Clinical Coursework IV comprises a number of modules covering more advanced and specialised topics in clinical theory and practice such as

• Clinical Health Psychology and Neuropsychology
• Psychopathology and Intervention III (personality and substance use disorders)

For further information on the course details please see the Clinical Psychology Program Handbook.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Understand the effects of chronic illness and changes in a person’s health status on their emotions, thinking and behaviour.
2. Recognise the factors that are likely to underpin positive and negative changes in health-related behaviour, and the promotion of healthy behaviour, including how a person’s health can be affected by their behaviour.
3. Understand a range of psychological factors, assessments and interventions and their contribution to the treatment of physical health conditions.
4. Appreciate the evidence-based management of common psychological problems in medical clients.
5. Demonstrate and articulate the role of psychometric testing in the evidence-based clinical psychological and clinical neuropsychological assessment process.
6. Demonstrate developing cultural competence as it pertains to psychological assessment including neuropsychological assessment.
7. Demonstrate an understanding of the impact of neuropsychological disorders and neuropsychopathology particularly as they might impact on assessment and treatment of mental health disorders as a clinical psychologist.
8. Demonstrate knowledge of neuropsychological assessment in children, adolescents, adults and older adults (i.e., across the lifespan).
9. Understand a range of evidence-based interventions available for neurocognitive presentations and conditions.
10. Apply advanced psychological knowledge to culturally responsive interventions in the area of clinical psychology (with a focus on neuropsychological cases).
11. Apply advanced psychological knowledge of the following to practice in clinical psychology:i. psychological theories of the aetiology, progression and/or recovery, precursors and sequelae of personality and substance use disorders, including incidence,prevalence and predisposing, risk, protective and maintenance factors;ii. both developmental systems and biopsychosocial models of health as they apply to personality and substance use disorders as well as the multiple factors that impinge
12. Apply advanced psychological knowledge to culturally responsive assessment in the area of clinical psychology, including:i. evaluation of psychological disorders with reference to relevant international taxonomies of classification, including disorders of moderate to severe level and complexityii. use of assessment tools and processes related to personality and substance use disorders, including psychometric tests, and structured or semi-structured interviews,and behavioural observations.

Research-Led Teaching

All lecturers will make use of evidence drawn from relevant disciplinary research to benefit student learning and outcomes. Some may share their own research findings with students. This will provide students with special insights into the specific topics discussed. Having access to lecturers who are also key leaders in the field may mean that the listed lecture sequence, that is, the lecture topics may change to another week in order to accommodate access to these experts.

Examination Material or equipment

Students will need be notified of the resources required for the end of semester examinations.

The final examination for this course will be administered in-person and students must be on campus to attend the exam. Information about the scheduling of the examination will be posted via Canvas.

Required Resources

Required readings and other resources will be listed or uploaded on Canvas throughout the course. These will be provided for each session (lectures and tutorials).

Recommended Resources

Recommended student system requirements 

Whether you are on campus or studying online, there are a variety of online platforms you will use to participate in your study program. These could include videos for lectures and other instruction, two-way video conferencing for interactive learning, email and other messaging tools for communication, interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities, print and/or photo/scan for handwritten work and drawings, and home-based assessment. ANU outlines Recommended student system requirements to ensure you are able to participate fully in your learning. Other information is also available about the various Learning platforms you may use.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments
• Verbal comments
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Other Information

Students must pass all assessment tasks in order to pass the course. Students should ensure attendance requirements as outlined in the Master of Clinical Psychology

program handbook.

One module within this course, 'Clinical Health Psychology', is co-taught with Master of Professional Psychology students undertaking PSYC8521: Advanced Applications in Professional Psychology.

