Outline

Overview

In this unit of study students will develop the practical skills of clinical psychology practice in child and adult mental health. An emphasis is placed on developing clinical competencies through active learning (observation, modelling, role play , feedback). Specific topics addressed in the unit include concepts and practices related to clinical assessment and formulation (e.g., diagnostic systems and interviews, mental status examination), as well as counselling micro skills and basic relational skills, and skills for the design and delivery of evidence-based interventions (e.g., cognitive behaviour therapy). Where relevant, attention is given to the distinct clinical skills involved in effective practice concerning problems of childhood versus adulthood, and the use of such skills as part of culturally responsive practice with diverse client populations. Attention is also given to practical procedures involved in the operation of mental health clinics (e.g., intake processes), skills for participating in clinical supervision, and skills for collaborating with other mental health professionals and support staff in the course of clinical practice.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Psychology Academic Operations
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	David Hawes, david.hawes@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 31 March 2025

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Skills-based evaluation	Clinical Viva Adult Therapy Clinical Viva Weeks 12 and 13	0%	Multiple weeks	1 hour
Outcomes assessed:
Skills-based evaluation	Clinical skills video review Video recording	0%	Week 04	10 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
= AI allowed ?

Assessment summary

Clinical Skills Video review: Students will work in pairs to video-record role plays focused on clinical micro-skills, which will be reviewed in small groups.
Clinical Viva (Adult Therapy): Students will apply clinical assessment and intervention skills to hypothetical scenarios in role plays with teaching staff.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

Result	Code	Description
Pass with Merit	PM	The material or clinical practice substantially exceeds the expected level of competence for the stage of training. Reserved for work of an exceptionally high standard that demonstrates independent thought, originality and comprehensive knowledge of the subject area. In order to be awarded a ‘Pass with Merit’, a student needs to perform in the top 10% of students.
Pass	P	The material or clinical practice meets the expected level of competence for the stage of training. A pass is considered to signify work that is of a good to very good standard, according to the relevant expectations.
Meet with Marker	MEET	The written material or clinical practice demonstrates some misunderstanding or a minor deficiency in level of competence. The student must meet with the examiner to discuss the problems with the work. If the marker is satisfied with the outcome of the meeting, the work is given a pass. Alternatively, the student may be required to resubmit or repeat the work.
Resubmit	RE	The written material or clinical practice does not meet the required competency. The student must resubmit or repeat the work within a period of time determined by the CPU and the work will be re-marked. Resubmitted or repeated work that on this basis fails to meet the required competency will then be marked independently by a second marker, and a third marker if the two initial markers disagree. Work that is deemed to have failed to meet course requirements by two markers will be assigned a Fail.
Fail	F	The written material or clinical practice is of a sufficiently low standard, or demonstrates unethical or dangerous practice. Any piece of written work that is marked with Fail will be marked independently by a second marker, and by a third marker if the two initial markers disagree. Where required, the three markers meet to decide upon a final mark to be awarded. Work that is deemed to have failed to meet course requirements by two markers will be assigned a Fail. In most cases, written assessments and clinical practice assessments examine core clinical competencies, and the Fail mark will result in the Unit of Study being failed. Any Unit of Study that the student is deemed to have failed will have to be repeated, and the student will be required to re-enrol in that Unit of Study. Students are only eligible to repeat Units of Study once.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Except for supervised exams or in-semester tests, you may use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessments unless expressly prohibited by your unit coordinator.

For exams and in-semester tests, the use of AI and automated writing tools is not allowed unless expressly permitted in the assessment instructions.

The icons in the assessment table above indicate whether AI is allowed – whether full AI, or only some AI (the latter is referred to as “AI restricted”). If no icon is shown, AI use is not permitted at all for the task. Refer to Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks for this unit.

Your final submission must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of automated writing tools or generative AI, and any material generated that you include in your final submission must be properly referenced. You may be required to submit generative AI inputs and outputs that you used during your assessment process, or drafts of your original work. Inappropriate use of generative AI is considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

