module specification

This module looks at the role counselling and coaching play in supporting those in palliative care and with end of life issues via a biopsychosocial perspective. The module targets the ethical challenges of counselling clients nearing their end of life. Relationships among culture and life experience including spirituality and religious beliefs are discussed in the context of supporting the family system. Drawing reference to issues of capacity, mental health, long term care and interventions such as care planning and advance directives will aim to support the development of students counselling and professional skills in palliative care. Further, addressing complicated grief, trauma and the available support services for both those nearing end of life and their loved ones will be addressed via varying counselling modalities.

Terminal illness, long term conditions, palliative care, healthcare models, culture, spirituality, counselling, coaching, bereavement, grief, interventions

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

Delivery and discussion of the module syllabi will be via interactive lectures and tutorials. In addition to the weekly seminar workshops which will provide a forum for the application of theory to practical problems, students are expected to work in groups to learn from each other and learn how to independently use other resources available, e.g. library, the internet, WebLearn and own organisation. The module will also have its own dedicated Web Learn site to enables staff and students to readily contact each other and offers an on-line support/learning.

Workshops and seminars:

Information and materials relating to the workshop will be circulated once the course has commenced.   The seminars and workshops will familiarize students with various aspect of the course.  All workshops will relate to lecture topics and may be tested in the examination.   Hence, each student is expected to do the prior reading and consult few recommended texts and be actively involved in the seminar activities and group discussion.

The usual programme each week will comprise of a lecture followed by seminar workshop activities and group discussion. The workshops will use the content of the lecture and pre-circulated material for class discussion and group work. 

Students will gain core knowledge and understanding of the topics through lectures, but deeper understanding, evaluation and skill development will be promoted through directed study of recommended reading material, seminars, and online resources.

On successful completion of this module, students will:

1. Have an understanding of good working ethical counselling practice when working with those nearing death and their loved ones
2. To be able to understand the role counselling plays in supporting those with a terminal illness and/or the family system
3. To critically evaluate healthcare models of delivery in palliative care
4. Be able to respect differences in plural society and cultural values of BME groups and those from varying socioeconomic backgrounds in practice

A counselling media promotion and explanation (pamphlet and 3000-words excluding refs) (100% weighting). This could be based on promoting an aspect of palliative care such as targeting and working with a particular cultural group; palliative care and disease types; how to communicate palliative care terminology to the family system, an age group and so forth. This should be supported by the role counselling plays as part of a multidisciplinary healthcare team in this instance followed by a critical review based on the chosen topic.

Abu-Saad, H.H., (2001). Evidence-based palliative care across the lifespan. Oxford. Blackwell Science Ltd.

American Psychiatric Association., (APA, 2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th Ed.  Arlington. American Psychiatric Publishing. Washington

Humphrey, G.M., & Zimpfer, D.G., (2008). Counselling for grief and bereavement. Los Angeles and London: SAGE (Core).

Mitchell, G., (2008). Palliative Care: A patient centred approach. Florida: CRC Press.

Watson, M., Lucas, C., Hoy, A., & Wells, J., (2009). Oxford Handbook of Palliative Care. 2nd eds. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 

Welfel, E. R. (2006). Ethics in counseling & psychotherapy: Standards, research,& emerging issues (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole.

Werth, J. L., Jr., Burke, C., & Bardash, R. J. (2002). Confidentiality in end-of-life
and after-death situations. Ethics & Behavior, 12, 205–222.

Wilson, J., (2014). Supporting people through loss and grief. An introduction for counsellors and other caring practitioners. Philadelphia and London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. (Core).

Worden, J.W. Grief counselling and grief therapy. A handbook for the mental health practitioner. 4th eds. East Sussex: Routledge (Core).