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Learn to Recognise Behavioural Disorders in Children

Understanding developmental, learning and behavioural disorders in children and adolescents is important professional development for many professions. Whether you work directly with children, in a teaching, medical or caring role, or in-directly through work, this course is ideal for you.

It’s also an excellent course for parents and carers who want to understand their child/children who may experience developmental, learning and behaviour disorders.

The most common behavioural disorders in children include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD). However, there are many disorders that can go undiagnosed without the knowledge to identify when behaviour falls outside the ‘norm’ for a child’s level of development.

Our Certificate of Developmental, Learning and Behaviour Disorders (Children and Adolescents) is an online program that will give you insights into the signs, symptoms, treatments and support options for a variety of developmental and behavioural disorders.

You’ll explore disorders including learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other pervasive developmental disorders, including Rett’s Disorder.

You will also learn about attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders, conduct disorders like anti-social personality disorder, learning disorders like developmental dyslexia, communication disorders like phonological disorder and motor skills disorders.

When you study behavioural disorders in children, you will gain insights into a range of disorders that affect children and teenagers. As a result, you’ll feel capable to support and assist them to gain the help they need to thrive.

Learning Outcomes

Outcomes achieved if you study behavioural disorders in children include:

Nature and scope of developmental disorders – intellectual and learning disabilities
Classification of childhood disorders
Causes of developmental disorders- genetic, physical and environmental factors
Overview of the diagnosis of developmental disorders
Prevalence of developmental disorders
The impact on the families and children and adolescents with developmental disorders
Intellectual and learning disabilities
Co-morbid disorders
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) – signs, symptoms, treatment and support
Causes of ASD
Definition of ASD
Impaired social development & interactions
Abnormal communication
Repetitive behaviour
History of the perception of ASD
The Autism Spectrum
Issues facing children and adolescents with ASD
Impact of ASD on the family
Treatments for children and adolescents with ASD
How parents/carers and practitioners can support children with ASD
Supportive services for children and adolescents with ASD
Asperger’s Disorder – signs, symptoms, treatment and support
Definition of Asperger’s Disorder
The signs and symptoms of Asperger’s Disorder
Impaired social interactions
Repetitive behaviour
Causes of Asperger’s Disorder
History of Asperger’s Disorder
Prevalence & course of Asperger’s Disorder
Asperger’s Disorder and ASD – The Autism Spectrum
Impact of Asperger’s Disorder on the child or adolescent
The impact of Asperger’s Disorder on the family
Treatments available for children and adolescents with Asperger’s Disorder
How parents/carers and practitioners can support children with Asperger’s Disorder
Supportive services available for children with Asperger’s Disorder and family
Other pervasive developmental disorders
Learning disorders – focus on academia (mathematics, reading disorder – dyslexia, etc.) signs, symptoms, treatment and support
Specific developmental disorders
Definition of learning disorders
Reading disorder (developmental dyslexia)
Disorder of written expression (specific spelling disorder)
Mathematics (arithmetic) disorder
Communications disorders & motor skills disorder – focus on speech and language
Definition and causes of communication disorders
Phonological disorder
Expressive language disorder
Mixed receptive-expressive language disorder
Motor skills disorder

And more!

Why Study Developmental, Learning and Behaviour Disorders?

If you work with children and adolescents, this course will help you to recognise behavioural disorders as well as developmental and learning disorders.

It is important that behaviour that is considered extreme or outside the ‘norm’ for a child’s level of development be investigated. If a diagnosis is made early, children can receive the help they need to thrive in their education as well as in their social and emotional lives.

This online course, which explores behavioural disorders in children, is important for anyone who works closely with children and adolescents, including:

Counsellors
Nurses
Social workers
Caring roles
Health professionals
Teachers
Coaches
Emergency Services Professionals
Early Childhood Professionals

Common Behavioural Disorders in Children

There are many behavioural disorders in children but the most common include oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. While all children can be disobedient, defiant, and impulsive, which is considered normal, a disorder is diagnosed when this behaviour is extreme or outside the parameters of what is considered the norm for their developmental age.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

Around one in 10 children under 12 years are thought to have oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). Boys are twice as likely to have ODD and demonstrate behaviours such as:

Easily angered, annoyed or irritated
Regular temper tantrums
Frequent arguments with parents and teachers
Disobedient
Appears to deliberately annoy or aggravate others
Low self-esteem
Low frustration tolerance
Blames others for misfortune/misdeeds

