Knowledge is power when it comes to helping people affected by domestic violence. Gain the insight to support and counsel adults and children impacted by domestic and family violence.
Certificate of Domestic Violence and Counselling is an online professional development course designed to help you recognise and respond appropriately to domestic and family violence and provide counselling to those affected.
In this domestic violence course, you will learn counselling techniques to facilitate care for those impacted by domestic and family violence. You’ll also learn about family violence orders, mandatory reporting, and strategies for prevention and intervention.
On completion of this course, you will have a comprehensive understanding of how to facilitate counselling for those affected by domestic and family violence.
Course Structure
Unit 1 - Recognise and respond appropriately to domestic and family violence
- Support those affected by domestic and family violence
- Values and philosophies of domestic violence work
- At risk groups – women and children
- Rural and regional communities
- Indigenous communities
- Pregnant women
- Economic costs
- Social and health costs
- Historical and political context
- Criminal justice
- Support client and worker safety
- Prevention strategies
- Client and worker safety
- Risk assessment
- The Danger Assessment (DA) scale
- Awareness of types of abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Verbal abuse and social abuse
- Economic abuse and psychological abuse
- Spiritual abuse and physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Characteristics of dangerous perpetrators
- Best practice
- Compliance with organisational policies and procedures
- Support for workers exposed to domestic and family violence
- Adequate and inadequate assessments
- Positives and negative outcomes
- Supervisory support
- Standards, procedures and legislation
- Client and worker rights and responsibilities
- The right to safety
- Family violence orders
- Personal safety
- Privacy and confidentiality
- Ethical guidelines
- Right to compensation
- Commonly accepted myths about domestic and family violence
- Rapport, confidence and information exchange
- Positive behaviours demonstrating respect
- Cultural family and individual needs
- Personal responsibility
- Non-verbal communication
- Personal space
- Service delivery priority
- Responding to threats and safety
- Characteristics of the abuser theory
- Victim mentality theory
- Inequality or power theory
- Responding to client needs
- Referrals
- Workplace limitations
- Seeking further assistance
- Prioritising the physical and emotional safety of client, their family and workers
- The Australasian Triage Scale (ATS)
- Strategies to ensure the safety of clients
- Strategies for intervention
- Five rules of setting objectives
- Obtaining the commitment from clients
- Providing information about available services
- Records reports and referral information
- Record keeping systems
Unit 2 - Counsel clients affected by domestic and family violence
- Review existing case information
- Establish professional relationships
- Positive behaviours demonstrating respect
- Behaviours that compromise professional relationships
- Conducting interviews and interactions with clients
- Developing an awareness of risk
- Prevention strategies
- Client/worker safety
- Perpetrators
- Encouraging participation
- Maintaining privacy
- Sensitivity to individual differences
- Specific needs of clients
- Disabilities
- Diverse cultural backgrounds
- Different age groups
- Remote client
- Same sex relationships
- Mental health issues
- Gender issues
- Addiction
- Language barriers
- Promote the rights and responsibilities of clients
- Legislative and statutory requirements
- The right to safety
- Family violence orders
- Personal safety
- Organisational standards and procedures
- Compliance
- Non-compliance
- Appropriate questioning techniques
- General model of intervention
- Perpetrators to accept responsibility for their actions
- Types of abuse
- Prioritisation of needs
- Risk analysis
- Services and resources to meet client needs
- Client to identify and address issues
- Required decisions and changed needed
- Encourage client self-determination
- Acknowledge, encourage and support progress
- Identify plan and document future services
- Indigenous service and support
- Jointly identify client needs
- Client observation
- Conduct analysis (SWAT, PEST)
- Record keeping systems
- Evaluation
- Client introductions
- Effective communication
- Barriers to communication
- Body language and gestures
- Values and attitudes
