Social Sciences Psychology & Counselling

Psychology is the study of human’s behaviour, performance, and mental operations. It also refers to the application of the knowledge, which can be used to understand social phenomenon, treat mental health problems, and improve education, employment, and relationships, etc. The subject lies at the intersection of applied, educational, and theoretical science.
 
The objectives of this short course are (1) to introduce participants to the field of psychology; (2) to describe how various psychological approaches contribute to our understanding of everyday life settings; and (3) to apply the knowledge from these studies to our own personal and professional lives.

Applied psychology is the use of theory and findings in psychology to solve practical problems in important areas of the human environment, including education, health, the workplace, and so on. This programme is designed to help participants apply cutting-edge theory to real-world situations. It is made up of different registered psychologists and other related specialists to deliver a powerful curriculum that explores a range of human behaviors, including how to motivate individuals and organizations, how to assess and improve performance and how to pursue healthy lives.

The 18-month programme is designed as a professional training of counsellors who specialize in Buddhist Counselling.  It is a pioneering programme with vision and practicality that signifies the birth of a recognized profession of Buddhist Counsellors who have reached professional competence in the provision of individual and group counselling services, counselling visits, Buddhist homiletics, and meditation guidance in hospitals, homes for the aged, and other community settings.

This Postgraduate Diploma programme caters for the teachers, therapists, social workers and health-related professionals, providing them with practical experience, systematic training and environment to the interested and qualified students to fulfill one quarter of the requirements to become a registered music therapist with the Australian Music Therapy Association.

On completion of the programme, students should be able to:

1. acquire initial skills in the use of music as a medium to stimulate positive health and educational changes in child clients;
2. be able to fulfil the task of a music therapist in training using basic methods; and
3. learn basic design and appraisal of therapeutic programme or approach within the appropriate ethical standards of practice for working with child clients.

The programme aims to introduce students to the theoretical and therapeutic foundation of various forms of expressive psychotherapy. It helps students to understand the professional ethics and complex dynamics in practising expressive psychotherapy which focuses on the resolution of psychological and/ or emotional conflicts. Through a combination of experiential learning, case studies, and skill labs, students will learn to work effectively with diverse populations at individual, group, and community levels. 

This programme enables mental health practitioners to gain practical knowledge about the foundations, the basic philosophies, history of development and research evidence of Mindfulness-based Psychotherapy and its effectiveness. It integrates the mindfulness paradigm into mental health and explores ways to incorporate mindfulness into therapeutic work for clients with mental health concerns. By learning specific skills in Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy and Mindfulness-based Psychotherapy, it promotes continuous professional development of students to apply this evidence-based intervention appropriately for helping people with different mental health issues. Finally, it allows reflective practice on the benefits and limitations of this approach and ethical concerns and risk management in its application.

教育局實施特殊教育政策的主要目標，是鼓勵有特殊學習需要的兒童盡量在主流教育學校接受同等教育。本文憑特別為現職中小學教師、幼師、學校行政及教育工作者、社福機構前線人員(如社工以及前線輔助及支援助理)、家長、特殊學習需要學童的照顧者，及有志投身特殊教育的人士提供相關培訓及支援。

課程致力透過理論與實務，促進對特殊教育學習需要兒童的理解、接納與支援，並培養有效支援學生潛能發展的能力，建構具包容性的教學環境，成為推動教育共融的關鍵力量。

The programme aims to introduce students to the professional terms and concepts consistent with the research literature in the science of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). It will also explore how to apply the fundamental core knowledge of autism, principles of ABA, commonly used intervention strategies, and ethics to support the learning of individuals with autism spectrum disorders and related disabilities. Upon completion of the programme, students may become qualified ABAT if they fulfil the requirements set by the Qualified Applied Behaviour Analysis Credentialing Board (QABA). 

 

On completion of the programme, students should be able to

1. explore the concept of autism spectrum disorder and apply principles of effective work with individuals with autism spectrum disorder;
2. outline continuous data collection techniques such as frequency recording, episodic severity, and duration recording;
3. explain discontinuous data collection techniques, such as momentary time sampling and partial interval recording;
4. summarise how graphs are used in behavioural support;
5. demonstrate implementation of behaviour support, stimuli control, and skill acquisition plans; and
6. demonstrate effective and ethical treatment of individuals with challenging behaviours.

Dive into the science of the mind with this introductory programme in cognitive psychology, cognitive science, and machine learning. Gain essential knowledge that bridges psychology and technology, preparing you for university studies in psychology, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and data analytics. Graduates can pursue bachelor's or postgraduate degrees in various disciplines, including psychology, cognitive science, biological psychology, quantitative psychology, big data analytics, and artificial intelligence.

(Note: As an introductory programme, no prior programming experience is required.)

This programme provides an overview of family therapy, tracing its theoretical development from modernism and post-modernism to the evidence-based era, with an emphasis on practical applications. Students will develop conceptual, perceptual, and executive skills relevant to their chosen specialities. Besides, the techniques from various models applicable to marriage and family therapy will be demonstrated in the programme.

The programme aims to introduce students to Jungian Sandplay Therapy, encompassing its foundational philosophies and theories using/ applying various approaches. Through a combination of experiential learning activities and case studies, students will gain practical skills in facilitating, observing and interpreting the symbolic language of Sandplay. Ethical considerations will also be emphasised.

Upon completion of the programme, students should be able to
 

1. Identify the foundational philosophies and evolution of Sandplay Therapy and the associated approaches in the field;
2. Assess how Sandplay Therapy can effectively address the needs of different populations;
3. conduct basic case conceptualisation in one-on-one role play setting;
4. apply practical skills to facilitate a Sandplay Therapy session; and
5. integrate ethical considerations of Sandplay Therapy into practice.