ed, Routledge, London 159.931CLI.
• Luterman D.( 2001) Counselling persons with communication disorders and their families ( 4th Ed) pro-ed: Austin Texas.
• McLeod J (2007) Counselling Skill , Open University Press: Berkshire
• Midwinter R & Dickson J (pending) Counselling & Communication Skills in Practice: A Relational Skills Model, Routledge: London.
• Rogers, C (1967) On Becoming a Person: A Therapist's View of Psychotherapy Constable: London.