Clinical Mental Health Counsel

History and philosophy of the counseling profession, including professional roles, functions, and relationships with other helpers.

Essential interviewing and counseling skills, with an emphasis on individual counseling methods and interventions.

Introduction to the major theories used by professional counselors, including psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, humanistic-existential, systems, and post-modern approaches.

Ethical and legal standards of professional organizations and credentialing agencies; application of ethical and legal standards to practice.

Theories of individual and family development across the life span; models of resilience; theories for optimizing development.

Principles of understanding distress, impairment, and dysfunction in human behavior and social systems.

Exploration of qualitative, quantitative, case study, and action research methods; statistical methods used in research and program evaluation.

Concepts and procedures of assessment of individuals’ attitudes, aptitudes, achievements, interests, and personal features; statistical concepts related to testing; social cultural, and ethical factors related to measurement.

This course is designed to introduce quantitative and qualitative research designs, methods, and data analysis techniques in counseling. It also introduces students to the use of research to support evidence-based practice and strategies to design and conduct program evaluation. Topics include ethical issues in research, construction and evaluation of measurement tools, critical analysis of research methods and evidence-based counseling practices, use and interpretation of descriptive and inferential statistics, analysis and synthesis of qualitative data, outcome measures, needs assessments and program evaluation methods.

through the process of counseling. The content of the course introduces a distinct group of interventions including play and communication skills as integral components of the therapeutic process. A major focus of the course involves instructional and experiential opportunities for the student counselor to develop skills that provide children with appropriate developmental materials and facilitate a safe relationship for the child to express models that can be applied to elementary age children. This course provides an overview of the essential elements and principles of play therapy, including history, theories, modalities, techniques, applications, and skills. Further, an experiential component focuses on basic play therapy skill development within the context of ethical and diversity-sensitive practice. It also includes assessment and techniques for working with children and adolescents in personal and family systems along with parent/guardian involvement interventions.

This course explores how the insights from moral psychology inform counseling. Topics include cultural differences, developmental models, evolutionary theory of morality, and ethical decision-making. The course focuses on the role that moral emotions and reasoning play in client behavior and experience.

This course will prepare counselors to work with pre/adolescents ages 12-21 and develop effective counseling strategies. The course will utilize class discussions, peer group work, lecture, demonstration, videotaped materials, and interactive/experiential activities. Topics explored will include trauma, grief, sexuality, substance abuse and legal and ethical issues in working with minors. In this course, the student should begin to integrate all their previous course learning in preparation for applying that learning for working with adolescents in a variety of settings.

This course provides students with an understanding of the personal and systemic impact of trauma-causing events on individuals, couples, families, and communities. Students will learn specialized response models that encompass sensory-kinesthetic, perceptual, emotional, cognitive, social-relational, and spiritual dimensions of experience, with a focus on body- and brain-based approaches to treatment. Also included in this class is the exploration of the counselor’s response to trauma and vicarious traumatization. The instructor uses a life-span developmental holistic perspective in presenting the course material.

A special topic is investigated in an individual or group setting with graduate faculty leadership.

Study of cultural patterns, including multiple dimensions of difference. Theories of multicultural counseling, identity development and social justice. Counselors’ roles in eliminating oppression and promoting dignity of all persons.

Introduction to ethical and clinical issues in explicit and implicit integration of spiritual and religious themes in counseling. Culturally sensitive assessment and intervention methods for addressing religious and spiritual themes.

Skills and practices to address relationship and family issues. Theories and models of marriage, partner, and family counseling. Models of family development, structure, and dynamics.

Principles of group processes and dynamics, including group leadership styles and group facilitation methods.

Introduction to addiction prevention and treatment models and methods. Exploration of self-help and professional interventions.

Career development theories and decision-making paradigms; career and educational planning and counseling.

Practicum experience of 100 or more clock hours, including 40 or more hours of direct service with clients. Individual and group supervision for counseling work. Introduction to crisis intervention techniques.

Supervised counseling experience of 200 or more hours, including 80 or more hours of direct service to clients. Individual and group supervision of counseling work.

Supervised counseling experience of 200 or more hours, including 80 or more hours of direct service to clients. Individual and group supervision of counseling work.

Supervised counseling experience of 200 or more hours, including 80 or more hours of direct service to clients. Individual and group supervision of counseling work.

Counselor’s roles in cultivating self-awareness, promoting social justice, advocacy and conflict resolution to promote flourishing and dignity of all persons.

A special topic is investigated in an individual or group setting with graduate faculty leadership.

A research problem is investigated under the supervision of a graduate faculty member.

Initiation of the research process (literature review, human subjects process) under the supervision of a graduate faculty member.

Completion of individual research thesis (data collection, data analysis, and presentation of findings) under the supervision of a graduate faculty member.

D.R./Independ Stdy in Clinical Mental Health Counseling