- Personal values
- Organisational values and guidance
- Skills and knowledge development
Unit 3 - Establish and confirm the counselling relationship
- Structured counselling approach
- Analyse existing client information
- Legal and ethical considerations
- Transparent management of personal information
- Health and safety legislation
- Initial counselling session
- Engaging with clients
- Building rapport
- Active listening
- Effective questioning
- Communication techniques
- Paralanguage
- A structured approach to counselling
- A person-centred approach
- Establishing the helping relationship
- Provide information for clients
- Client rights and responsibilities
- The counselling process
- Professional boundaries
- Client expectations
- The Charter of Human Rights
- Clarifying expectations raised in promotional material
- Client anxieties
- Code of ethical conduct
- Client concerns
- Signs of anxiety
- Expectations and commitment
- Client issues
- Escalation
- Referrals to other agencies
- Eligibility criteria
- Example of referral process form
- Collaborative processes and strategies
- Confidentiality and privacy legislation
- Conflicting interests
- Relationship options and approaches with clients
- Counselling priorities and plans
- Counselling contracts
- Informed consent
- Example of a counselling plan
- Records management
Unit 4 - Facilitate the counselling relationship and process
- Following the client’s story
- Encouraging client to tell their story
- Closed questions
- Legal and ethical considerations
- Equal opportunity
- Anti-discrimination legislation
- Mandatory reporting legislation
- Duty of care
- Client presenting and underlying issues
- Engaging with clients
- Situations requiring immediate action
- Suicide threats
- Conflicting interests
- Identify and prioritise concerns
- Reframing technique
- Recognising issues needing a referral
- Referral eligibility
- Referral types and processes
- Confidentiality and privacy
- Client ambivalence
- Strategies for overcoming uncertainty
- Code of ethical conduct
- Supporting clients to experience and process difficulties
- The stages of recovery
- Implementing interventions
- Supporting clients to identify and use strengths
- Active listening
- Exploring clients feelings (reflecting, clarifying and reviewing)
- Dealing with underlying issues
- Monitor the counselling process
- Disruptions to the counselling process
- Planning for change
- Action phase
- Addressing dilemmas
- Enabling clients to identify when counselling is ending
- Emotionally dependant clients
- Personal boundaries
- Professional boundaries
- Developing client plans
- Autonomy and compliance
- Unresolved issues
- Documenting and reporting
- Records management
Unit 5 - Select and use counselling therapies
- Select counselling therapies
- Identify and prioritising client needs
- Establish desired changes
- Creative problem-solving techniques
- SMART goals
- Client’s developmental status
- Client’s response to change
- Piaget’s cognitive development (4 stages)
- Freud’s psychosexual stages of development (5 stages)
- Id, ego and superego
- Erickson’s psychosocial development (8 stages)
- Kohlberg’s moral development (3 stages)
- Physical and motor development
- Language
- Individual differences
- Consulting with clients carers, family or significant others
- Signs of co-existing mental health and AOD issues
- Background – dual diagnosis
- Substance abuse and dependence
- Alcohol dependence
- Symptoms of psychological problems or illness
- Normal and abnormal behaviour
- Drug use and psychological illness
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Person-centred therapy
- Behaviour therapy
- Benefits and limitations of therapy
- Gestalt therapy
- Solution focused therapy
- Developing a self-care plan
- Psychological, emotional, spiritual and relationship self-care
- Symptoms causes and effects of stress
- Stress diaries
- Managing re-traumatisation
- Arousal reduction strategies
- Managing vicarious trauma
- Positive self-care habits
- Emotional distancing
- The role of the counsellor
- Choosing a theory
- Personality theories
- Applying the Erikson, Freud and Maslow theory
- Providing information about counselling services
- Documenting therapy details
- Client rights and responsibilities
- The counselling process
- Professional boundaries
- Clarifying client expectations
- Client expectations
- Communicating details of therapies
- Environmental and personal factors
- Cultural issues
- Communication
- Principles and application of theories
- Building and establishing rapport
- Active and passive listening
- Effective questioning