Conduct Disorder (CD)

A conduct disorder often has children labelled as ‘naughty’ because of their refusal to accept and follow rules. The disorder affects about five per cent of 10-year-olds with boys outnumbering girls by four to one. The condition is often accompanied with a diagnosis of ADHD. Behaviours that are typical of children and adolescents with conduct disorder include:

Refusal to obey parents or others in positions of authority
Regular absences from school
The tendency towards using drugs at an early age
Lack of empathy
Aggression towards animals and people – bullying, physical and sexual abuse
Criminal behaviour such as stealing, deliberately lighting fires, breaking into houses and vandalism

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

The prevalence of ADHD is about two to five per cent in children with boys being three times more likely to be diagnosed. The characteristics of ADHD can include:

Inattention – difficulty concentrating, forgetting instructions, leaving tasks unfinished.

Impulsivity – talking over the top of others, having a short fuse and being accident-prone

Overactivity – restlessness and fidgeting

Why do Disorders Occur in Childhood?

The cause of behavioural disorders in children are not known, but risk factors include:

Gender – boys are more likely than girls to be diagnosed with a behavioural disorder, but it’s undetermined if the link is genetic or related to socialisation.

Gestation and birth – difficulties during pregnancy, premature birth and low birth weight may contribute to behavioural disorders in children and adolescents

Temperament – children who are temperamental or aggressive early in life are more likely to develop a behaviour disorder.

Dysfunctional home life – children in homes where there is domestic violence, poverty and substance abuse are more at risk of behavioural disorders

Learning and intellectual disabilities – those with difficulties learning or intellectual disabilities are also at risk of developing a behavioural disorder.

Brain development – children with ADHD have a less active area of the brain that controls attention.

Gain knowledge to understand and help children with developmental, learning, and behavioural disorders with a course that explores behavioural disorders in children, like our Certificate of Developmental, Learning and Behavioural Disorders – Children & Adolescents.

Domestic and Family Violence Courses Critical

Domestic and family violence (DFV) is a significant health and welfare issue and is prevalent across culture, gender and sexuality. It affects family members and intimate partner relationships across communities, but women and children are most at risk.

In Australia, one in six women and one in 16 men having been subjected to physical or sexual violence since the age of 15 – usually in the family home. And while women and children are most at risk, men are affected but are far more likely to experience violence from strangers in a public place.

There are different types of domestic and family violence. A person doesn’t need to experience all types of abuse for it to be a crime.

Types of abuse include:

Verbal abuse
Psychological abuse
Emotional abuse
Economic abuse
Physical abuse
Sexual abuse
Harassment and stalking
Spiritual or religious abuse
Image-based abuse
Coercive control
Elder abuse
Child abuse

What is Family and Domestic Violence?

Family violence refers to abuse that occurs between family members, intimate partners and ex-partners. Domestic violence is a subgroup of family violence and describes the abuse between current or former intimate partners. It is a form of abuse that typically involves one partner exerting control or power over the other using intimidation, which invokes fear.

Sexual Abuse

While sexual abuse can occur outside of relationships, a significant proportion of victims know their perpetrator. Sexual violence and abuse in a relationship include any sexual activity without consent. It can also include inflicting pain during sex, coercive intercourse without protection and degrading insults.

Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse is damaging to self-esteem and self-worth. It occurs when one partner manipulates, bullies or uses coercive control to intimidate the other.

Economic Abuse

Economic abuse is when an intimate partner has control over the other’s financial resources. This type of abuse reduces the victim’s ability to support themselves and forces them to depend on their perpetrator.

Social Abuse

Social abuse occurs when perpetrators cut victims off from support people like family, friends and their community. It can also involve efforts to harm the victim’s relationships or reputation.

Spiritual Abuse

Spiritual abuse, also known as religious abuse, involves the misuse of religion to hurt, scare or control a victim. It can involve making a person participate in spiritual or religious practices when they don’t want to.

Elder Abuse

Elder abuse is also a form of domestic violence when an older person is abused by a person, commonly a family member, when there is an expectation of trust.

Child Abuse

Child abuse is any physical or emotional harm caused by a person in a position of power that endangers a child’s health, survival, development or self-worth.

Coercive Control

Coercive control is domestic and family violence where there are patterns of abuse behaviour designed to dominate and control an intimate partner. It can include physical, emotional, economic, social and spiritual abuse.

