Course Topics
Attitudes that facilitate and hinder the counselling session; Active listening, paraphrasing and understanding; The counselling setting and non-verbal communication; Motivational interviewing: approach and strategies.

Teaching format
To achieve the learning objectives, in addition to lectures, the course includes class discussions, practical exercises and role-play activities, carried out in pairs or small groups, designed to facilitate discussion and the testing of interview techniques. These activities involve simulating professional situations relevant to the course content and enable students to practise the key communication and interpersonal techniques covered in the lectures. The exercises are accompanied by periods of observation, discussion and feedback from the tutor and fellow students. The practical exercises carried out throughout the course are teaching activities intended solely for training purposes.

Educational objectives
Learning objectives: The course aims to provide the basic knowledge and skills required to conduct support-oriented interviews in social services, with a particular focus on the principles of counselling and motivational interviewing. Knowledge and understanding: Students are familiar with the theoretical principles and fundamental elements of counselling and motivational interviewing. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: Students are able to conduct a support interview by applying the main techniques and strategies of counselling and motivational interviewing. Independence of judgement: Students are able to assess the characteristics of different counselling situations and identify the most appropriate communication and interpersonal approaches. Communication skills: Students are able to use the main basic communication skills of counselling and motivational interviewing when conducting a counselling session. Learning capacity: Students are able to reflect critically on their own communication and interpersonal approaches in order to progressively develop the skills necessary for conducting the counselling session.

Assessment
The final assessment is expressed as a single mark and comprises: • Interim individual practical assessment (40% of the overall mark): analysis of an audio/video-recorded interview, designed to assess the student’s ability to critically analyse a motivational interview, identifying the main communication and interpersonal techniques and applying the theoretical concepts covered in the course. • Final written test (60% of the overall mark): comprising multiple-choice and open-ended questions, as well as the analysis of short interview excerpts, designed to assess knowledge of theoretical content, the ability to analyse critically, and the application of the concepts covered during the course. To pass the module, students must achieve at least a pass mark in both assessments. The final mark is determined by the weighted average of the individual practical assessment and the final written test. For non-attending students, the intermediate individual practical assessment is replaced by a supplementary oral interview (40% of the overall mark), which also involves the analysis and discussion of a situation or a short interview excerpt, in order to assess knowledge of the course content, the ability to recognise and discuss the main communication and interpersonal techniques used in the motivational interview, and to apply the theoretical concepts covered in the course.

Evaluation criteria
Grading criteria: - Individual practical assessment: the following are assessed: the accuracy of the interview analysis; the ability to identify and discuss the main communication and interpersonal techniques used in a motivational interview; the ability to think critically; and the appropriate use of course terminology and theoretical references. - Final written test: the following are assessed: knowledge and understanding of the topics covered; ability to analyse critically and synthesise information; clarity of presentation; and sound reasoning. - Supplementary oral interview (for non-attending students): the following are assessed: accuracy of the analysis of the interview sequence; ability to identify and discuss the main communicative and relational techniques of the motivational interview; critical thinking skills; appropriate use of the course’s terminology and theoretical references.