Interpersonal Skills 1
Through this module you’ll understand the key theoretical foundations for understanding interpersonal skills. In the first of two modules, you’ll examine concepts and empirical findings that relate to intrapersonal processes, and identify their relevance to the process of communicating in general. This is an essential component of basic counselling skills proficiency. You’ll combine case studies from counselling psychology with learning derived from reflecting on your own real-life interactions.
What does the module cover?
Gain knowledge of key theoretical perspectives on the topic of self and the core features of three broad types of basic counselling skills. Develop your critical thinking to evaluate interactional patterns in a social exchange in terms of theories of self. Discover how to analyse the basic processes underpinning basic counselling skills and to reflect on current skills with regard to communication.
More Information
Module Code:
PY1911
Key topics include:
- The intra-personal dimension: Understanding the Self
- The interpreting self: an experimentalist perspective
- The defensive self: a psychodynamic perspective
- The reflective self: an experiential perspective
- The “false” self: an existentialist phenomenological perspective
- Introduction to Basic Counselling Skills
- Mind skills: e.g., creating interpretations; changing meanings.
- Action skills: e.g., active listening; silence.
- Feeling skills: e.g., evaluating and integrating feelings and sensations.
- Interpersonal Skills I: Who am I with others?
- Reflecting on the Private, Public, & Managed Self
Pre-requisites
None
Number of credits & study time
20 credits / 200 hours
Assessment
You’ll be required to complete two assessments – a theoretical coursework essay, counting towards 40% of your grade, plus a coursework essay on the analysis of a reflective incident, counting towards 60% of your grade. In this second essay, you will be asked to reflect on an incident from personal experience, and articulate its features in relation to both psychological and counselling theory introduced in this module, making sure to identify and discuss various relevant interpersonal skills at play.