Most at Risk Groups for Domestic and Family Violence

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Young women
Pregnant women
Women with disabilities
Financial hardship
Women and men who have experienced abuse or witnessed domestic violence as children

The statistics are scary – but education is vital to more positive outcomes for those experiencing domestic and family violence. It’s not just victims and perpetrators that need education but also support people and professionals, from family and friends to health care and service providers.

Our domestic violence courses are designed to educate those experiencing domestic abuse and their family, friends, carers and health care providers to offer support.

Certificate of Domestic and Family Violence

One of the best defences against domestic and family violence is knowledge. This knowledge is powerful for those who offer services to meet the needs of adults and children affected by domestic and family violence.

In this domestic violence course, you will learn how to apply lived experience to counsel and facilitate programs for victims of domestic and family violence. This will enable you to thoroughly explore client issues and identify possible options by providing a safe and supportive environment for clients to actively seek solutions.

Certificate of Domestic and Family Violence – Lived Experience

If you have lived experience of domestic and family violence, our domestic violence course, the Certificate of Domestic and Family Violence (Lived Experience), will help you support others.

Our online domestic violence course will provide you with the knowledge to use your experience to empower others in domestic and family violence situations.

You will also gain the knowledge and skills required to recognise and respond appropriately to domestic and family violence and advocate to promote awareness in the community.

Learning Outcomes

Topics covered in our online domestic violence courses include:

Women and children at risk
Indigenous communities
Prevention strategies
The Danger Assessment Scale (DA)
Types of abuse
Perpetrators
Child abuse allegations
Family violence orders
Personal safety
Develop rapport and confidence
Domestic violence information
Intervention strategies
Community activities services
Gaps and inadequacies in services
Controlling behaviours
Prevention strategies
Community service organisations
Reciprocity with organisations
Establish client confidence / relationship
Review existing case information
Positive behaviours
Conduct client interviews
Prevention strategies
Characteristics of perpetrators
Safe environments
Cultural differences

Our lived experience domestic violence course includes extra topics for those who have personally experienced domestic violence. It helps those people support others in similar circumstances.

Expectation of the use of lived experience
Basic framework and guidelines
Ways of communicating lived experiences
Policy and guidelines for disclosure
Sharing stories from own lived experience
Disorders, fears and phobia’s
Eating disorders
Personality disorders
Establishing personal boundaries and guidelines
Clear understanding of an appropriate relationship
The Recovery Model
Job roles within an organisation
Working to reduce the stigma of mental illness
Overcoming barriers
Providing hope
Goal setting

And more …

If you want to undertake a short domestic violence course to understand how to support those affected, whether through your workplace or in your personal life, our Understanding Domestic Violence course is ideal. In this short online domestic violence course, you’ll learn the practical skills and knowledge required to recognise and respond appropriately to domestic and family violence.

Gain the knowledge and power to confront domestic violence and improve outcomes for those affected with one of our domestic violence courses, including the Certificate of Domestic and Family Violence, Certificate of Domestic and Family Violence (Lived Experience) or Understanding Domestic Violence.

A Counselling Psychology Course Will Help You Help Others!

Studying a counselling course online like our Certificate of Counselling Psychology will be of particular interest to people working in or planning to work in counselling, psychology, psychotherapy, social work, nursing or in caring or health professional roles.

Relationship issues, discrimination, work and family demands, physical and mental health problems … there is a range of issues that can cause stress. In fact, according to the World Health Organisation, 25% of people will develop a mental or behavioural disorder during their lifespan.

And while some people can adequately manage stress, others can develop adverse feelings and anxieties that can persist and intensify. This can lead to issues including depression, substance abuse, behavioural problems and disorders that are particular to children and adolescents.

Counselling psychologists can assist people with physical, mental and emotional health issues to resolve crises, alleviate feelings of distress and improve their sense of well‐being.

