ACOM / Study / Units / C5101C Human Development and Counselling

C5101C Human Development and Counselling

This unit introduces students to the major theories and models of human development across the lifespan and to explore their relevance to counselling and helping practice.
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Unit Overview

Qualification

Diploma

Unit Availability

Trimester 1 2027

Study Mode

Online Facilitation

Placement

N/A

Tuition

Diploma Counselling Fee

Prerequisite

N/A

Corequisite

N/A

Notes

N/A

Schedule
Availability Facilitation Type Time Dates
Trimester 1 2027 Online Facilitation 10am – 12pm (AEDT/AEST) Wednesday 17 February
Wednesday 24 February
Wednesday 3 March
Wednesday 10 March
Wednesday 24 March
Wednesday 31 March
Wednesday 7 April
Wednesday 14 April
Wednesday 21 April
Wednesday 28 April

Unit Details

This unit introduces students to the major theories and models of human development across the lifespan and to explore their relevance to counselling and helping practice. Students will develop an understanding of the biological, psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual factors that influence human growth, behaviour, and wellbeing, and consider the implications of these factors for effective and ethical helping relationships.

At the end of this unit students will be able to:

  1. Identify major theories of human development and how physical, emotional, cognitive and sociocultural dynamics influence development across the lifespan
  2. Explore key concepts, theories, and research relevant to human development and human behaviour
  3. Explain foundational developmental concepts, theories and processes and their relevance to counselling
  4. Utilise developmental theories and concepts to work with common helping situations, including issues involving such areas as wellbeing, mental health, relationships and spirituality
  5. Apply developmental theories to respond to real world helping contexts
  1. Overview of human development across the lifespan, including major theories and physical, emotional, cognitive, sociocultural and spiritual dimensions of development
  2. Prenatal development, infancy and early childhood
  3. Middle childhood
  4. Adolescence
  5. Early adulthood
  6. Middle adulthood
  7. Later adulthood and ageing
  8. Death, dying, grief and end-of-life development
  9. Application of lifespan development knowledge to counselling and helping contexts

TBC

Unit Details

Key Dates

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I’ve loved my ACOM journey! Every unit has brought practical skills and theoretical knowledge I use every day with my counselling clients and beyond. I’ve grown as a person, and my confidence in academic learning has been supported by highly skilled lecturers in their field. The online learning platform has enabled me to work and balance family life and other commitments. Integrating spirituality and faith throughout every unit has been so refreshing and lovely!
Alison Bury – Bachelor of Counselling

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A lot of theology training focuses on helping you know what to do, formation helped me go deeper and learn about who I wanted to become. As someone who learns a lot by doing, the highly practical nature of the ACOM model helped me put theory into practice immediately. The online learning helped me do that in the context I’d grown up in.
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My studies at ACOM equipped me to be job-ready by providing the ability to complete my student ministry placement in local churches, allowing me to apply what I was learning directly to real-world situations. The practical elements of the coursework gave me the hands-on experience and confidence needed to step into ministry roles, fully prepared to make a meaningful impact.
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