- Reframing
- Paralanguage
- Personal space
- Effective communicators
- Changing client behaviour
- Goal setting
- Self-advocacy
- Practice coping strategies
- Mindfulness relaxation
- Integrative therapy
- Reinforcement approaches
- Behaviour management
- Aggressive behaviour
- Appropriate staff training
- High-level communication skills
- Empathy and sympathy
- Honesty and openness
- Elements of trust
- Conflict resolution
- Records management
- Confidentiality, legal and ethical considerations
- Duty of care
- Role modelling
- Clients requiring referrals and referral processes
- Evaluating use of techniques and theories
- Regular performance evaluations and appraisals
- Enhancing knowledge with emerging trends
- Training and action learning
- Self-development plans
- Development and implementing goals
- Conferences and networking
- Professional memberships
- Evaluation of current trends
Study Hours
Estimated duration 75 hours
Course Delivery and Start
Start anytime, self-paced and 100% online
Assessment
Assessment will be comprised of written exercises, including short-answer questions, reflective tasks, short reports and/or projects. There are no examinations or due dates for assessment. As a result, you can complete training in your own time and at your own pace with the assistance of unlimited tutor support.
Testimonials
Could complete at my own pace.
Tutors provided me with examples on request so that I could understand what the questions were asking me.
Content is relevant and I am implementing approaches to my practice framework.
Jade | Port Macquarie, NSW | Certificate of Domestic Violence and Counselling
Graduation
A Certificate of Attainment and Statement of Results will be issued upon successful completion of this course.
How to Enrol
Enrol Online: Enrol Now
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Enrol via Telephone 1300 76 2221 (Business Hours)
Enrol via Purchase Order/Tax Invoice
Enrolling Multiple Staff?
To enrol multiple staff, please complete the Employer Enrolment Form. We’ll be in touch within 60 minutes during business hours!
Payment Options
Visa, Mastercard, BPAY and Direct Deposit.
Course FAQs
Why Choose Australian Online Courses?
- Professional development that is widely recognised and respected;
- Improve your employment opportunities;
- Study online, anywhere via our elearning system;
- High-quality professional development programs written by industry experts;
- All course materials provided online – no textbooks to buy;
- Unlimited tutor support via email;
- We offer twelve (12) months’ access, with extensions available upon application (fees apply);
- Course may be tax deductible; see your tax advisor.
Are there any entry requirements or pre-requisites?
To study online with Australian Online Courses you will need a computer (desktop PC/laptop) running a current/updated operating system with reliable high-speed internet access. You will need to use the Google Chrome browser to access your course.
Are there any computer requirements?
To study online with Australian Online Courses you will need a computer (desktop PC/laptop) running a current/updated operating system with reliable high-speed internet access. You will need to use the Google Chrome browser to access your course.
When can I start this course?
You can start within 60 minutes during business hours when you enrol and pay in full with a credit card!
Credit card: Within 60 mins during business hours.
BPAY: Within 1-2 working days.
Internet Banking: Within 1-2 working days.
Cheque/Money Order: Upon receipt of mailed cheque.
How is this course delivered?
This course is delivered online via our easy-to-navigate Learning Management System (LMS), where you will discover interactive online learning/written content, resources and assessment.
Do I need to attend classes or undertake any work placements?
No. All courses are delivered online via our LMS and there are no work placement requirements in this course.
What support can I expect from Australian Online Courses?
Unlimited tutor support is available throughout your studies via email only during business hours Monday to Friday. Our Administrative team are available Monday to Friday via email, live chat and telephone.
I am an international student. Can I enrol into this course?
Yes! We accept enrolments from individuals both within Australia and internationally; location is no barrier to entry into our programs.
Career Pathways
Future growth
Strong
Unemployment
Low
Professional Development for:
- Counsellors
- Social Workers
- Psychologists
- Community Service Workers
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