Learning Outcomes

Outcomes achieved by undertaking a counselling course online include:

Learning about stress in terms of the mind to body connection
Studying how to recognise stress
Exploring what happens to the body when you experience stress
Uncovering the physiological response
Gaining an understanding of chronic and acute stress
Understanding Erikson’s psychosocial stages
Discovering the oral sensory, anal muscular, genital locomotor and latency stages of stress
Examining stress in young, middle and late adulthood
Gaining insights into social adjustment
Learning about the relationship between stress and heart disease
Exploring the basic sources of stress
Understanding why some people suffer more with stress
Studying how to deal with stress
Gaining an understanding of stress defence mechanisms
Learning about stress and abnormal behaviour
Exploring the definition of abnormality
Studying the deviation from statistical and social norms
Gaining an understanding of maladaptiveness in behaviour
Examining personal distress
Gaining insights into disabilities and stress
Learning about Wakefield’s harmful dysfunction concept
Understanding what makes psychologically healthy individuals
Exploring deviation in character
Studying the classification of mental disorders
Examining anxiety and mood disorders
Gaining insights into the prevalence and treatment of depression
Learning about schizophrenia
Exploring substance-related disorders
Examining disorders diagnosed in childhood
Gaining insights into delirium, dementia and amnestic and cognitive disorders
Exploring classification problems
Studying individual and pro-social or altruistic behaviours
Understanding when children first exhibit pro-social behaviour
Learning about socialisation and conformity
Studying disciplinary measures
Exploring family and sibling influence
Examining the influence of family structure
Gaining insights into the influence of school and peers
Learning about Heider’s balance theory
Exploring dissonance theory and cognitive dissonance
Studying group behaviour
Gaining an understanding of social considerations
Learning about different types of groups – temporary, organised, industrial and organisational
Examining the influence of different types of groups
Gaining insights into the methods of dealing with abnormalities
Learning about professionals in counselling and psychology
Exploring therapist techniques
Studying transference
Examining directiveness and non-directiveness
Gaining insights into systematic desensitisation
Learning about a variety of behaviour therapies
Exploring psychoanalytical approaches
Studying psychoanalytic techniques
Examining humanistic therapy
Gaining insights into eclectic approaches
Learning about conflict resolution
Exploring conflict handling techniques
Studying anger in terms of conflict
Gaining an understanding of negotiation
Examining joint problem solving
Gaining insights into negotiation problems
Learning about mediation and the procedures involved
Studying how to run a mediation process in a conflict situation
Gaining an understanding of agreements or contracts
Learning more about suggested timetables for mediation sessions
Exploring interpersonal communication skills
Studying communication channels and effective communication
Gaining an understanding of awareness in communication
Uncovering valuable communication skills
Learning about hearing verbal messages and perceiving non-verbal messages
Studying how to respond
Gaining an understanding of verbal and non-verbal communication
Examining body language
Gaining insights into communication barriers
Learning about self-awareness and self-esteem
Studying specific skills like listening, paraphrasing and reflective responses
Gaining an understanding of conversation development
Learnings how to build professional relationships
And more, in our counselling course online.

The Most Influential Psychologists Throughout History

Although many psychologists over the years have contributed to various schools of thought, individual practitioners have bought a unique perspective to the understanding of human behaviour. Be inspired to undertake our counselling course online with our pick of history’s best-known thinkers!

William James

Born in New York in 1842, James is considered a leading thinker of the late nineteenth century, and often referred to as the ‘Father of American psychology’. His teachings and writings, including his book, The Principles of Psychology, helped establish psychology as a science, particularly in the areas of structuralism and functionalism.

Ivan Pavlov

Pavlov was born in 1849 in Russia and from childhood demonstrated an intellectual curiosity he referred to as ‘the instinct for research’. Best known for his work in classical conditioning, he helped move psychology away from subjective assessments to objective measurements of behaviour.

Sigmund Freud

Born in Czechia in 1856, Freud was a neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis. His work supported a belief that not all mental illnesses have physiological causes and that cultural differences also have an impact on behaviour. His work also contributed to today’s understanding of clinical psychology and abnormal psychology.

Jean Piaget

Swiss-born Piaget was known for his work on child development, in particular his theory of cognitive development, and he placed great importance on children’s educational reform. As a testament to his work, Albert Einstein once described Piaget’s observations as a discovery “so simple that only a genius could have thought of it.”

Lev Vygotsky

A Russian psychologist, Vygotsky, was born in 1896, and his work has become enormously influential in recent decades. However, much of it was largely inaccessible to the Western world before the 1960’s when it was finally translated. Before his premature death at age 38, he was most known for his studies in the areas of child development and educational psychology.

Carl Rogers

Rogers was born in the US in 1902 and was among the founders of the humanistic approach to psychology. As an educator, writer and therapist, he was one of the major ‘humanist thinkers’ of his time and a key influence in the field with his theories on person-centred therapy.