The Current Students website provides information on artificial intelligence in assessments. For help on how to correctly acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the  AI in Education Canvas site.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Late penalties If you do not submit an assessment by the due date, and do not have an approved special consideration application, late penalties will apply. The following penalties apply for any assessment submitted late without an extension approved through special consideration: Less than 1 week late > Meet with Marker (MEET) Requirement: Student to meet with Unit Coordinator plus either Director of Clinical Training or Head of the Clinical Psychology Unit. 1-2 weeks late > Resubmit (RE) Requirement: Student to complete a new piece of work and resubmit within one week (eg. new assignment or new case report or new research report). Unit Coordinator to provide new assignment question or instructions. 2 weeks late > Fail (F) Requirement: Result reported as Fail for unit of study on student academic transcript.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Mental status examination (Lester)	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 02	Skills practice: Clinical assessment and diagnostic interviewing (Lester)	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 03	Case formulation and treatment planning (Abott)	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 04	Skills practice: Behavioural and diagnostic assessment of children (Hawes)	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 05	Clinical skills tapes review: Therapeutic relational skills (Ha, Kumfor, Seeley-Wait, Lester, Webb)	Clinical practice (3 hr)
Week 06	General therapy and CBT skills practice 1: Cognitive challenging (Ha)	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 07	General therapy and CBT skills practice 2: Behavioural interventions (Hunt)	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 08	General therapy and CBT skills practice 3: Behavioural experiments (Abbott)	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 09	General therapy and CBT skills practice 4: Imaginal exposure (Webb)	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 10	General therapy and CBT skills practice 5: Imagery rescripting for anxiety and depressive disorders (Norton)	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 11	Clinical viva practice - Adult therapy (Abbott, Ha, Hunt, Norton, Seeley-Wait, Webb)	Clinical practice (3 hr)
Week 12	Clinical Viva Adult Therapy (Abbott, Ha, Hunt, Norton, Seeley-Wait, Webb)	Practical (3 hr)
Week 13	Clinical Viva Adult Therapy (Abbott, Ha, Hunt, Norton, Seeley-Wait, Webb)	Practical (3 hr)

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed on the Library eReserve link or relevant folders in the Canvas site for this unit.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Apply advanced knowledge of psychopathology, and the core principles and theoretical models that underpin current evidence-based practice, in working with socially and culturally diverse clients across the lifespan;
LO2. Identify psychological disorders using a recognised international taxonomy as part of the broader clinical engagement and multi-method assessment of diverse clients across the lifespan;
LO3. Integrate and interpret multi-modal psychological assessment and diagnostic data to inform case conceptualisation and evidence-based treatment planning;
LO4. Formulate conceptualisations of presenting issues to determine the most appropriate interventions and manage risk;
LO5. Demonstrate skills in empirically supported interventions, and in monitoring clients’ progress and intervention outcomes;
LO6. Integrate psychopharmacology knowledge into case conceptualisation, clinical planning and management, including working effectively with other health professionals;
LO7. Demonstrate professional communication skills, including interviews and assessments and evidence based intervention demonstrations of skills.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Alignment with Competency standards

Outcomes	Competency standards
	Australian Psychology Accreditation Council - 3.1. Demonstrate successful (prior or concurrent) achievement of pre-professional competencies. 3.2. Apply evidence-based and scientific methods to professional practice across the lifespan in empirically valid and culturally responsiveways.
	Australian Psychology Accreditation Council - 3.5. Identify psychological disorders using a recognised taxonomy.
	Australian Psychology Accreditation Council - 3.2. Apply evidence-based and scientific methods to professional practice across the lifespan in empirically valid and culturally responsiveways. 3.6. Conduct professional interviews and assessments and synthesise information from multiple sources, including assessment of risk, to formulate a conceptualisation of the presenting issues to determine the most appropriate interventions, including management of risk.
	Australian Psychology Accreditation Council - 3.6. Conduct professional interviews and assessments and synthesise information from multiple sources, including assessment of risk, to formulate a conceptualisation of the presenting issues to determine the most appropriate interventions, including management of risk.
	Australian Psychology Accreditation Council - 3.2. Apply evidence-based and scientific methods to professional practice across the lifespan in empirically valid and culturally responsiveways. 3.7. Monitor outcomes and modifications based on evolving case formulation, including health and health concerns, family and support networks, and organisational, cultural or community contexts, with care given to the appropriateness of interventions for the client within their wider context. 3.9. Implement appropriate, empirically supported interventions, and monitor clients’ progress and intervention outcomes.
	Australian Psychology Accreditation Council - 3.2. Apply evidence-based and scientific methods to professional practice across the lifespan in empirically valid and culturally responsiveways.
	Australian Psychology Accreditation Council - 3.1. Demonstrate successful (prior or concurrent) achievement of pre-professional competencies. 3.2. Apply evidence-based and scientific methods to professional practice across the lifespan in empirically valid and culturally responsiveways. 3.3. Employ professional communication skills, in a culturally responsive manner, with a range of socially and culturally diverse clients.

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No substantive changes have been made since this unit was last offered.

Additional information

Work, health and safety

We are governed by the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 and Codes of Practice. Penalties for non-compliance have increased. Everyone has a responsibility for health and safety at work. The University’s Work Health and Safety policy explains the responsibilities and expectations of workers and others, and the procedures for managing WHS risks associated with University activities.

General Laboratory Safety Rules

No eating or drinking is allowed in any laboratory under any circumstances
A laboratory coat and closed-toe shoes are mandatory
Follow safety instructions in your manual and posted in laboratories
In case of fire, follow instructions posted outside the laboratory door
First aid kits, eye wash and fire extinguishers are located in or immediately outside each laboratory
As a precautionary measure, it is recommended that you have a current tetanus immunisation. This can be obtained from University Health Service: unihealth.usyd.edu.au/

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

PSYC6078: Clinical Skills and Practice

Semester 1, 2025 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links