Referencing Requirements

Psychology uses the referencing style endorsed by the American Psychological Association:

American Psychological Association. (2019). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Student feedback to staff

In addition to student feedback provided through ANU Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELTS) surveys, students may also be invited to provide course-specific feedback through a feedback survey developed by the lecturers within the Master of Clinical Psychology program.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Clinical Neuropsychology: Principles into Practice & Introduction to Clinical NeuropsychologyClinical Health Psychology: Introduction and Psychological Practice in Health Care Settings
2	Clinical Neuropsychology: Expanding Neuropsychological Assessment Skills and Practice, including Cultural Competence in NeuropsychologyClinical Health Psychology: Health Behaviours, Theories and Change
3	Clinical Neuropsychology: Neuropathology Example - Traumatic Brain Injury in AdultsClinical Health Psychology: Evidence-based Psychological Assessment and Intervention in Chronic Illness
4	Clinical Neuropsychology: Making use of Neuropsychology as a Clinical Psychologist; Amnesia and Memory Impairment; Aphasia and Language Impairment; Executive Functioning and Executive Deficits.Clinical Health Psychology: Practice Applications in Health I: Pain Management (Guest Presenter: Brittany Cattanach)
5	Clinical Neuropsychology: Neuropsychology across the Lifespan, including children and older adults.
6	Clinical Health Psychology: Practice Applications in Health II: Body ImageClinical Neuropsychology:Neuropsychology and Cognitive Remediation (with a focus on Schizophrenia)	Behaviour Change Written Report. Due 31/8/2026 11:59pm
7	TBA
8	Psychopathology and Intervention III Workshop I	Neuropsychology Report. Due 28/09/2026 11:59pm
9	Clinical Health Psychology: Interprofessional Practice Simulation (schedule to be determined)
10	Psychopathology and Intervention III Workshop 2	Interprofessional Practice Resource. Due 12/10/2026 11:59pm
11	Psychopathology and Intervention III Workshop 3
12	Career Transitions and Planning Day	SUDS toolkit. Due 26/10/2026 11:59pm

Tutorial Registration

The Clinical Psychology Program utilises Canvas to enable students to view their timetable for their enrolled courses.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Learning Outcomes
Neuropsychology report (Hurdle)	20 %	4, 5, 6, 7
Behaviour Change Written Report (Hurdle)	20 %	1, 2, 3
Interprofessional Practice Resource (Hurdle)	10 %	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Substance Use Disorders toolkit with explanatory guide (Hurdle)	30 %	12
NEO-FFI (Hurdle)	0 %	12
Personality Assessment Script (Hurdle)	20 %	11
DBT Workshop Assessment (Hurdle) in class	30 %	TBA

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

Students will be participating in discussions and other activities during class time. You will also be undertaking readings prior to lectures which provide vital foundations for lecture content and activities. Students are not formally assessed on these tasks, but they provide the foundation for understanding key concepts and skills related to the course, and assessable components of the course, and therefore important to enrich your engagement with content and learning as a result. As such, students are expected to attend and participate in all aspects of the course to support their learning, including readings before each class. A register of attendance will be kept, ensuring registration can be obtained at the completion of the program.

Examination(s)

There are no examinations for this Course.

Assessment Task 1

Neuropsychology report (Hurdle)

You will be provided with a Neuropsychological Assessment Report (i.e. practice case of “Hazel”) and will be asked to write a brief report (1500 words) that outlines the implications of the results of neuropsychological assessment, for your clinical assessment and therapeutic work (with a focus on the Unified Protocol or CBT approach) with the client. This will include how the results of the neuropsychological assessment (including the client’s neurocognitive disorder and cognitive profile) might inform your treatment goals, as well as treatment methods. You will include relevant treatment modifications, and possible psychoeducation, and compensatory strategies you might utilise as the treating psychologist. You will need to consider any relevant cultural characteristics for your client. You might also consider how you would work collaboratively with the Clinical Neuropsychologist to assist the client meet their cognitive and psychological goals. Detailed information about the assignment, including a marking rubric, will be made available on Canvas.