Erik Erikson

Born in Germany in 1902, Erikson is most known for his staged theory of psychosocial development, which focused on human development throughout a lifespan. He coined the phrase ‘identity crisis’ and expanded the notion of psychoanalytic theory by exploring development throughout childhood, adulthood and old age.

F. Skinner

Burrhus Frederic Skinner was an American psychologist, inventor, author and social philosopher who was born in the US in 1904. He was Professor of Psychology at Harvard University from 1958 until his retirement in 1974, and is remembered for his concepts of operant conditioning and schedules of reinforcement.

Leon Festinger

American Festinger was born in 1919 and as a social psychologist, was best known for his theories on cognitive dissonance and social comparison. The first theory relates to the discomfort people feel when they hold two conflicting beliefs, and the second to people evaluating their ideas by comparing them to what other people believe.

Albert Bandura

Born in 1925 in Canada (and at 94, he is still alive and well today!), Bandura was considered part of the cognitive revolution in psychology that began in the late 1960s. A Professor of Social Science in Psychology at Stanford University, his theories stress the importance of modelling, imitation and social learning.

10 Infamous Serial Killers Throughout History

Robbery, sexual assault, murder and even cannibalism – their actions were brutal and often hard to comprehend. Undertake our counselling course online, and you may just understand a little more about the psyches and motivations of some of history’s most notorious killers.

Gilles de Rais

Born in 1404 in France, Gilles de Rais was a wealthy knight, a leader in the French army, and a companion-in-arms to Joan of Arc. Sound noble? Well yes … that is until he was convicted of murdering at least 40 young boys between 1432 and 1433. He died by hanging in October 1440.

Jack the Ripper

While it’s a name most people would be familiar with, nobody has ever been sure of this monster’s true identity. Terrorising the Whitechapel neighbourhood of London in 1888, he or she killed at least five prostitutes. The study and analysis of the murders – often referred to as ‘ripperology‘ – has been the inspiration for a variety of books and films.

Albert Fish

Fish was born in the US in 1870 and was found guilty of raping, killing, and cannibalising three children in the early 1900s. His various nicknames include the Moon Maniac, The Boogey Man, the Brooklyn Vampire and the Werewolf of Wysteria. He died by electrocution in January 1936.

Joachim Kroll

German serial killer Kroll murdered at least 14 people in and around the Ruhr metropolitan region between 1955 and 1976. After strangling his victims with his bare hands, Kroll would indulge in cannibalism. After a 151-day trial, he received a life sentence and died in prison in 1991.

Andrei Chikatilo

Born in the Ukraine in 1936, Chikatilo sexually assaulted, murdered, and mutilated more than 50 young women and children between 1978 and 1990. Nicknamed the Red Ripper and the Butcher of Rostov, he was convicted and executed by firing squad in 1994.

John Wayne Gacy

Gacy was born in 1942 and regularly performed at charitable events and birthday parties as Pogo the Clown. The ‘Killer Clown’ was eventually convicted of raping, torturing, and murdering 33 teenage boys over six years, and was executed in May 1994.

Ted Bundy

One of the most recognised serial killers of all time, Bundy kidnapped, raped and murdered numerous young women and girls during the 1970s. After more than a decade of denials, he confessed to 30 homicides across seven US states and was executed in 1989.

Pedro López

Colombian López was sentenced for killing 110 girls but claims to have raped and killed more than 300 women across Peru, Colombia and Ecuador. He was declared insane and jailed, however, was released in 1998 for ‘good behaviour’. His location is currently unknown.

Jeffrey Dahmer

Known as the Milwaukee Cannibal, Dahmer murdered and dismembered 17 men and boys from 1978 to 1991. Although Dahmer would have been eventually executed for his deranged crimes, he was beaten to death in prison in 1994.

Richard Ramirez

Born in 1960, Ramirez terrorised neighbourhoods throughout Los Angeles and San Francisco from June 1984 until August 1985. His weapons of choice included knives, handguns, a machete and even a hammer. He was sentenced to death in 1989 but died in prison before he could be executed.

The stresses of today’s world can be overwhelming for some people. Counselling courses online like our Certificate of Counselling Psychology will help you learn to help others be the best version of themselves.

Certificate of Family Therapy – New Course!

