EDF5561 Clinical case formulation
Faculty of Education
EDF5561 Clinical case formulation is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Education, offered in 2026 in Semester 1 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites and unlocks 9 units, leading on to 13 units in all.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 1
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 2 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
Reviews
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Requisites
Before EDF5561
Prohibitions
You can't enrol if you have passed any of these.
- EDF5513Evidence-based counselling in practice
- EDF5720Developmental psychology and counselling and research
After EDF5561
9 units list EDF5561 as a prerequisite or corequisite.
- EDF5566Evidence-based interventions: Cognitive behaviour therapiesNo reviews yet
- EDF5567Contemporary psychological practiceNo reviews yet
- EDF5568Professional experience in psychologyNo reviews yetCoreq
- EDF5569Advanced practice in educational and developmental psychologyNo reviews yet
- EDF5570Advanced clinical interventions for mental health No reviews yet
- EDF5571Advanced psychological assessment and diagnosisNo reviews yet
- EDF5572Professional experience: Working with systems and groupsNo reviews yet
- EDF5732Clinical placement in psychology 2No reviews yet
Enrolment rules
Prerequisite
Successful completion of an Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) accredited fourth year sequence in psychology.
Overview
Case formulation is a capstone skill for psychologists. It is a process for applying theory and research findings to practice, understanding clients' issues, establishing and maintaining a therapeutic relationship, and developing intervention plans. In this unit, you will be introduced to an evidence-based framework for case formulation, which provides guidelines for synthesising information from multiple sources, identifying risk, managing relevant ethical issues, selecting applicable theory, and determining the most appropriate empirically supported interventions for clients with various presenting issues, in various contexts, across diverse groups and the lifespan. Through case-based discussion in large and small groups, you will develop higher order thinking and verbal skills suitable for professional entry psychology. You will also reflect on your own values and beliefs and how these may impact the therapeutic relationship and intervention delivery. Guided rehearsal of interviewing skills necessary for gathering clinical information and administering interventions will also be provided. The case formulation framework provided in this unit will help you integrate skills and knowledge from concurrent and later units, and is suitable for use in placements and future professional work.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | Flx blk |
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Case formulation (2400 words or equivalent)Written60%
- Evidence-based intervention plan demonstration (1600 words or equivalent)Demonstration40%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
understand how to conduct professional intake interviews
- 2
synthesise information from multiple sources to develop an integrative case formulation
- 3
determine the most appropriate evidence based interventions for various presenting issues, diverse population groups and across the lifespan
- 4
engage in self-reflection to understand the impact of your own values and beliefs when working with clients.
Workload and teaching
- Tutorials24 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per teaching period comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study.
Usually, you can expect to engage with:
A.On campus delivery
• 24 hours of scheduled learning delivered on campus via weekly/regular directed learning activities; and
• the remaining hours to be allocated towards self-directed/independent study
B. Flexible delivery
• 24 hours of scheduled learning of which 6 hours will be delivered on campus and 18 hours will be delivered online via a combination of synchronous and asynchronous directed learning activities; and
• the remaining hours to be allocated towards self-directed/independent study
Scheduled learning activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
You will be provided with the opportunity to engage with relevant literature and resources. Further, you will be encouraged to deepen your understanding of topic areas through collegial discussion and debate, and by participating in activities designed to extend your understanding.
Learning resources
Recommended resources
Please visit the unit Moodle site for further information.
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Violette McGaw
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Violette McGaw
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for EDF5561?
EDF5561 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
What can I take after EDF5561?
EDF5561 is a prerequisite or corequisite for 9 units, including EDF5566, EDF5567, EDF5568, EDF5569, EDF5570 and EDF5571. Those lead on to 13 units in all.
When is EDF5561 offered?
In 2026, EDF5561 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton.
How much work is EDF5561?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does EDF5561 have an exam?
No. EDF5561 has 2 assessment tasks and no exam.