Industry-based Practicum: Guidance Counselling

The Department of Behavioural Sciences is one of many departments at the University which offers an Industry-based Practicum, also known as “Practicum 3B” to their student-teachers. This course exposes students to the practical nature of Guidance and Counselling.  The Counselling Practicum Course is structured to develop the clinical and professional skills of Year 4 students pursuing Guidance and Counselling. The practicum aims to provide students with the experiences necessary to make the transition from practicum students to counselling professionals. It requires a commitment from practicum students to read, apply and read some more, as each intervention used must be grounded in research and best practices. The Practicum period is from September to June and will include direct counselling hours, indirect hours, attendance at case conferences, and group and individual supervision sessions.

Students are permitted to participate in the Counselling Practicum only if they have successfully completed the courses: Skills in Counselling, Theories and Techniques in Counselling, Group Guidance and Counselling and Abnormal Psychology. In addition, a minimum of 6 hours of Individual Psychotherapy with a Department-approved Counsellor is required before the Practicum engagement.

All student counsellors are expected to conform to the ethical guidelines for teachers, as stipulated by the Ministry of Education, as well as the guidelines for counsellors defined by the Jamaica Association of Guidance Counsellors in Education. 

In total, practicum students are expected to complete 450 hours during practicum. This includes 300 direct hours which takes into account 180 hours of individual counselling and 120 hours of group counselling. Additionally, students are expected to complete 150 indirect hours (75 hours per semester) which may include supervision sessions for individuals and groups, seminars/workshops/webinars, case conferences, and agency responsibilities. 

To successfully complete the Guidance and Counselling industry-based practicum, students will be assessed internally and externally. Students must submit all the required assessments to attain success in this course. 

There are 3 credits awarded by the University through the Department of Mathematics. These credits are granted to students who successfully complete this phase. For further information, please consult the Department’s industry-based practicum manual or reach out to the Head of Department or the University’s Practicum Unit.