Study family therapy and discover how you can assist families in need – whether it’s strengthening family dynamics, helping to heal emotional wounds, or leveraging interventions that will ultimately lead to positive change. What a rewarding way to spend your working week!

When a family is healthy and happy, everything seems right in the world. Most families have a built-in resilience to the challenges that life throws at them, but even the strongest of families sometimes need help beyond their resources. A range of factors can also contribute to family breakdowns – from family crises and mental health challenges to financial hardship and even just the stresses of modern-day life, which is why family counsellors are so critical to today’s society.

Why Study Family Therapy?

Family therapy is an area of counselling that is important for families because individual therapies often can’t heal broader family issues. This is particularly the case if all family members are affected by the behaviour of one individual, or the family itself has become fragmented and non-functional. A family therapy course can help you understand the different approaches you might take and give you a range of techniques that can be used in family situations.

If you want to study family therapy, you’re choosing an in-demand occupation. The current average salary for a family therapist in Australia is around $65K, and the growth of jobs in this sector is also predicted to be very strong.

This course is ideal for anyone working with or interested in helping families in distress. This includes those working or hoping to work in:

Family counselling
Psychology
Counselling
Psychotherapy
Social work
Psychiatric nursing
Caring roles
Support work
Health professions
Health education
Teaching

Learning Outcomes

Explore the nature and scope of families
Learn about the different types of families
Explore the traditional family structures
Gain an understanding of how family dynamics are similar and different from the past
Explore the common problems for both couples and families
Learn about how families cope with problems in different locations and cultures
Study family systems, life cycles and dynamics
Gain an understanding of the cultural variations in families
Learn about the various crises that occur in families
Study the effects of changing cultures for immigrant families
Explore the evolving structures of families in terms of religion, changing parents, incoming grandparents, new or departing siblings or when two families merge
Learn about the effects of family abuse, violence, breakdowns and death and illness in families
Study the impact of changes in location or income on families
Explore family disintegration and reintegration
Learn how to see patterns and identify problems
Study critical and long-standing family incidents
Learn about the support structures for families and how support services can be accessed
Study the benefits of extended families, community services, social networks and religious connections
Gain an understanding of the types of counselling including individual and group counselling
Learn about the approaches to family therapy
Uncover how to conduct initial interviews and sessions and consider solutions
Study how to determine family roles and establish rules

A Day in The Life of a Family Therapist

Every family is unique, which is why a career in family therapy offers not only variety but unique and exciting challenges … practically every day! However, there are a few basic tasks that family therapists perform consistently. They include:

Asking questions that will help family members identify their feelings and behaviours.
Counselling clients on concerns, such as divorce and separation, unsatisfactory relationships, home management, child-rearing and financial difficulties.
Addressing personal issues, including family relationship problems and destructive patterns of behaviour.
Encouraging family members to develop and use strategies to confront their challenges constructively.
Developing and implementing individualised treatment plans.
Maintaining case files that include evaluations, activities, progress notes and recommendations.
Conferring with clients to develop strategies for post-treatment activities.
Conferring with doctors and other counsellors and professionals to analyse individual cases and coordinate counselling services.
Following up on the results of counselling programs to determine the effectiveness of programs.
Providing instructions to clients on how to obtain help with legal, financial and other personal issues.

Keen to help struggling families understand their issues and work towards resolving them? Embrace your compassionate nature with our Certificate of Family Therapy.

Certificate of Biopsychology – New Course!

Biopsychology. Psychobiology. Physiological Psychology. Biological Psychology. All lovely words to describe a combination of biology and psychology – a science that offers insights into the workings of the human brain. Fascinating, right?

But it’s not just an interesting science combo – biopsychology plays an integral part in understanding ‘normal’ brain functioning. It offers insights into how brain diseases and injury can influence our feelings, behaviours and thoughts.

It also allows researchers and those who have done biopsychology courses to come up with new ways of treating potential health problems, including diseases like Parkinson’s, which currently affects around 40,000 Australians. It’s an exciting science, and we’re excited too – because we are now launching our Certificate of Biopsychology!