This assessment is designed to provide students with the opportunity to deepen their understanding of how to utilise information gained from neuropsychological assessment and neuropsychological assessment reports to meaningfully inform evidence-based assessment and treatment in psychological practice, to improve psychological and health outcomes for clients presenting for treatment.  

Assessment Task 2

Behaviour Change Written Report (Hurdle)

Each student is required to complete a behaviour change assignment and report. This task will be completed over the period of at least four weeks, and so students should ensure commencement of the task at the beginning of semester. Students will need to demonstrate their ability to identify and define a focal health behaviour; select and implement self-monitoring strategies as related to this behaviour, and use these to set a one-week behaviour change goal; undertake a literature search and critically analyse this research to enable selection of a strategy for implementation to support of their one-week behaviour change goal; implement the chosen strategy and monitor the focal behaviour over the course of one week, and; evaluate and reflect on their experience of behaviour change to inform professional practice. Detailed information about the assignment, including a marking rubric, will be made available on Canvas. 

The assessment is designed to provide students with experiential learning relating to the health behaviour change process, its empirical basis, and gain insight to support effective practice in the health context.  

Assessment Task 3

Interprofessional Practice Resource (Hurdle)

In this assessment piece, students will reflect on content and activities included in the course to strengthen their understanding of, and competencies in, interprofessional practice. Students will select one case utilised in the neuropsychology or clinical health psychology component of the course, and write a reflection demonstrating essential principles and decision-making in interprofessional collaboration. Specifically, students will be required to choose one (specified) case utilised in either the Clinical Health Psychology or Neuropsychology module. Students will format the assignment based on specific sections, provided in detailed instructions and a marking rubric provided on Canvas.  

The assessment is designed to foster reflection and in-depth engagement with course content through the application of interprofessional collaboration skills and decision-making to service delivery. 

Assessment Task 4

Substance Use Disorders toolkit with explanatory guide (Hurdle)

The assessment is designed to determine student’s: 1) Knowledge and understanding of the basic components of a cognitive behavioural assessment and intervention for a substance use disorder; 2) Access to appropriate resources when undertaking clinical work involving substance misuse or abuse.

Assessment Task 5

NEO-FFI (Hurdle)

This exercise aims to familiarise students with a key personality inventory, which measures the five core domains of personality. Namely, the OCEAN traits. By self-completing the inventory, students will experience the items directly. It is hoped that scoring and interpreting this instrument will also afford students a valuable opportunity for reflection and professional development.

This assessment task is a hurdle requirement.

Assessment Task 6

Personality Assessment Script (Hurdle)

The aim of this task is for you to consider how you might introduce a personality assessment into your clinical work in instances where there are no indications of personality disorder. Writing short dot-point scripts can help clarify the logic of what you might say, and provide a quick reference for future clinical work.

Assessment Task 7

DBT Workshop Assessment (Hurdle) in class

In-class observations will provide an opportunity for skills-based practice of core DBT skills covered in the workshop.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission without an extension not permitted. Submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date will not be permitted. If an assessment task is not submitted by the due date, a mark of 0 will be awarded.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Canvas site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Assignments are required to be submitted electronically via the Turnitin link attached to the Canvas site and will be marked approximately two to three weeks after the submission date.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Grading in the Master of Clinical Psychology Program reflects achievement of competencies as appropriate to developmental level. As such, students will be provided with grades indicating that competency has been met (Course Requirement Satisfied: CRS) or not met (Fail).

 

Failure to submit an assignment of a high standard which meets requirements for a passing grade (CRS) will result in a student receiving feedback on the area/s requiring remediation and one opportunity for resubmission of the assignment to address these issues. This opportunity is provided only in circumstances where a genuine attempt to address the assignment requirements was determined to be made in the first submission. If the resubmission satisfactorily addresses the issues identified, a grade of CRS will be awarded for the task. Should a student fail the re-submission, this will result in overall failure of the assessment piece, and thus the course, which will need to be repeated in a future offering.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students