SPRn8013 Introduction to Counselling for Social Workers

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2026
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 7 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Asynchronous teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Jitka Navrátilová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Jitka Navrátilová, Ph.D.
Department of Social Policy and Social Work – Faculty of Social Studies
Supplier department: Department of Social Policy and Social Work – Faculty of Social Studies
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
This course focuses on the skills and processes used by a range of helping practitioners to interact with clients to explore the nature of their situations and concerns. Primary purpose of this course is support and development of knowledge and skill counselling interview. Main objectives of this course can be summarized as follows: understand the contexts of modern interviewing practice; recognize processes and stages during counselling interview; to learn nonverbal and verbal skills used during counselling processes; to learn exploring clients expectations and goals of interview; to improve students abilities creatively work with clients during counselling interview. At the end of this course students should be able to manage professional counselling interview.
Learning outcomes
Students can be able to:
Gain new knowledge to manage the counselling process with clients;
Expand their ability to reflect;
To practice practical skills in conducting a counselling interview with a client;
To learn to understand the counselling process;
To learn how they influence the counselling process in their role as social workers;
Increase their knowledge and skills related to conducting a counseling interview;
Pay special attention to cultivating the ability to ask questions in the counseling interview;
To lead the client to a greater awareness of their own responsibility for change in their life situation;
To increase sensitivity to the real needs of their clients;
To become aware of how their verbal and non-verbal expressions affect the client and the entire counseling process.
Syllabus
  • 1 Introduction and course organisation
  • 2 Counselling skills for professional social work
  • 3 Ethical aspects of the counselling interview
  • 4 Conducting the interview and listening
  • 5 Preparation for conducting a task-oriented counselling interview
  • 6 Initiating the counselling process and its legitimisation
  • 7 Exploration of the client's situation
  • 8 Goal setting
  • 9 Formulating tasks and their contracting
  • 10 Task performance and evaluation
  • 11 Timing and conclusion of the counselling interview
  • 12 Practical applications I.
  • 12 Practical applications II.
Literature
    required literature
  • COURNOYER, Barry. The social work skills workbook. Fourth edition. Victoria: Thomson/Brooks/Cole, 2005, xvi, 477. ISBN 0534534139. info
    not specified
  • ALLEN, Gina and Duncan LANGFORD. Effective interviewing in social work and social care : a practical guide. 1st ed. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008, xii, 267. ISBN 9781403995032. info
  • CAMERON, Helen. The counselling interview : a guide for the helping professions. 1st ed. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008, x, 184. ISBN 9781403947277. info
  • GUGGENBÜHL-CRAIG, Adolf. Nebezpečí moci v pomáhajících profesích. Translated by Petr Patočka. Vyd. 1. Praha: Portál, 2007, 113 s. ISBN 9788073673024. info
  • HÁJEK, Karel. Práce s emocemi pro pomáhající profese : tělesně zakotvené prožívání. Vyd. 2. Praha: Portál, 2007, 119 s. ISBN 9788073673468. info
  • NOVOSAD, Libor. Základy speciálního poradenství. Vyd. 2. Praha: Portál, 2006, 159 s. ISBN 8073671743. info
  • NICHOLS, Michael P. Zapomenuté umění naslouchat : (proč naslouchání vztahům prospívá). Edited by Jaro Křivohlavý, Translated by Michaela Šramlová. 1. vyd. Praha: Návrat domů, 2005, 300 s. ISBN 807255106X. info
  • GABURA, Ján and Jana PRUŽINSKÁ. Poradenský proces. Vyd. 1. Praha: Sociologické nakladatelství, 1995, 147 s. ISBN 80-85850-10-9. info
Teaching methods
- lectures;
- supervizion;
- case studies;
- videopresentation;
Assessment methods
The course ends with an exam. The course is worth 7 credits, which require:
1 ECTS - attendance
1 ECTS - final exam
1 ECTS - 3 reflections (1100 characters each)
2 ECTS - reading English and Czech literature
1 ECTS - data collection in the field - creating a recording of a counselling interview
1 ECTS - preparation of a final project reflecting the data collection in the field
Language of instruction
Czech
Study support
https://is.muni.cz/auth/el/fss/akreditace2018jaro/SPRn8013/index.qwarp
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