Learning Outcomes

Explore the nervous system, including external and internal stimuli.
Gain further insights into the mind-body debate.
Study the senses, including sensory input and perception.
Learn about the nervous system, including neurons, and the peripheral and autonomic nervous systems.
Discover more about the endocrine system, including the effect of hormones on behaviour and physiology.
Explore the types of stressors and how stress affects the personality and physical body.
Study emotions including theories, homeostasis and physiological responses like eating disorders.
Learn about consciousness including the degrees, awareness and attention and altered states of consciousness.
Explore advanced biopsychology concepts like evolution, genetics and experience.
Learn about the research methods in biopsychology, including behavioural genetics and psychophysiological measures.
Study the models of memory, Korsakoff’s syndrome and the types of amnesia.
Examine language in terms of the brain, apraxia, diphasia and the theories of Broca and Wernicke.
Explore brain damage in terms of the causes and types including epilepsy, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.
Learn about brain damage recovery, including the stages and the area of neuroplasticity.
Study the effects of drugs on the brain in terms of steroid, barbiturates and illegal drug addiction.

Why Study This Course?

The average annual psychologist salary in Australia is currently around $77,000, and the future growth of jobs in this area is considered to be very strong.

This specialty psychology course may be studied by itself or as part of a certificate or higher-level course, either as a career move or for professional development purposes. It suits:

Health practitioners
Health professionals
Counsellors
Psychologists
Psychotherapists
Fitness and sports professionals
Those working in research, teaching or health and biological science professions

History of Biopsychology

While it might seem like a relatively recent development, the roots of biopsychology date back thousands of years to the time of the early philosophers. However, it’s worth noting that it’s only in recent history that we have come to understand the location of the mind!

Philosopher Aristotle, for example, believed our thoughts and feelings arose from the heart. Greek thinkers like Hippocrates and later Plato suggested the brain was where the mind resides and that it served as the source of all thought and action. Later on, thinkers like René Descartes and Leonardo da Vinci introduced theories about how the nervous system operated. While all of these early theories were essentially proven wrong, they did establish an important idea – that external stimulation could lead to muscle responses.

The concept that certain parts of the brain were responsible for certain functions also played an important role in the development of future brain research – like the famous case of Phineas Gage. Gage was a railroad worker who suffered a devastating brain injury – a large iron rod was driven completely through his head, destroying much of his brain’s left frontal lobe. Astoundingly, he lived to tell the tale and survived for another 12 years!

Cases like this had an important influence on our understanding of how damage to certain parts of the brain can impact behaviour and functioning. Since those early influences, researchers have made important discoveries about how the brain works. Research on neurons, neurotransmitters, evolution and the localisation of brain function, have all advanced our understanding of how biological processes impact thoughts, emotions and behaviours.

10 Amazing Facts About The Brain

Your brain has about 100 billion neurons – that’s about as many stars as you’d find in the Milky Way!
Our brains continue to produce new neurons throughout our lifespan.
While humans can’t regenerate central nervous system nerves, worms can!
Not all brain cells are the same – there are all shapes and sizes, and different types do different jobs.
Because of something called neuroplasticity, the brain is constantly changing in response to experience.
Signals in your neurons can travel at the same speed as a Formula 1 car (around 360 km/h)!
The left/right-brain dominance is a myth – no one side of the brain is used more than the other.
The brain is the most energy-intensive part of our body, using 20 per cent of our energy even though it makes up just three per cent of our weight.
The brain is mostly water – that’s why sometimes if you’re dehydrated you feel dizzy or light-headed.
Your brain is hyper-efficient, running on just 20 watts of power as opposed to a computer, which needs 65 to 250 watts. So, switch off that computer and switch on your brain!

Keen to delve into the fascinating science of Biopsychology? Start with our Certificate of Biopsychology, further your qualifications with our Advanced Course … and get psyched!

psychology and counselling

Tag Archive for: psychology and counselling

Learning Outcomes

Why Study Developmental, Learning and Behaviour Disorders?

Common Behavioural Disorders in Children

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

Conduct Disorder (CD)

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Why do Disorders Occur in Childhood?

Types of abuse include:

What is Family and Domestic Violence?

Sexual Abuse

Emotional Abuse

Economic Abuse

Social Abuse

Spiritual Abuse

Elder Abuse

Child Abuse

Coercive Control

Most at Risk Groups for Domestic and Family Violence

Certificate of Domestic and Family Violence

Certificate of Domestic and Family Violence – Lived Experience

Learning Outcomes

The Most Influential Psychologists Throughout History

William James

Ivan Pavlov

Sigmund Freud

Jean Piaget

Lev Vygotsky

Carl Rogers

Erik Erikson

F. Skinner

Leon Festinger

Albert Bandura

10 Infamous Serial Killers Throughout History

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